Command Line

Documentation of the various command line options of the Meteor tool.

The following are some of the more commonly used commands in the meteor command-line tool. This is just an overview and does not mention every command or every option to every command; for more details, use the meteor help command.

meteor help

Get help on meteor command line usage.

bash

meteor help

Lists the common meteor commands.

bash

meteor help <command>

Prints detailed help about the specific command.

meteor run

Run a meteor development server in the current project.

bash

meteor run

TIP

This is the default command. Simply running meteor is the same as meteor run.

Features

Automatically detects and applies changes to your application's source files
No Internet connection required
Accesses the application at localhost:3000 by default
Searches upward from the current directory for the root directory of a Meteor project

Options

Option	Description
`--port`, `-p <port>`	Port to listen on (default: 3000). Also uses port N+1 and a port specified by --app-port. Specify as --port=host:port to bind to a specific interface
`--open`, `-o`	Opens a browser window when the app starts
`--inspect[-brk][=<port>]`	Enable server-side debugging via debugging clients. With --inspect-brk, pauses at startup (default port: 9229)
`--mobile-server <url>`	Location where mobile builds connect (defaults to local IP and port). Can include URL scheme (e.g., https://example.com:443)
`--cordova-server-port <port>`	Local port where Cordova will serve content
`--production`	Simulate production mode. Minify and bundle CSS and JS files
`--raw-logs`	Run without parsing logs from stdout and stderr
`--settings`, `-s <file>`	Set optional data for Meteor.settings on the server
`--release <version>`	Specify the release of Meteor to use
`--verbose`	Print all output from builds logs
`--no-lint`	Don't run linters used by the app on every rebuild
`--no-release-check`	Don't run the release updater to check for new releases
`--allow-incompatible-update`	Allow packages to be upgraded or downgraded to potentially incompatible versions
`--extra-packages <packages>`	Run with additional packages (comma separated, e.g., "package-name1, package-name2@1.2.3")
`--exclude-archs <archs>`	Don't create bundles for certain web architectures (comma separated, e.g., "web.browser.legacy, web.cordova")

Node.js Options

To pass additional options to Node.js, use the SERVER_NODE_OPTIONS environment variable:

Windows PowerShell:

powershell

$env:SERVER_NODE_OPTIONS = '--inspect' | meteor run

Linux/macOS:

bash

SERVER_NODE_OPTIONS=--inspect-brk meteor run

Port Configuration Example

bash

meteor run --port 4000

This command:

Runs the development server on http://localhost:4000
Runs the development MongoDB instance on mongodb://localhost:4001

INFO

The development server always uses port N+1 for the default MongoDB instance, where N is the application port.

meteor debug

Run the project with the server process suspended for debugging.

Deprecation Notice

The meteor debug command has been superseded by the more flexible --inspect and --inspect-brk command-line flags, which work with run, test, and test-packages commands.

Modern Debugging Approach

bash

# Debug server with auto-attachment
meteor run --inspect

# Debug server and pause at start
meteor run --inspect-brk

Command Usage

bash

meteor debug [--debug-port <port>]

How It Works

Server process suspends just before the first statement of server code execution
Debugger listens for incoming connections on port 5858 by default
Use --debug-port <port> to specify a different port

Setting Breakpoints

Use the debugger keyword in your code
Set breakpoints through the debugging client's UI (e.g., in the "Sources" tab)

Debugging Clients

You can use either:

Web-based Node Inspector
Command-line debugger

Node Inspector Console Bug

Due to a bug in node-inspector, pressing "Enter" after a command in the Node Inspector Console may not successfully send the command to the server.

Workarounds:

Use Safari browser
Use meteor shell to interact with the server console
Apply the hot-patch available in this comment

Differences from Node.js Flags

The Meteor --inspect and --inspect-brk flags work similarly to Node.js flags with two key differences:

They affect the server process spawned by the build process, not the build process itself
The --inspect-brk flag pauses execution after server code has loaded but before it begins to execute

Alternative Approach

The same debugging functionality can be achieved by adding the --debug-port <port> option to other Meteor commands:

bash

meteor run --debug-port 5858
meteor test-packages --debug-port 5858

meteor profile

Run a performance profile for your Meteor application to analyze build and bundling performance.

bash

meteor profile [<meteor-run-options>...]

Availability

This command is available from Meteor 3.2 and newer.

Usage

This command monitors the bundler process and tracks key performance metrics to help analyze build and bundling performance.

