---
name: "ros-init"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "roswell"
version: "26.10.119-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ros-init"
---

# ros-init(1)

ros-init - Create a roswell script (optionally based on a template)

## Synopsis

**ros init \[TEMPLATE\] NAME \[ARGS...\]\]**

- **TEMPLATE**

  Specifies the name of a template, defaulted to *default* template. However, if *TEMPLATE* is not specified and *FILENAME* matches one of the templates being stored, then it automatically uses the template. To suppress this behavior, you should explicitly specify *TEMPLATE* as *default*.

  Thus you are warned when you use this command from a shell script. In order to achieve a consistent and desired behavior, it is adviced that they should always explicitly specify the template name.

- **NAME**

  Specify the output filename, or “-” to indicate *stdout*. When *TEMPLATE* is *default*, it automatically appends a file type “.ros”.

## Description

Initialises a roswell file based on a template. User-specified templates can be added by [*ros-template*(1)](/ros-template/1.md).

The default template is something like:

-

  ```
  #!/bin/sh
  #|-*- mode:lisp -*-|#
  #| <Put a one-line description here>
  exec ros -Q -- $0 "$@"
  |#
  (progn ;;init forms
    (ros:ensure-asdf)
    ;;#+quicklisp (ql:quickload '() :silent t)
    )
  (defpackage :ros.script.test.3703600390
    (:use :cl))
  (in-package :ros.script.test.3703600390)
  (defun main (&rest argv)
    (declare (ignorable argv)))
  ;;; vim: set ft=lisp lisp:
  ```

This is basically a shell script which immediately invokes Roswell by exec (see *[sh(1)](/sh/1.md)*). Roswell loads the same script as an input, skips multi-line comments, reads the rest of the file as a Common Lisp program, and finally invokes a function main with command-line arguments.

## SEE ALSO

[*sbcl*(1)](/sbcl/1.md) [*ros*(1)](/ros/1.md) [*ros-template*(1)](/ros-template/1.md)

## AUTHORS

Roswell Project Team.