# Command: init

**URL:** https://guildai.org/t/command-init/83
**Category:** Commands
**Created:** [June 10, 2020, 12:21am UTC](https://guildai.org/t/command-init/83 "2020-06-10T00:21:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![guildai](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/guildai.org/guildai/32/103_2.png) [@guildai](https://guildai.org/u/guildai)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2020, 12:21am UTC](https://guildai.org/t/command-init/83/1 "2020-06-10T00:21:43Z")

</div>

### Usage

```command
guild init [OPTIONS] [DIR]

```

Initialize a Guild environment.

By default, creates `.guild` under `DIR`, or the current directory if `DIR` is omitted.

NOTE: As of 0.9, this command does NOT create a virtual directory in `DIR`. To enable pre-0.9 behavior, specify `--venv` along with any of the applicable virtual environment options. We recommend creating a virtual environment using standard tools rather than using this command. Backward compatibility will be maintained via the `--venv` option.

Options that are associated with virtual environments are noted as such below.

### Resource Cache

By default resources are cached and shared at the user level in `~/.guild/cache/resources` so that resources downloaded from one environment are available to other environments. You can modify this behavior to have all resources downloaded local to the environment by specifying `--local-resource-cache`.

### Python Interpreter (virtual environments only)

Use `--python` to specify the Python interpreter to use within the generated virtual environment. By default, the default Python interpreter for `virtualenv` is used unless `python` is explicitly listed as a requirement. If `no-venv` is specified, `--python` is ignored.

### Requirements (virtual environments only)

By default, any required packages listed under packages.requires in `guild.yml` in the environment parent directory are installed into the environment. Use `--no-reqs` to suppress this behavior.

Additionally, packages defined in `requirements.txt` in the environment parent directory will be installed. Use `--no-reqs` to suppress this behavior.

Note that packages defined in `guild.yml` use Guild package names while packages defined in `requirements.txt` use PyPI package names.

For information on requirements files, see:

> **[User Guide - pip documentation v25.3](https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/user_guide/#requirements-files)**

You may explicitly specify requirements file using `-r` or `--requirement`. If `-r, --requirement` is specified, Guild will not automatically install packages in `requirements.txt` – that file must be specified explicitly in the command.

### Guild AI Version (virtual environments only)

By default `init` installs the active version of Guild AI in the initialized environment. To install a different version, or to install a Guild wheel distribution file use the `--guild` option.

### Options

| | |
| --- | --- |
| `--venv` | Creates a virtual environment in DIR. This option enabled pre-0.9 init behavior and is implied when specifying any of the virtual environment settings below. |
| `-n, --name NAME` | Environment name (default is env parent directory name). Implies `--venv`. |
| `-p, --python VERSION` | Version of Python to use for the environment. Implies `--venv`. |
| `-g, --guild VERSION_OR_PATH` | Version of Guild AI to use for the environment. The activate version of Guild is installed by default. This value may alternatively be a path to a Guild wheel distribution. Implies `--venv`. |
| `-s, --system-site-packages` | Give environment access to system site packages. Implies `--venv`. |
| `-H, --no-isolate` | Use current Guild home for the environment. Ignored if `--guild-home` is specified. |
| `-h, --guild-home PATH` | Alternative Guild home location for with the environment. By default, Guild home is ‘.guild’ in `DIR`. |
| `-r, --requirement REQ` | Install required package or packages defined in a file. May be used multiple times. Implies `--venv`. |
| `-P, --path DIR` | Include DIR as a Python path in the environment. Implies `--venv`. |
| `--no-reqs` | Don’t install from requirements.txt or guild.yml in environment parent directory. Implies `--venv`. |
| `-l, --isolate-resources` | Use a local cache when initializing an environment. |
| `-y, --yes` | Initialize a Guild environment without prompting. |
| `--no-progress` | Don’t show progress when installing environment packages. Ignored if a virtual environment is not created. |
| `--pre` | Install pre-release versions of applicable packages. Implies `--venv`. |
| `--help` | Show this message and exit. |

Guild AI version 0.9.0