Options

Option	Description
`--size`	Monitor both bundle runtime and size
`--size-only`	Monitor only the bundle size
`--build`	Monitor build time

INFO

All other options from meteor run are also supported (e.g., --settings, --exclude-archs). If you use the --build option, it also accepts meteor build flags (e.g. --mobile-settings, --architecture).

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
`METEOR_IDLE_TIMEOUT=<seconds>`	Set a timeout for profiling	90 seconds
`METEOR_CLIENT_ENTRYPOINT=<path>`	Set a custom client entrypoint	From package.json
`METEOR_SERVER_ENTRYPOINT=<path>`	Set a custom server entrypoint	From package.json
`METEOR_LOG_DIR=<path>`	Set a custom log directory	Default log directory

TIP

The default timeout (90s) is usually enough for each build step to complete. If you encounter errors due to early exits, increase the METEOR_IDLE_TIMEOUT value.

Example Usage

bash

# Basic profile
meteor profile

# Monitor bundle size only
meteor profile --size-only

# Monitor build time
meteor profile --build

# Profile with custom settings and timeout
METEOR_IDLE_TIMEOUT=120 meteor profile --settings settings.json

# Profile with custom entrypoints
METEOR_CLIENT_ENTRYPOINT=client/main.js METEOR_SERVER_ENTRYPOINT=server/main.js meteor profile

Customizing the Profiling Process

You can pass any option that works with meteor run to customize the profiling process. This allows you to profile your application under specific conditions that match your deployment environment. The same applies to the --build option, which matches meteor build options.

meteor create app-name

Create a new Meteor project in a directory called app-name.

bash

meteor create [options] app-name

Default Behavior

Without any flags, meteor create app-name generates a React project.

Interactive Wizard

If you run meteor create without arguments, Meteor will launch an interactive wizard that guides you through selecting your project name and application type:

bash

  ~ What is the name/path of your app?
  ~ Which skeleton do you want to use?
  Blaze     # To create an app using Blaze
  Full      # To create a more complete scaffolded app
  Minimal   # To create an app with as few Meteor packages as possible
  React     # To create a basic React-based app
  Typescript # To create an app using TypeScript and React
  Vue       # To create a basic Vue3-based app
  Svelte    # To create a basic Svelte app
  Tailwind # To create an app using React and Tailwind 
  Chakra-ui # To create an app Chakra UI and React 
  Solid # To create a basic Solid app 
  Apollo # To create a basic Apollo + React app 
  Bare # To create an empty app

Basic Options

Option	Description
`--from <url>`	Clone a Meteor project from a URL
`--example <name>`	Use a specific example template
`--list`	Show list of available examples
`--release <version>`	Specify Meteor version (e.g., `--release 2.8`)
`--prototype`	Include `autopublish` and `insecure` packages for rapid prototyping (not for production)

Application Types

Option	Description	Tutorial / Example
`--react`	Create a React app (default)	Meteor 3 with React, Meteor 2 with React
`--vue`	Vue 3 + Tailwind CSS + Vite	Meteor 3 with Vue, Meteor 2 with Vue
`--svelte`	Svelte	Meteor 2 with Svelte
`--blaze`	Basic Blaze app	Meteor 2 with Blaze
`--solid`	Solid + Vite	Meteor 2 with Solid Example
`--apollo`	React + Apollo (GraphQL)	Meteor 2 with GraphQL
`--typescript`	React + TypeScript	TypeScript Guide
`--tailwind`	React + Tailwind CSS	-
`--chakra-ui`	React + Chakra UI	Simple Tasks Example

Project Structure Options

Option	Description
`--minimal`	Create with minimal Meteor packages
`--bare`	Create an empty app (Blaze + MongoDB)
`--full`	Create a fully scaffolded app with imports-based structure (Blaze + MongoDB)
`--package`	Create a new package instead of an application

Prototype Mode

The --prototype option adds packages that make development faster but shouldn't be used in production. See the security checklist.

