init

The kilm init command prepares the current working directory to be managed by KiLM as a library collection, primarily intended for symbol, footprint, and template libraries (often managed via Git, hence the internal type github).

It performs several actions:

1. Creates standard subdirectories (symbols/, footprints/, templates/) if they don’t exist.
2. Creates a template library_descriptions.yaml file if it doesn’t exist, used for richer descriptions in KiCad.
3. Creates or updates a metadata file named kilm.yaml within the current directory. This stores the library’s name, description, associated environment variable, and detected capabilities (symbols, footprints, templates).
4. Adds an entry for this library (with its path and type github) to the main KiLM configuration file (~/.config/kicad-lib-manager/config.yaml).
5. Optionally sets this library as the current_library in the main configuration.

Usage

Run this command from within the directory you want to initialize:

cd /path/to/your-library
kilm init [OPTIONS]

Options

• --name TEXT: Sets a custom name for the library collection. If not provided, a name is generated from the current directory name. Example: kilm init --name my-custom-library

• --description TEXT: Adds a description to the library metadata (kilm.yaml). Example: kilm init --description "My collection of custom components"

• --env-var TEXT: Specifies a custom KiCad environment variable name (e.g., MY_CUSTOM_LIB) to associate with this library’s path. If not provided (and --no-env-var isn’t used), a name is automatically generated (e.g., KICAD_LIB_MY_CUSTOM_LIBRARY). This variable will be set in KiCad when you run kilm setup. Example: kilm init --env-var MY_LIB_PATH

• --no-env-var: Prevents an environment variable from being assigned to this library in the metadata. Default: False. Example: kilm init --no-env-var

• --set-current / --no-set-current: Controls whether this library should be set as the current_library in the main config.yaml. Default: --set-current. Example: kilm init --no-set-current

• --force: If kilm.yaml already exists, overwrite it with new metadata based on options or defaults. Without --force, existing metadata is updated only with explicitly provided options. Default: False. Example: kilm init --force

• --help: Show the help message and exit.

Behavior Summary

• Target: Current working directory.
• Creates/Updates: symbols/, footprints/, templates/ dirs, library_descriptions.yaml, kilm.yaml.
• Modifies Global Config: Adds library entry to main config.yaml, optionally sets current_library.
• Library Type: Registers the library with type github in config.yaml.

Examples

Basic Initialization: Initialize the current directory, creating folders and metadata, using default names/env vars, and setting it as current.

cd /path/to/my-kicad-library
kilm init

Initialization with Options: Initialize with a specific name, description, and environment variable, and don’t set it as the current library.

cd /path/to/another-kicad-library
kilm init --name project-specific --description "Components for Project X" --env-var PROJECT_X_LIBS --no-set-current

Re-initialize with Force: Overwrite existing kilm.yaml with default settings.

cd /path/to/existing-library
kilm init --force

Note: Running kilm init registers the library with KiLM and prepares the directory. You still need to run kilm setup afterwards to make KiCad aware of this library by updating KiCad’s configuration files.