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GET STARTED

Installation

Ready to build with Codika? Follow these steps to install the CLI, get your CLI Key, and set up your development environment.

Discord Community

If you encounter any issues during installation, join our Discord Community. This is our main channel for providing help and support.

Get Codika​

Codika consists of a CLI and a component library. The CLI runs in your console to automate configuration tasks, while the component library provides the building blocks for your apps.

Install the CLI​

Download and install Codika with our installation script:

curl -fsSL https://install.codika.dev/install | bash

After installation, open a new console and verify installation by listing all the available commands:

codika -h

Install the Component Library​

To complete your setup, install the Codika Components. Make sure you have Mason installed (Install Mason) first, then run:

codika install

Codika Components

The Codika Components are open source and available on GitHub. Contributions from the community help expand our professional building blocks.

Behind the scenes​

Codika is installed in a .codika folder in your home directory. This contains the CLI executable and component library. To uninstall Codika, simply delete this folder and remove the Codika path from your .zshrc, .bashrc or .profile file.

Verify Installation​

Codika is a CLI that glues a lot of tools together. You will probably have to install some additional tools to get everything working. To check if everything is working, run the codika doctor command:

codika doctor

This command will verify 5 differents things:

  • Your Codika CLI Key is valid
  • The required tools are installed and have minimum required versions
  • You are logged in to the required services (GitHub, Google Cloud, etc.)
  • Your setup is complete (have entered an Apple Developer account and a Codemagic API key, etc.)
  • The component library is installed and up to date

In the next steps you'll fix the issues related to the CLI Key and the missing tools if any.

Get Your CLI Key​

To start building with Codika, you'll need a CLI Key. We offer three tiers to match your development needs - a free option for exploring Codika's project creation features, a Builder tier with deployment automation, and a Architect tier that offers accessing our boilerplate system creation capabilities. Select the option that best fits your current requirements:

Foundation

Create and configure projects with Firebase

Builder

Full deployment automation and CI/CD capabilities

Architect

Custom Boilerplate System creation (Coming Soon)

After receiving your CLI Key by email:

  1. Copy the key to your clipboard
  2. Run codika configure codika-cli-key in your terminal
  3. Paste your key and press Enter

Run the codika doctor command to verify your CLI Key is valid.

Plan Comparison & Features

Free Plan​

Basic project creation and Firebase configuration capabilities. Perfect for exploring Codika or building applications that won't be published to the stores.

Builder Plan​

Adds complete deployment automation with powerful commands:

  • codika app build: Version management and build triggering
  • codika app patch: Code-push updates via Shorebird
  • codika app promote: Environment promotion (test→staging→production)
  • codika codemagic setup: CI/CD pipeline configuration

Architect Plan (Coming April 2025)​

Includes everything in the Member plan plus custom boilerplate system creation for teams developing specialized templates and components.

See full pricing details at codika.io.

Install Additional Tools​

Codika works as a glue layer for multiple tools in the Flutter ecosystem. To get the most out of Codika, you'll need to install some essential tools, an or optionally some additional ones depe case.

Official Documentation

For the most up-to-date installation instructions, consult the official documentation of each tool linked below.

Required Tools (Always Needed)​

These tools are required for Codika to function properly:

  1. Flutter & Dart

    The foundation of your app development with Codika.

    # Install via Flutter's official site
    https://docs.flutter.dev/get-started/install

  2. FVM (Flutter Version Management)

    Manage multiple Flutter SDK versions with ease:

    # Install with Homebrew (macOS)
    brew tap leoafarias/fvm
    brew install fvm
    # Or globally with pub
    dart pub global activate fvm

    Set a global Flutter version after installation to ensure consistency across projects.

  3. Mason CLI

    Essential templating tool that powers Codika's component architecture:

    # Install globally with pub
    dart pub global activate mason_cli

  4. Git

    Industry-standard version control essential for Codika's branching strategy:

    # Verify installation
    git --version

    # Install with Homebrew if needed
    brew install git

GitHub Integration​

If you are a GitHub user we recommend installing the GitHub CLI. Codika uses that CLI to automate the creation and configuration of the GitHub repositories.

  1. GitHub CLI

    GitHub CLI is a command-line tool for managing GitHub repositories:

    # Install with Homebrew
    brew install gh

    Log into the CLI with gh auth login.

Firebase Tools​

If you plan to use Firebase in your project, you'll need to install the following tools:

  1. Firebase CLI

    Command-line interface for Firebase project management:

    # Install with npm
    npm install -g firebase-tools

    Authenticate your installation with firebase login before use.

  2. Google Cloud CLI

    Advanced Firebase configuration and Google Cloud integration:

    # Install with Homebrew
    brew install google-cloud-sdk

    Authenticate your installation with gcloud auth login before use.

  3. FlutterFire CLI

    Streamlines Firebase configuration specifically for Flutter applications. Installation requires both Node.js and the Firebase CLI as prerequisites:

    # Ensure Node.js is installed first
    node --version

    # Install Firebase CLI if not already present
    npm install -g firebase-tools

    # Finally, install FlutterFire CLI
    dart pub global activate flutterfire_cli

    After installation, the flutterfire command becomes globally available for configuring Firebase services in your Flutter applications.

Shorebird (for Code Push Updates)​

  1. Shorebird

    Enable code push capabilities for instant app updates:

    # Install with curl
    curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shorebirdtech/install/main/install.sh | bash

    Authenticate your installation with shorebird login before use.

CI/CD & App Distribution​

If you plan to use Codika's deployment automation via codika app build or codika app patch, install:

  1. Codemagic CLI Tools

    Codemagic provides a CLI tool to manage app distribution and CI/CD. Their official documentation says it needs to be installed via: pip3 install codemagic-cli-tools. But we recommend using pipx to install it:

    # Install pipx
    brew install pipx

    # Install the CLI
    pipx install codemagic-cli-tools

    # Ensure the CLI is in your PATH
    pipx ensurepath

Next Steps​

With Codika installed and configured, you're ready to start building! We recommend starting by going through the Quickstart Guide to create your first dummy project to get familiar with the CLI.

Then, for developers looking to ship a complete app to the stores, you'll need to complete our Configuration Guide as there are some one-time setup steps required for services like Firebase and Codemagic.

Once configured, you can follow the Zero to Stores Guide to build your own app with Firebase integration, add your first components, and publish your app to the stores.