Included Packages

React App (--react or default)

NPM packages:

@babel/runtime, meteor-node-stubs, react, react-dom

Meteor packages:

meteor-base, mobile-experience, mongo, reactive-var, standard-minifier-css, standard-minifier-js, es5-shim, ecmascript, typescript, shell-server, hot-module-replacement, static-html, react-meteor-data

Apollo (GraphQL) App (--apollo)

NPM packages:

@apollo/client, @apollo/server, @babel/runtime, graphql meteor-node-stubs, react, react-dom

Meteor packages:

meteor-base, mobile-experience, mongo, reactive-var, standard-minifier-css, standard-minifier-js, es5-shim, ecmascript, typescript, shell-server, hot-module-replacement, static-html, apollo, compat:graphql

Blaze App (--blaze)

NPM packages:

@babel/runtime, meteor-node-stubs, jquery

Meteor packages:

meteor-base, mobile-experience, mongo, blaze-html-templates, jquery, reactive-var, tracker, standard-minifier-css, standard-minifier-js, es5-shim, ecmascript, typescript, shell-server, hot-module-replacement, blaze-hot

Vue App (--vue)

NPM packages:

@babel/runtime, meteor-node-stubs, vue, vue-meteor-tracker, vue-router, @types/meteor, @vitejs/plugin-vue, autoprefixer, meteor-vite, postcss, tailwindcss, vite

Meteor packages:

meteor-base, mobile-experience, mongo, reactive-var, standard-minifier-css, standard-minifier-js, es5-shim, ecmascript, typescript, shell-server, hot-module-replacement, static-html, jorgenvatle:vite

Minimal App (--minimal)

NPM packages:

@babel/runtime, meteor-node-stubs

Meteor packages:

meteor, standard-minifier-css, standard-minifier-js, es5-shim, ecmascript, typescript, shell-server, static-html, webapp, ddp, server-render, hot-module-replacement

File Structure

To learn more about the recommended file structure for Meteor apps, check the Meteor Guide.

meteor generate

meteor generate is a command to generate boilerplate for your current project. meteor generate receives a name as a parameter, and generates files containing code to create a Collection with that name, Methods to perform basic CRUD operations on that Collection, and a Subscription to read its data with reactivity from the client.

If you run meteor generate without arguments, it will ask you for a name, and name the auto-generated Collection accordingly. It will also ask if you do want Methods for your API and Publications to be generated as well.

Important to note: By default, the generator will generate JavaScript code. If you have a tsconfig.json file in your project, it will generate TypeScript code instead.

Example:

bash

meteor generate customer

Running the command above will generate the following code in /imports/api:

Screenshot 2022-11-09 at 11 28 29

That will have the following code:

collection.js

import { Mongo } from 'meteor/mongo';

export const CustomerCollection = new Mongo.Collection('customer');

methods.js

import { Meteor } from 'meteor/meteor';
import { check } from 'meteor/check';
import { CustomerCollection } from './collection';

export async function create(data) {
  return CustomerCollection.insertAsync({ ...data });
}

export async function update(_id, data) {
  check(_id, String);
  return CustomerCollection.updateAsync(_id, { ...data });
}

export async function remove(_id) {
  check(_id, String);
  return CustomerCollection.removeAsync(_id);
}

export async function findById(_id) {
  check(_id, String);
  return CustomerCollection.findOneAsync(_id);
}

Meteor.methods({
  'Customer.create': create,
  'Customer.update': update,
  'Customer.remove': remove,
  'Customer.find': findById
});

publication.js

import { Meteor } from 'meteor/meteor';
import { CustomerCollection } from './collection';

Meteor.publish('allCustomers', function publishCustomers() {
  return CustomerCollection.find({});
});

index.js

export * from './collection';
export * from './methods';
export * from './publications';

path option

If you want the generated files to be placed in a specific directory, you can use the --path option to tell meteor generate where to place the new files. In the example below, meteor generate will create a collection called another-customer and place the collection.ts, methods.ts, publications.ts and index.ts files inside the server/admin directory. In this example, we will assume the user has a tsconfig.json file in their project folder, and generate TypeScript instead.

bash


meteor generate another-customer --path=server/admin

It will generate our files in the server/admin folder:

Screenshot 2022-11-09 at 11 32 39

collection.ts

typescript

import { Mongo } from 'meteor/mongo';

export type AnotherCustomer = {
  _id?: string;
  name: string;
  createdAt: Date;
}

export const AnotherCustomerCollection = new Mongo.Collection<AnotherCustomer>('another-customer');

methods.ts

typescript

import { Meteor } from 'meteor/meteor';
import { Mongo } from 'meteor/mongo';
import { check } from 'meteor/check';
import { AnotherCustomer, AnotherCustomerCollection } from './collection';

export async function create(data: AnotherCustomer) {
  return AnotherCustomerCollection.insertAsync({ ...data });
}

export async function update(_id: string, data: Mongo.Modifier<AnotherCustomer>) {
  check(_id, String);
  return AnotherCustomerCollection.updateAsync(_id, { ...data });
}

export async function remove(_id: string) {
  check(_id, String);
  return AnotherCustomerCollection.removeAsync(_id);
}

export async function findById(_id: string) {
  check(_id, String);
  return AnotherCustomerCollection.findOneAsync(_id);
}

