defang

Defang

What is Defang?

Defang is a tool that simplifies the process of deploying applications from Docker Compose to various cloud platforms. It offers both a Command-Line Interface (CLI) and a Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server for seamless integration with IDEs. The goal is to enable developers to take their applications from a local Docker Compose setup to a secure and scalable cloud deployment quickly.

How to use Defang?

Getting started with Defang involves installing the CLI and then using commands to manage your deployments.

Installation: You can install the Defang CLI through various methods:

• Homebrew:

  brew install DefangLabs/defang/defang
  

• Shell Script:

  eval "$(curl -fsSL s.defang.io/install)"
  

• Go:

  go install github.com/DefangLabs/defang/src/cmd/cli@latest
  

• Nix:

  nix-env -if https://github.com/DefangLabs/defang/archive/main.tar.gz
  

  or with Flakes:

  nix profile install github:DefangLabs/defang#defang-bin --refresh
  

• winget:

  winget install defang
  

• PowerShell Script:

  iwr https://s.defang.io/defang_win_amd64.zip -OutFile defang.zip
  Expand-Archive defang.zip . -Force
  

• Docker Hub:

  docker run -it defangio/defang-cli help
  

• Latest Binary: Download from the Defang releases page.

Basic Usage:

• Generate AI-assisted code or configurations:

  defang generate
  

• Deploy your Docker Compose application:

  defang compose up
  

Command Completion: Defang supports command completion for Bash, Zsh, Fish, and Powershell. Configure it by sourcing the output of defang completion [shell_name].

Key Features of Defang

• Docker Compose to Cloud Deployment: Effortlessly deploy applications defined in docker-compose.yml files to cloud environments.
• Defang CLI: A robust command-line tool for managing the entire deployment lifecycle.
• Defang MCP Server: Enables direct cloud deployment from IDEs like Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, and Claude.
• Multi-Cloud Support: Compatible with major cloud providers such as AWS, Google Cloud (GCP), and DigitalOcean.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Integrates with tools like Pulumi for managing infrastructure.
• AI Integration: Features like defang generate leverage AI for development assistance.
• Sample Projects: Includes examples in Go, Python, and Node.js to demonstrate deployment.
• Extensive Configuration: Supports numerous environment variables for customizing build contexts, cloud providers, and more.

Use Cases of Defang

• Rapid Prototyping: Quickly deploy prototypes and test applications in the cloud.
• Developer Productivity: Streamline the deployment process, allowing developers to focus on coding rather than infrastructure management.
• IDE-Integrated Deployments: Deploy applications directly from within your preferred IDE using the MCP Server.
• CI/CD Pipelines: Integrate Defang into continuous integration and continuous deployment workflows.
• Multi-Cloud Strategy: Easily manage deployments across different cloud providers without vendor lock-in.

FAQ about Defang

• How do I deploy an application using a Docker Compose file? Use the command defang compose up in your project directory.
• What cloud providers does Defang support? Defang supports AWS, Google Cloud (GCP), and DigitalOcean, among others. You can specify the provider using the DEFANG_PROVIDER environment variable.
• Can I deploy from my IDE? Yes, the Defang MCP Server is designed for IDE integration, allowing deployments directly from supported editors.
• How can I customize the deployment process? Defang offers a wide range of environment variables (e.g., DEFANG_ORG, DEFANG_BUILD_CONTEXT_LIMIT, DEFANG_PROVIDER) to tailor the deployment to your specific needs.
• Where can I find example projects? Sample projects in various languages are available in the Samples folder of the Defang repository.

Develop Anything. Deploy Anywhere.

Take your app from Docker Compose to a secure and scalable deployment on your favorite cloud in minutes.

Defang CLI

The Defang Command-Line Interface (CLI) is designed for developers who prefer to manage their workflows directly from the terminal. It offers full access to Defang’s capabilities, allowing you to build, test, and deploy applications efficiently to the cloud.

Defang MCP Server

The Defang Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server is tailored for developers who work primarily within integrated development environments (IDEs). It enables seamless cloud deployment from supported editors such as Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, VS Code Insiders and Claude delivering a fully integrated experience without leaving your development environment.

This repo includes:

• Public releases of the Defang CLI; click here for the latest version
• Built-in support for MCP Server — the Defang MCP Server makes cloud deployment as easy as a single prompt. Learn more
• Samples in Golang, Python, and Node.js that show how to accomplish various tasks and deploy them to the DOP using a Docker Compose file using the Defang CLI.
• Samples that show how to deploy an app using the Defang Pulumi Provider.

