---
name: "dune-init"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "dune"
version: "3.24.2-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dune-init"
---

# dune-init(1)

Command group for initializing Dune components.

## NAME

dune-init - Command group for initializing Dune components.

## SYNOPSIS

**dune init project NAME \[PATH\] \[OPTION\]...**

**dune init executable NAME \[PATH\] \[OPTION\]...**

**dune init library NAME \[PATH\] \[OPTION\]...**

**dune init test NAME \[PATH\] \[OPTION\]...**

**dune init start-file \[PATH\]**

## DESCRIPTION

**dune init COMPONENT NAME \[PATH\] \[OPTION\]...** initializes a new dune configuration for a component of the kind specified by the subcommand **COMPONENT**, named **NAME**, with fields determined by the supplied **OPTION**s.

Run a subcommand with  **--help** for for details on it's supported arguments

If the optional **PATH** is provided, it must be a path to a directory, and the component will be created there. Otherwise, it is created in a child of the current working directory, called  **NAME**. To initialize a component in the current working directory, use \`.\` as the **PATH**.

Any prefix of a **COMMAND**'s name can be supplied in place of full name (as illustrated in the synopsis).

For more details, see https://dune.readthedocs.io/en/stable/usage.html#initializing-components

## COMMANDS

- **executable** \[*OPTION*\]… *NAME* \[*PATH*\]

  A binary executable.

- **library** \[*OPTION*\]… *NAME* \[*PATH*\]

  An OCaml library.

- **project** \[*OPTION*\]… *NAME* \[*PATH*\]

  A project is a predefined composition of components arranged in a standard directory structure. The kind of project initialized is determined by the value of the **--kind** flag and defaults to an executable project, composed of a library, an executable, and a test component.

- **start-file** \[*OPTION*\]… \[*PATH*\]

  Write the standard start/dune file.

- **test** \[*OPTION*\]… *NAME* \[*PATH*\]

  A test harness. (For inline tests, use the **--inline-tests** flag along with the other component kinds.)

## COMMON OPTIONS

- **--help**\[=*FMT*\] (default=**auto**)

  Show this help in format *FMT*. The value *FMT* must be one of **auto**, **pager**, **groff** or **plain**. With **auto**, the format is **pager** or **plain** whenever the **TERM** env var is **dumb** or undefined.

- **--version**

  Show version information.

## EXIT STATUS

**dune init** exits with:

- 0

  on success.

- 1

  if an error happened.

- 130

  if it was interrupted by a signal.

## EXAMPLES

- 1\.

  Generate a project skeleton for an executable named \`myproj' in a new directory named \`myproj', depending on the bos library and using inline tests along with ppx\_inline\_test:

```
      dune init project myproj --libs bos --ppx ppx_inline_test --inline-tests
```

- 2\.

  Configure an executable component named \`myexe' in a dune file in the current directory:

```
      dune init executable myexe
```

- 3\.

  Configure a library component named \`mylib' in a dune file in the ./src directory depending on the core and cmdliner libraries, the ppx\_let and ppx\_inline\_test preprocessors, and declared as using inline tests:

```
      dune init library mylib src --libs core,cmdliner --ppx ppx_let,ppx_inline_test --inline-tests
```

- 4\.

  Configure a test component named \`mytest' in a dune file in the ./test directory that depends on \`mylib':

```
      dune init test mytest test --libs mylib
```

- 5\.

  Write the standard \`start/dune\` helper file:

```
      dune init start-file
```

## SEE ALSO

[dune(1)](/dune/1.md)