Meteor.methods({
  'AnotherCustomer.create': create,
  'AnotherCustomer.update': update,
  'AnotherCustomer.remove': remove,
  'AnotherCustomer.find': findById
});

publications.ts

typescript

import { Meteor } from 'meteor/meteor';
import { AnotherCustomerCollection } from './collection';

Meteor.publish('allAnotherCustomers', function publishAnotherCustomers() {
  return AnotherCustomerCollection.find({});
});

index.ts

typescript

export * from './collection';
export * from './methods';
export * from './publications';

Using the Wizard

Running meteor-generate without arguments will start a little wizard in your terminal, which will ask you the name of your Collection, and whether you want Methods and Publications to be generated as well.

bash

meteor generate

Screenshot 2022-11-09 at 11 38 29

Using your own template

You may customize the output of meteor generate by providing a directory with a "template". A template directory is just a folder provide by you with .js/.ts files, which are copied over.

To use an user-provided template, you should pass in a template directory URL so that it can copy it with its changes.

--templatePath

bash

meteor generate feed --templatePath=/scaffolds-ts

Screenshot 2022-11-09 at 11 42 47

Note that this is not a full-blown CLI framework inside Meteor. meteor generate is just a command for generating code that is common in Meteor projects. Check out Yargs, Inquirer or Commander for more information about CLI frameworks.

How to rename things?

In addition to your own template folder, you can pass a JavaScript file to meteor-generate to perform certain transformations in your template files. That file is just a normal .js file that should export two functions: transformName and transformContents, which are used to modify the file names and contents, respectively.

If you don't want to write such a file yourself, a few functions are provided out of the box to replace strings like $$name$$, $$PascalName$$ and $$camelName$$ in your template files. The internal Meteor template files (which is used when you don't pass a template folder through the --templatePath option) are implemented this way - they include those special strings which get replaced to generate your files.

These replacements come from this function from Meteor's CLI:

scaffoldName is a string with the name that you have passed as argument.

const transformName = (name) => {
    return name.replace(/\$\$name\$\$|\$\$PascalName\$\$|\$\$camelName\$\$/g, function (substring, args) {
      if (substring === '$$name$$') return scaffoldName;
      if (substring === '$$PascalName$$') return toPascalCase(scaffoldName);
      if (substring === '$$camelName$$') return toCamelCase(scaffoldName);
    })
  }

How to replace things in your own templates?

--replaceFn

If you do want to customize how your templates are generated, you can pass a .js file with the --replaceFn option, as described above. When you pass in given a .js file with an implementation for those two functions, Meteor will use your functions instead of the default ones.

example of a replacer file

export function transformFilename(scaffoldName, filename) {
  console.log(scaffoldName, filename);
  return filename;
}

export function transformContents(scaffoldName, fileContents, filename) {
  console.log(filename, fileContents);
  return contents;
}

If you run your command like this:

bash

 meteor generate feed --replaceFn=/fn/replace.js

It will generate files full of $$PascalCase$$ strings using the Meteor provided templates, ignoring the name provided by the user (feed). Since we aren't replacing them with anything in the example above, the Meteor template files are copied as they are.

A more real-world usage of this feature could be done with the following .js file:

const toPascalCase = (str) => {
  if(!str.includes('-')) return str.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + str.slice(1);
  else return str.split('-').map(toPascalCase).join('');
}
const toCamelCase = (str) => {
  if(!str.includes('-')) return str.charAt(0).toLowerCase() + str.slice(1);
  else return str.split('-').map(toPascalCase).join('');
}

const transformName = (scaffoldName, str) => {
    return str.replace(/\$\$name\$\$|\$\$PascalName\$\$|\$\$camelName\$\$/g, function (substring, args) {
      if (substring === '$$name$$') return scaffoldName;
      if (substring === '$$PascalName$$') return toPascalCase(scaffoldName);
      if (substring === '$$camelName$$') return toCamelCase(scaffoldName);
    })

}

export function transformFilename(scaffoldName, filename) {
  return transformName(scaffoldName, filename);
}

export function transformContents(scaffoldName, contents, fileName) {
  return transformName(scaffoldName, contents);
}

Logs you in to your Meteor developer account.

