Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getgaal.com/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
gaal sync --dry-run runs the full audit and planning pipeline but writes nothing. It’s the safety net you reach for whenever you’re not sure what’s in the pipeline.
The basics
$ gaal sync --dry-run
plan:
repositories
+ clone src/example (git, main)
~ update src/gaal (git, main → main, 2 commits ahead)
= unchanged src/dataset
skills
+ install code-review → claude-code, cursor
~ update git-helper → claude-code (v1.2 → v1.3)
= unchanged refactor → claude-code
content
+ copy AGENTS.md → CLAUDE.md
mcps
+ upsert filesystem → ~/.claude.json
= unchanged github → ~/.claude.json
pre-sync hooks
> run snapshot dotfiles
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|
+ | Will be created. |
~ | Will be updated in place. |
= | Already in the desired state. |
- | Would be removed (only with --prune). |
Exit codes
--dry-run uses the exit code as a status signal so you can drive it from scripts:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|
0 | Nothing to change. State is fully reconciled. |
1 | Changes are pending. Run gaal sync to apply them. |
2 | Error during planning (config invalid, source unreachable, …). |
gaal sync --dry-run && echo "in sync"
Machine-readable output
gaal sync --dry-run -o json
jq or feeding a CI step. The ASCII banner is suppressed automatically when -o json is set.
Combining with other flags
| Combo | Behaviour |
|---|
--dry-run --prune | Reports what would be removed, removes nothing. |
--dry-run --force | Reports installs that would happen into agents not currently detected. |
--dry-run --sandbox /tmp/sb | Plans against the sandboxed filesystem, not your real one. |
--dry-run --service | Rejected. A dry-run service loop is meaningless. |
CI pattern: fail the build on drift
Run dry-run with set -e in CI to fail when checked-in skills/MCP entries don’t match the committed config:
gaal sync --dry-run -o json | tee plan.json
test "$(jq -r '.changes | length' plan.json)" -eq 0
