FAQ

Is this a dotfiles repository?

No. Dotfiles configure your shell and editor. PolyForge declares a toolchain and a workspace layout, and it stops at the boundary of the repository — it does not manage your prompt, your keybindings, or your system.

The two are complementary. Keep your dotfiles; PolyForge handles what is inside the workspace.

Do I have to use mise?

Yes — mise is the engine, not a plugin. Version resolution, installation, PATH shimming, environment and tasks are all delegated to it. See why mise.

Can I use it for work projects?

Yes. The registry maps names to git URLs, and nothing requires those to be public or on GitHub — get uses plain git. Only publish and forge new assume GitHub, because they create repositories for you.

Why is my code not in the PolyForge repository?

So that the environment stays small forever. Dev/Learn/, Dev/Templates/*/ and Workspace/*/*/ are git-ignored, and a committed registry restores them on demand. Full reasoning in content separation.

What if I do not want a project in its own repository?

Then do not run publish. An unpublished project works normally — it is simply git-ignored inside PolyForge, so it will not follow you to another machine. Nothing forces you to publish.

Does it work without the GitHub CLI?

For everything except publishing, yes. Cloning, activating, installing and restoring need only git. gh is required for polyforge publish, learn publish and forge new, all of which create repositories.

Windows and Linux really behave the same?

That is the design constraint. The PowerShell modules and the POSIX scripts are kept command-for-command identical; only the initializer invocation and the profile location differ. See cross-platform parity.

Can I add a language that is not shipped?

One file. See adding a language.

Why does nothing install when I enter a folder?

auto_install = false, deliberately. Navigation should not download anything. Run polyforge install when you want tools. See explicit installs.

What is the difference between polyforge create and forge?

create uses built-in quick starters and drops a project into Workspace/. forge manages your own curated template repositories. Use create to start in ten seconds, forge when you have a setup worth reusing. See the template library guide.

Is it stable?

It is a personal workspace tool in active development, used daily by its author. Command names in these docs reflect the current state of the repository; treat anything undocumented as subject to change.

How do I contribute?

The repository is currently private. Once it is public, the one rule that matters: a change to the PowerShell implementation is not complete until the POSIX one matches, and vice versa.