Usage:

bash

meteor login [--email]

Details:

Prompts for your username and password
Pass --email to log in by email address rather than by username
You can set METEOR_SESSION_FILE=token.json before meteor login to generate a login session token, avoiding the need to share credentials with third-party service providers

meteor logout

Logs you out of your Meteor developer account.

Usage:

bash

meteor logout

meteor whoami

Displays your currently logged-in username.

Usage:

bash

meteor whoami

meteor deploy site

Deploys the project in your current directory to Galaxy.

Basic Deployment

bash

meteor deploy your-app.meteorapp.com

Deployment Options

Option	Description
`--delete`, `-D`	Permanently delete this deployment
`--debug`	Deploy in debug mode (don't minify, etc.)
`--settings`, `-s <file>`	Set optional data for Meteor.settings
`--free`	Deploy as a free app (with limitations)
`--mongo`	Create and connect to a free shared MongoDB database
`--plan <plan>`	Set app plan: `professional`, `essentials`, or `free`
`--container-size <size>`	Set container size: `tiny`, `compact`, `standard`, `double`, `quad`, `octa`, or `dozen`
`--owner`	Specify organization or user account to deploy to
`--cache-build`	Reuse the build if the git commit hash is the same
`--allow-incompatible-update`	Allow packages to be upgraded or downgraded to potentially incompatible versions
`--deploy-polling-timeout <ms>`	Time to wait for build/deploy (defaults to 15 minutes)
`--no-wait`	Exit after code upload instead of waiting for deploy to complete

Free Deployment

Deploy a free app with MongoDB using:

bash

meteor deploy your-app.meteorapp.com --free --mongo

Quick Start

The combination of --free and --mongo is the fastest way to deploy an app without any additional configuration.

Free App Limitations

Domain: Must use a Meteor domain (.meteorapp.com, .au.meteorapp.com, or .eu.meteorapp.com)
Cold Start: App stops after 30 minutes of inactivity and restarts on next connection
Resources: Limited to one Tiny container (not recommended for production use)

MongoDB Options

Shared MongoDB (Free)

The --mongo option creates a database in Galaxy's shared cluster:

On first deploy, you'll receive your MongoDB URI in the console
The URI is also visible in your app's version details in Galaxy
You must create at least one document to fully instantiate the database
The database can be accessed using any MongoDB client with the provided URI

WARNING

Free shared MongoDB is not recommended for production applications. The shared cluster doesn't provide backups or restoration resources.

MongoDB Connection Settings

When connecting to the free MongoDB shared cluster using your own settings, include:

json

{
  "packages": {
    "mongo": {
      "options": {
        "tlsAllowInvalidCertificates": true
      }
    }
  }
}

Why is this needed?

This is necessary because the database provider doesn't have certificates installed on every machine. More about this option here.

Important Notes

Settings persist between deployments unless explicitly changed
Your project should be a git repository (commit hash is used to track code changes)
Free apps and MongoDB shared hosting are not recommended for production use
Meteor Software reserves the right to stop or remove applications that abuse the free plan

Version Compatibility

--free and --mongo options were introduced in Meteor 2.0
--plan option was introduced in Meteor 2.1
--container-size option was introduced in Meteor 2.4.1
--cache-build option is available since Meteor 1.11

meteor update

Updates your Meteor application while maintaining compatibility.

Usage:

bash

meteor update
meteor update --patch
meteor update --release <release>
meteor update --packages-only
meteor update [packageName packageName2 ...]
meteor update --all-packages

Update Types:

Command	Description
`meteor update`	Updates the Meteor release and compatible package versions
`meteor update --patch`	Updates to the latest patch release (recommended for bug fixes)
`meteor update --release <release>`	Updates to a specific Meteor release
`meteor update --packages-only`	Updates only packages, not the Meteor release
`meteor update [packageName ...]`	Updates specific named packages
`meteor update --all-packages`	Updates all packages including indirect dependencies

Important Notes:

Every project is pinned to a specific Meteor release
By default, updates will not break compatibility between packages
Patch releases contain minor, critical bug fixes and are highly recommended
The --release flag can override compatibility checks (may cause warnings)
The --all-packages option will update all packages to their latest compatible versions, respecting dependency constraints

meteor add package

Adds packages to your Meteor project.

