CLI reference

The installed mactain CLI is the local authority for command flags and usage. Use these docs for launch orientation, then run command-specific help for exact options in your installed release.

Command Reference

Group	Purpose
`engine`	Start, stop, and check the Engine.
`runtime`	Install, update, or roll back runtime assets.
`system`	View logs, manage local DNS, and inspect reclaimable storage.
`container`	Create, start, stop, inspect, log, execute, copy, and remove containers.
`network`	Manage shared network scopes and memberships.
`vpn`	Import, create, inspect, test, connect, and manage Secure Egress VPN connections.
`build`	Build an OCI image from a local context directory.
`image`	Pull, push, tag, import, export, inspect, monitor, list, and delete images.
`registry`	Manage registry credentials.
`secret`	Manage MacTain secrets.
`volume`	Create, inspect, browse, back up, restore, prune, and remove volumes.
`blueprint`	Initialize, validate, resolve, plan, start, stop, restart, and inspect Blueprints.

Defaults And Behavior

Use mactain --help to discover command groups.
Use mactain <group> --help to discover subcommands.
Use mactain <group> <subcommand> --help for exact flags in the installed release.
Many command groups expose mactain <group> docs for built-in examples.
Plain text output is for interactive use; JSON flags are for automation.
--json-full can include sensitive values on create/start forms and should be reserved for trusted automation.
Prefer readable command names in docs and manual use; aliases are kept for compatibility and power users.

Practical Use Cases

Use case: discover the command group you need

Use top-level help when you know the task but not the command group.

mactain --help
mactain container --help

Start from the task nouns: container, image, volume, network, Blueprint, runtime, system, or registry.

Use case: get exact flags for your installed release

Use command help before copying an example into automation.

mactain container start --help
mactain network membership attach --help

The public docs explain common workflows; command help is the exact flag reference for the installed release.

Use case: use extended docs from the CLI

Use extended docs when you want examples directly from the installed CLI.

mactain container docs
mactain blueprint docs

Use case: discover Secure Egress commands

Use the VPN group for saved connection management and the container subcommand for stopped-container assignment:

mactain vpn --help
mactain vpn import --help
mactain container secure-egress --help

See Secure Egress for the complete setup and verification workflow.

Extended Help

Several command groups expose extended docs:

mactain engine docs
mactain runtime docs
mactain container docs
mactain image docs
mactain volume docs
mactain vpn docs
mactain blueprint docs
mactain system docs

Source Boundaries

Exact version strings and command output can vary by release.
Public docs summarize launch-critical workflows; command help remains the exhaustive flag reference for the installed release.
Docker save/load tar archive import/export is not documented as supported because current image docs say it is not supported yet.

Next Steps

Use the task page that matches what you are doing: Containers, Build images, Images, Registry credentials, Secrets, Blueprints, Networking, Secure Egress, Volumes, System utilities, or Troubleshooting.