Getting started

• Read our Getting Started page
• Follow the installation instructions from the Installing page
• Take a look at our Samples folder for example projects in various programming languages.
• Try the AI integration by running defang generate
• Start your new service with defang compose up

Installing

Install the Defang CLI from one of the following sources:

• Using the Homebrew package manager DefangLabs/defang tap:

  brew install DefangLabs/defang/defang
  

• Using a shell script:

  eval "$(curl -fsSL s.defang.io/install)"
  

• Using Go:

  go install github.com/DefangLabs/defang/src/cmd/cli@latest
  

• Using the Nix package manager:

  • with Nix-Env:

    nix-env -if https://github.com/DefangLabs/defang/archive/main.tar.gz
    

  • or with Flakes:

    nix profile install github:DefangLabs/defang#defang-bin --refresh
    

• Using winget:

  winget install defang
  

• Using a PowerShell script:

  iwr https://s.defang.io/defang_win_amd64.zip -OutFile defang.zip
  Expand-Archive defang.zip . -Force
  

• Using the official image from Docker Hub:

  docker run -it defangio/defang-cli help
  

• or download the latest binary of the Defang CLI.

Support

• File any issues right here on GitHub

Command completion

The Defang CLI supports command completion for Bash, Zsh, Fish, and Powershell. To get the shell script for command completion, run the following command:

defang completion [bash|zsh|fish|powershell]

If you're using Bash, you can add the following to your ~/.bashrc file:

source <(defang completion bash)

If you're using Zsh, you can add the following to your ~/.zshrc file:

source <(defang completion zsh)

or pipe the output to a file called _defang in the directory with the completions.

If you're using Fish, you can add the following to your ~/.config/fish/config.fish file:

defang completion fish | source

If you're using Powershell, you can add the following to your $HOME\Documents\PowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 file:

Invoke-Expression -Command (defang completion powershell | Out-String)

Environment Variables

The Defang CLI recognizes the following environment variables:

• COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME - The name of the project to use; overrides the name in the compose.yaml file
• DEFANG_ACCESS_TOKEN - The access token to use for authentication; if not specified, uses token from defang login
• DEFANG_BUILD_CONTEXT_LIMIT - The maximum size of the build context when building container images; defaults to 100MiB
• DEFANG_CD_BUCKET - The S3 bucket to use for the BYOC CD pipeline; defaults to defang-cd-bucket-…
• DEFANG_CD_IMAGE - The image to use for the Continuous Deployment (CD) pipeline; defaults to public.ecr.aws/defang-io/cd:public-beta
• DEFANG_DEBUG - set this to 1 or true to enable debug logging
• DEFANG_DISABLE_ANALYTICS - If set to true, disables sending analytics to Defang; defaults to false
• DEFANG_EDITOR - The editor to launch after new project generation; defaults to code (VS Code)
• DEFANG_FABRIC - The address of the Defang Fabric to use; defaults to fabric-prod1.defang.dev
• DEFANG_JSON - If set to true, outputs JSON instead of human-readable output; defaults to false
• DEFANG_HIDE_HINTS - If set to true, hides hints in the CLI output; defaults to false
• DEFANG_HIDE_UPDATE - If set to true, hides the update notification; defaults to false
• DEFANG_ISSUER - The OAuth2 issuer to use for authentication; defaults to https://auth.defang.io
• DEFANG_MODEL_ID - The model ID of the LLM to use for the generate/debug AI integration (Pro users only)
• DEFANG_NO_CACHE - If set to true, disables pull-through caching of container images; defaults to false
• DEFANG_ORG - The name of the organization to use; defaults to the user's GitHub name
• DEFANG_PREFIX - The prefix to use for all BYOC resources; defaults to Defang
• DEFANG_PROVIDER - The name of the cloud provider to use, auto (default), aws, digitalocean, gcp, or defang
• DEFANG_PULUMI_BACKEND - The Pulumi backend URL or "pulumi-cloud"; defaults to a self-hosted backend
• DEFANG_PULUMI_DIR - Run Pulumi from this folder, instead of spawning a cloud task; requires --debug (BYOC only)
• DEFANG_PULUMI_VERSION - Override the version of the Pulumi image to use (aws provider only)
• NO_COLOR - If set to any value, disables color output; by default, color output is enabled depending on the terminal
• PULUMI_ACCESS_TOKEN - The Pulumi access token to use for authentication to Pulumi Cloud; see DEFANG_PULUMI_BACKEND
• PULUMI_CONFIG_PASSPHRASE - Passphrase used to generate a unique key for your stack, and configuration and encrypted state values
• TZ - The timezone to use for log timestamps: an IANA TZ name like UTC or Europe/Amsterdam; defaults to Local
• XDG_STATE_HOME - The directory to use for storing state; defaults to ~/.local/state

Development

At Defang we use the Nix package manager for our dev environment, in conjunction with DirEnv.

To get started quickly, install Nix and DirEnv, then create a .envrc file to automatically load the Defang developer environment:

echo use flake >> .envrc
direnv allow