Usage:

bash

meteor add [package1] [package2] ...
meteor add package@version

Version Constraints:

package@1.1.0 - Version 1.1.0 or higher (but not 2.0.0+)
package@=1.1.0 - Exactly version 1.1.0
package@=1.0.0 || =2.0.1 - Either version 1.0.0 or 2.0.1 exactly

Notes:

By convention, community packages include the maintainer's name (e.g., iron:router)
To remove a version constraint, run meteor add package without specifying a version

meteor remove package

Removes a package previously added to your Meteor project.

Usage:

bash

meteor remove [package1] [package2] ...

Notes:

For a list of currently used packages, run meteor list
This removes the package entirely (to only remove version constraints, use meteor add)
Transitive dependencies aren't automatically downgraded unless necessary

meteor list

Lists all packages added to your project, including versions and available updates.

Usage:

bash

meteor list [flags]

Flags:

Flag	Description
`--tree`	Outputs a tree showing package reference hierarchy
`--json`	Outputs an unformatted JSON string of package references
`--weak`	Shows weakly referenced dependencies (only with `--tree` or `--json`)
`--details`	Adds more package details (only with `--json`)

meteor add-platform platform

Adds platforms to your Meteor project.

Usage:

bash

meteor add-platform [platform1] [platform2] ...

Notes:

Multiple platforms can be added with one command
After adding, use meteor run <platform> to run on that platform
Use meteor build to build for all added platforms

meteor remove-platform platform

Removes a previously added platform.

Usage:

bash

meteor remove-platform [platform]

Notes:

For a list of currently added platforms, use meteor list-platforms

meteor list-platforms

Lists all platforms explicitly added to your project.

Usage:

bash

meteor list-platforms

meteor ensure-cordova-dependencies

Checks if dependencies are installed, and installs them if necessary.

Usage:

bash

meteor ensure-cordova-dependencies

meteor mongo

Opens a MongoDB shell on your local development database.

Usage:

bash

meteor mongo

WARNING

For now, you must already have your application running locally with meteor run. This will be easier in the future.

meteor reset

Resets the current project to a fresh state and clears the local cache.

Usage:

bash

meteor reset [--db]

Flags:

--db - Also removes the local MongoDB database

WARNING

Reset with --db flag deletes your data! Make sure you do not have any information you care about in your local mongo database by running meteor mongo. From the mongo shell, use show collections and db.<collection>.find() to inspect your data.

WARNING

For now, you cannot run this while a development server is running. Quit all running meteor applications before running this.

meteor build

Package your project for deployment.

bash

meteor build <output-path> [options]

Output Artifacts

The command produces deployment-ready artifacts for all platforms in your project:

Server Bundle: A tarball containing everything needed to run the application server
Android Package: AAB/APK bundle and Android project source (if Android platform is added)
iOS Package: Xcode project source (if iOS platform is added)

Self-Hosting

You can use the server bundle to host a Meteor application on your own infrastructure instead of Galaxy. Note that you'll need to handle logging, monitoring, backups, and load-balancing yourself.

Options

Option	Description
`--debug`	Build in debug mode (don't minify, preserve source maps)
`--directory`	Output a directory instead of a tarball (existing output location will be deleted first)
`--server-only`	Skip building mobile apps but still build the 'web.cordova' client target for hot code push
`--mobile-settings <file>`	Set the initial value of `Meteor.settings` in mobile apps
`--server <url>`	Location where mobile builds connect to the Meteor server (defaults to localhost:3000)
`--architecture <arch>`	Build for a different architecture than your development machine
`--allow-incompatible-update`	Allow packages to be upgraded/downgraded to potentially incompatible versions
`--platforms <platforms>`	Build only for specified platforms (when available)
`--packageType <type>`	Choose between `apk` or `bundle` for Android builds (defaults to `bundle`)

Available Architectures

Valid architectures include:

os.osx.x86_64
os.linux.x86_64
os.linux.x86_32
os.windows.x86_32
os.windows.x86_64

This option selects the architecture of binary-dependent Atmosphere packages. If your project doesn't use Atmosphere packages with binary dependencies, --architecture has no effect.

