Set up the plugins project

Create plugins in a regular Node.js project. You do not need a repository clone or Go unless you choose a Go backend.

Before you start

• Node.js 22 or newer.
• npm (pnpm or Yarn also work; see the package manager note below).
• Go only for a Go backend.
• A supported router reachable from your computer for the RCI tutorial. After creating its plugin folder, run npx mndw dev rci-device-name-widget --addr <router> to reach it through the local daemon; mndw does not need to be installed on the router for development.
• A router with mndw installed to install a finished plugin. See Install mndw.
• On Windows, WSL for backend development. Read the Windows guide.

Create a project and install the CLI

Make a plugins project, then install the CLI as a development dependency:

mkdir my-plugins && cd my-plugins
npm init -y
npm i -D @mndw/cli

The mndw CLI comes from @mndw/cli, a development dependency of the plugins project. It is installed into node_modules/.bin; there is no global install. Run it through the package manager with commands such as npx mndw create.

With pnpm, use pnpm add -D @mndw/cli and pnpm exec mndw …. With Yarn, use yarn add -D @mndw/cli and yarn mndw …. Yarn requires nodeLinker: node-modules in .yarnrc.yml; Plug'n'Play is not supported.

Create a plugin

Run the CLI from the plugins project (my-plugins). In an interactive terminal, choose a framework; Svelte is the default. The plugin type defaults to widget.

npx mndw create hello-widget

Pass --framework vanilla|svelte|vue|angular or --type widget|page to choose directly. Add --backend sh for a shell backend. A Go backend requires a vanilla page and Go installed. Add --no-install to create the files without installing their dependencies. Otherwise, the CLI installs them with the package manager that invoked it.

For example, create a Svelte widget with a shell backend:

npx mndw create hello-widget --type widget --framework svelte --backend sh

The plugins project owns the CLI. Each plugin folder is a separate package with its own manifest, source files, and package.json:

my-plugins/
  package.json          # the CLI dependency
  hello-widget/
    manifest.json
    package.json        # this plugin's dependencies and scripts
    src/
      App.svelte
      index.ts

The CLI installs the matching platform package for mndwd as an optional dependency of @mndw/cli. You do not need Go to run mndw dev for a shell or backendless plugin. Go is needed only for a Go backend.

If npm reports that the platform package is missing after you reuse a package-lock.json made on another OS, delete package-lock.json and node_modules, then run npm install again.

Next, try the local development guide, the Hello Widget tutorial, or the RCI tutorial. For all CLI commands, see the CLI reference.

Package versioning

All @mndw/* packages share the product version. mndw create uses a caret range based on the creating CLI version for @mndw/sdk, @mndw/cli, @mndw/ui, and the selected UI adapter (for example, ^0.1.2). While the product is 0.x, breaking API, manifest, or protocol changes bump the minor version. npm caret ranges on 0.x stay within that minor, so they receive fixes; moving to a new minor is a deliberate coordinated upgrade of all @mndw/* packages.