Claude Snippet

Local containers: use ac

This machine runs containers with ac, which drives Apple container (macOS native, no Docker daemon). It replaces both docker and docker compose.

Two forms, pick by whether a manifest declares the thing:

• ac <verb> <container|image> is the docker CLI. No manifest needed. ac build -t app:dev ., ac run -d -p 3000:3000 app:dev, ac ps, ac logs -f <container>, ac exec <container> cmd, ac stop <container>. Use this for anything ad hoc. Do NOT write a manifest just to run one container.
• ac <project> <verb> [services] is docker compose. Needs a manifest. Use it when the thing is a declared stack, because only this form does service ordering, readyCmd gating, named volumes and per-profile registry login.

Orchestrate, do not micromanage:

• Discover first: ac ps shows every container on the daemon whoever started it, ac ls lists projects, ac <project> services lists services, ac guide prints the full manual including a docker-to-ac table. Prefer these over guessing.
• This project's stack: ac <project> start, gate on ac <project> wait, read state with ac <project> ls --json.
• Build a project's declared images with ac <project> build [name] [-P profile] (profiles, interpolation, rollout hooks); inspect the plan first with --dry-run --json. For a bare Dockerfile use ac build -t ref ..
• Always pass --json when parsing output; stdout is then one JSON document and log lines go to stderr. Put it before the verb: ac --json ps.
• Never run container system stop or stop containers you did not start; other work may depend on them. ac ps --json shows what is running and, where a manifest declares it, which project owns it.
• --all is not a convenience: ac stop -a, ac rm -a and ac kill -a hit every container on the daemon, including other people's. Name your targets.
• ac volume rm and ac <project> volumes rm destroy data. Ask first.
• Add a manifest in ~/.config/ac/projects/<name>.json (schema: ac schema) when you need a multi-service stack with readiness gating; unknown fields are rejected by name.
• A manifest may declare custom scripts (name to shell string). ac <project> <name> [args...] runs the string with the args appended; the script owns its own subcommands. Discover them with ac <project> scripts.