Examples

bash

# Basic build
meteor build ../build

# Output a directory instead of a tarball
meteor build ../build --directory

# Debug build (unminified)
meteor build ../build --debug

# Build only the server (skip mobile apps)
meteor build ../build --server-only

# Build for specific platforms
meteor build ../build --platforms=android,ios

# Set server location for mobile apps
meteor build ../build --server=https://example.com:443

# Build for a different architecture
meteor build ../build --architecture=os.linux.x86_64

# Specify Android package type
meteor build ../build --packageType=apk

meteor lint

Run linters on your Meteor application code.

bash

meteor lint [options]

Description

This command:

Performs a complete build of your application
Runs all configured linters
Outputs build errors and linting warnings to standard output

CI Integration

The meteor lint command is particularly useful for continuous integration environments to catch code quality issues before deployment.

Options

Option	Description
`--allow-incompatible-update`	Allow packages to be upgraded or downgraded to potentially incompatible versions if required to satisfy all package version constraints

Example Usage

bash

# Basic usage
meteor lint

# Allow incompatible package updates during linting
meteor lint --allow-incompatible-update

WARNING

Linting errors will prevent your application from being built successfully. Fixing these errors is required for deployment.

meteor search

Search for Meteor packages and releases.

bash

meteor search <regex> [options]

Description

Searches through the Meteor package and release database for items whose names match the specified regular expression.

Default Behavior

By default, the search will not show:

Packages without official versions (e.g., those with only prereleases)
Packages known to be incompatible with Meteor 0.9.0 and later due to migration issues

Options

Option	Description
`--maintainer <username>`	Filter results by authorized maintainer
`--show-all`	Show all matches, including prereleases and incompatible packages
`--ejson`	Display more detailed output in EJSON format

Examples

bash

# Search for all packages related to "auth"
meteor search auth

# Search for packages maintained by a specific user
meteor search mongo --maintainer meteor

# Show all matching packages, including prereleases
meteor search bootstrap --show-all

# Get detailed output in EJSON format
meteor search react --ejson

Advanced Searching

You can use regular expressions for more powerful searches:

bash

# Packages that start with "react-"
meteor search "^react-"

# Packages that end with "router"
meteor search "router$"

meteor show

Display detailed information about packages and releases.

bash

meteor show <name> [options]
meteor show <name@version> [options]
meteor show [options]

Description

Shows detailed information about a specific package or release, including:

Name and summary
Available versions
Maintainers
Homepage and git URL (if specified)
Exports and other package metadata

TIP

This works on both local packages built from source and remote packages stored on the server.

Common Usage

View Package Information

bash

# Show information about a package
meteor show jam:easy-schema

# Show information about a specific version
meteor show jam:easy-schema@1.7.0

# Show information about the local version
meteor show jam:easy-schema@local

View Meteor Releases

bash

# Show recommended Meteor releases
meteor show METEOR

# Show all Meteor releases (including intermediate ones)
meteor show METEOR --show-all

Options

Option	Description
`--show-all`	Show hidden versions, experimental releases, and incompatible packages
`--ejson`	Display more detailed output in EJSON format

Examples

bash

# Running from a package directory shows info for that package
cd ~/my-package
meteor show

# View detailed EJSON output
meteor show react-meteor-data --ejson

Default Behavior

By default, Meteor:

Shows no more than five versions
Hides experimental release versions
Hides packages incompatible with Meteor 0.9.0 and later

Version Selection

For version-specific information (like exports), Meteor will use:

The local version, if available
The latest official version, if no local version exists

meteor publish

Publish a package to Atmosphere (Meteor package server).

bash

meteor publish [options]
meteor publish --update

Description

Publishes a new version of a local package to Atmosphere. Must be run from the package directory.

Package Naming Convention

Published package names must begin with the maintainer's Meteor Developer Account username and a colon, like username:package-name.

Common Operations

Publish a New Package

bash

cd my-package
meteor publish --create

Update an Existing Package

bash

cd my-package
meteor publish

Update Package Metadata

Update README, description, or other metadata without changing the code:

bash

cd my-package
meteor publish --update

Options

Option	Description
`--create`	Publish a new package for the first time
`--update`	Update metadata of a previously published version (README, git URL, description, etc.)
`--allow-incompatible-update`	Allow dependencies to be upgraded/downgraded to potentially incompatible versions
`--no-lint`	Skip linting the package and its local dependencies before publishing

Architecture-Specific Packages

For packages with binary components:

Regular publish will only upload the build for your current architecture
Use meteor publish-for-arch from a different machine to upload builds for other architectures

Package Publication Process

When you publish a package:

Meteor reads version information from package.js
Builds the package
Sends both source code and built version to the package server
Marks you as the sole maintainer (use meteor admin maintainers to modify)

Examples

bash

# Publish a new package
meteor publish --create

# Update an existing package
meteor publish

# Update metadata only
meteor publish --update

# Publish without linting
meteor publish --no-lint

TIP

Use meteor show to preview how your package information will appear in the package server.

meteor publish-for-arch

Publish architecture-specific builds of a package.

bash

meteor publish-for-arch packageName@version

Description

Creates and publishes a build of an existing package version for a different architecture than the one initially published.

