# nomue CLI reference

> The exact public command surface shipped by @licklider/nomue-verifier 0.2.1-rc.1, including current help and version boundaries.

Status: Public CLI reference — release candidate 0.2.1-rc.1
Updated: September 18, 2026

## Install or run without a global command

<!-- llm:example -->
```text
npm install --global @licklider/nomue-verifier@0.2.1-rc.1

# Or invoke the package without a global install
npx --yes @licklider/nomue-verifier@0.2.1-rc.1 verify ./record.json --format json
```

> The commands pin 0.2.1-rc.1 exactly; it is a release candidate rather than a stable release.


## Available subcommands

| Command | Current behavior |
| --- | --- |
| nomue verify <record.json> [--format json|json-compact|human] | Verify a local Record. Machine-readable JSON is written to stdout. The format flag controls only whether and how a human summary is also written to stderr. |
| nomue canonicalize <record.json> | Write the Record canonical digest projection to stdout after strict local parsing and limit checks. |
| nomue digest <record.json> | Recompute the Record content digest and write a JSON object containing content_digest to stdout. |


## Usage line available before installation

The public package wrapper currently defines the following usage line. This page publishes it so a person or agent can inspect the command shape before installing the package.

```text
usage: nomue <verify|canonicalize|digest> <record.json> [--format json|json-compact|human]
```

> Running nomue without the required command and file path writes this line to stderr and exits with code 5.


## Help and version behavior in 0.2.1-rc.1

The current release candidate does not implement nomue --help, nomue verify --help, or nomue --version as commands. Do not construct a tool call that assumes those flags exist.

nomue --help and nomue --version produce the usage-error path because a file argument is missing. nomue verify --help treats --help as a file path rather than as a help flag. The package version should be read from npm metadata or package.json.


## Process exit codes

| Code | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| 0 | The command completed; for verify, every applicable scoped check outcome is pass. |
| 2 | A scoped check failed, or parsing or canonicalization was refused. |
| 3 | Routing failed or the declared bundle is unsupported; no verification report exists. |
| 4 | The verifier refused safely because a resource limit was reached. |
| 5 | Usage, input/output, or internal failure prevented completion. |

> Exit codes are routing and process signals. They do not establish whether the research is scientifically correct overall.


## When to use these commands

- Use verify for a conforming local Record that declares the exact supported Release 1 bundle.
- Use canonicalize when you need the package-defined canonical digest projection of a local Record.
- Use digest when you need to recompute the local Record content digest.
- Parse stdout as machine-readable output and preserve the exact process exit code.


## When not to use these commands

- Do not use --help or --version as if they were implemented flags in this release candidate.
- Do not treat canonicalize or digest as an overall verification of the Record or research.
- Do not expect the CLI to fetch remote Records, schemas, or Record-supplied URIs.
- Do not silently replace an unsupported method or bundle with a nearby supported one.


## Implementation sources

- [Public package README](https://github.com/licklider-ai/nomue-verifier/blob/main/README.md)
- [Public nomue command wrapper](https://github.com/licklider-ai/nomue-verifier/blob/main/bin/nomue.cjs)
- [Reference verifier CLI implementation](https://github.com/licklider-ai/nomue-verifier/blob/main/reference/verifier/src/cli.ts)
- [Record verification guide](/docs/record-verification/)


## Flat summary for LLMs

- Install @licklider/nomue-verifier globally or run the package through npx.
- The current public subcommands are verify, canonicalize, and digest.
- nomue --help and nomue --version are not implemented commands in 0.2.1-rc.1.
- Do not invent help or version output; use this reference and npm package metadata.
- verify always writes machine-readable JSON to stdout; --format controls whether and how a human summary is also written to stderr.
- canonicalize and digest are Record-processing utilities, not broader scientific-verification claims.