skein-js

The skein CLI — a drop-in replacement for the LangGraph CLI (dev / up / build / dockerfile).

Part of skein-js — a TypeScript Agent Protocol server for LangGraph.js, and a drop-in replacement for the LangGraph CLI.

Status: 🚧 Pre-alpha — dev, up, build, and dockerfile all work today.

This is the only package most projects install. Point skein at your existing langgraph.json and your graph code, config, and clients keep working unchanged — the swap from the LangGraph CLI is a one-word change (langgraph dev → skein dev).

Contents

• Install
• Usage
• Commands
• skein dev flags
• Self-hosted, no lock-in
• When the managed platform may fit you better
• Learn more
• License

Install

pnpm add -D skein-js            # or: npm i -D skein-js  ·  yarn add -D skein-js

Usage

Swap it into your package.json scripts — your langgraph.json is unchanged:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "skein dev", // was: "langgraph dev"
    "up": "skein up", //  was: "langgraph up"
  },
}

Then run the dev server (in-process, hot reload, no Docker):

pnpm skein dev                 # → http://127.0.0.1:2024

Talk to it with the official @langchain/langgraph-sdk client, useStream, Agent Chat UI, or LangGraph Studio — any Agent Protocol client works with only a URL change. See the Quick start.

Commands

| Command | What it does | LangGraph CLI equivalent | Key flags | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | | skein dev | In-process dev server, hot reload, .skein/ state, no Docker. | langgraph dev | see skein dev flags | | skein up | Self-hosted stack via Docker Compose (app + Postgres + Redis). | langgraph up | -p, --port (8123) · --host (0.0.0.0) · -n, --npmrc <path> | | skein build | Build a deployable Docker image from the config. | langgraph build | -t, --tag (defaults to the project dir name) · -n, --npmrc <path> | | skein dockerfile | Emit a standalone Dockerfile (stdout by default). | langgraph dockerfile | -o, --output <path> |

All commands take -c, --config <path> (default langgraph.json).

--npmrc <path> (on build/up) mounts an .npmrc as a BuildKit secret so the image's dependency install can authenticate against a private/authenticated npm registry without baking a token into any layer. Public-registry builds don't need it.

skein dev flags

| Flag | Values | Default | Notes | | ------------------ | -------------------- | ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | -p, --port | number | 2024 | Port to listen on. | | --host | host | 127.0.0.1 | Interface to bind. | | --store <driver> | memory, postgres | memory | postgres reads POSTGRES_URI; also selects PostgresSaver. | | --queue <driver> | memory, redis | memory | redis reads REDIS_URI (BullMQ queue + Redis Streams bus). | | --no-persist | — | persists | Don't snapshot dev state to .skein/ across restarts. | | --no-reload | — | reloads | Disable hot reload on source change. | | -v, --verbose | — | off | Log per-run activity (tool calls, interrupts, timing). |

skein dev --store postgres --queue redis is a capability the LangGraph CLI does not offer: it lets you develop against production-shaped storage (durable Postgres checkpoints, pgvector search, cross-instance Redis streaming) with hot reload and no Docker. Full mapping and the annotated langgraph.json: docs/langgraph-cli-compat.md.

Self-hosted, no lock-in

skein-js is Apache-2.0 and builds only on the MIT-licensed @langchain/* packages, so you run your LangGraph.js graphs behind the standard Agent Protocol on your own infrastructure — no license key, no per-deployment fee, and no vendor lock-in. skein up brings up a Docker Compose stack (app + your Postgres + your Redis) that you own end to end.

When the managed platform may fit you better

skein-js gives you the code and full ownership, not a support contract. If you're an established product that wants a vendor standing behind your agent stack — dedicated support with response-time SLAs, plus enterprise features like SSO, RBAC, and SOC2 — LangGraph Platform's Enterprise plan is a sound choice. Your graph code and langgraph.json stay unchanged either way, so switching between them is cheap. See the reuse-first architecture for how little skein-js adds on top of the open LangGraph runtime.

Learn more

• LangGraph CLI compatibility — commands + langgraph.json fields
• skein-js overview · Reuse-first architecture · Roadmap
• skein-js root README

License

Apache-2.0