Architecture Support

Meteor currently supports the following architectures:

32-bit Linux
64-bit Linux (used by Galaxy servers)
64-bit macOS

Use Case

When a package contains platform-specific components (like npm modules with native code), running meteor publish only creates a build for your current architecture. To make your package usable on other architectures, you need to run publish-for-arch from machines with those architectures.

How It Works

Run the command on a machine with the target architecture
Meteor downloads your package's source and dependencies from the package server
Builds the package for the current architecture
Uploads the architecture-specific build to the package server

No Source Required

You don't need to have a copy of your package's source code to run this command. Meteor automatically downloads everything needed from the package server.

Example Workflow

Imagine you've published a package with binary components from a Mac:

bash

# On your Mac
cd my-binary-package
meteor publish --create

To make it available for Linux users:

bash

# Later, on a 64-bit Linux machine
meteor publish-for-arch username:my-binary-package@1.0.0

meteor publish-release

Publish a new Meteor release.

bash

meteor publish-release <path-to-json-config> [options]

Description

Publishes a new release of Meteor based on a JSON configuration file. This allows you to create custom Meteor releases or release tracks.

Release Tracks

Meteor releases are divided into tracks:

Only Meteor Software can publish to the default Meteor track
Anyone can create and publish to their own custom tracks
Users won't switch tracks when running meteor update unless specified

Configuration File Format

The JSON configuration file must contain:

json

{
  "track": "TRACK_NAME",          // Release track (e.g., "METEOR")
  "version": "VERSION",           // Version number (e.g., "2.8.0")
  "recommended": true|false,      // Is this a recommended release?
  "description": "DESCRIPTION",   // Brief description of the release
  "tool": "PACKAGE@VERSION",      // The meteor tool package and version
  "packages": {                   // Specific package versions for this release
    "package1": "version",
    "package2": "version"
  },
  "patchFrom": ["VERSION1", "VERSION2"]  // Optional: releases this patches
}

Prerequisites

You must publish all package versions to the package server before you can specify them in a release.

Options

Option	Description
`--create-track`	Create and publish a new release track

Recommended Flag

Set recommended: true for stable releases (e.g., METEOR@3.2.2)
Set recommended: false for release candidates, experimental releases, etc.

Patch Releases

Use the patchFrom field to specify a patch release:

Lists releases this new release patches
Automatically unrecommends the releases specified in patchFrom

Examples

Publishing a New Release Track

bash

meteor publish-release my-release-config.json --create-track

Publishing a New Release

bash

meteor publish-release meteor-3.3.0.json

Sample Configuration File

json

{
  "track": "MYCORP",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "recommended": true,
  "description": "MyCompany's custom Meteor release",
  "tool": "meteor-tool@2.8.0",
  "packages": {
    "accounts-base": "2.2.5",
    "mongo": "1.15.0"
  }
}

Custom Tool Forks

This system allows forks of the meteor tool to be published as packages, letting users switch to custom tool implementations by changing to the corresponding release.

meteor test-packages

Run tests for Meteor packages.

bash

meteor test-packages [options] [package...]

Description

Runs unit tests for one or more packages. Test results appear in a browser dashboard that updates whenever relevant source files are modified.

Package Specification

Packages can be specified by:

Name: Resolved using the standard package search algorithm
Path: Any argument containing a '/' is loaded from that directory path

If no packages are specified, all available packages will be tested.

Options

Option	Description
`--port`, `-p <port>`	Port to listen on (default: 3000). Also uses ports N+1 and N+2
`--open`, `-o`	Opens a browser window when the app starts
`--inspect[-brk][=<port>]`	Enable server-side debugging (default port: 9229)
`--settings`, `-s <file>`	Set optional data for Meteor.settings on the server
`--production`	Simulate production mode (minify and bundle CSS, JS files)
`--driver-package <package>`	Test driver package to use (e.g., `meteortesting:mocha`)
`--filter`, `-f`	Filter the tests by name
`--verbose`	Print all output from build logs
`--no-lint`	Skip running linters on every test app rebuild
`--extra-packages <packages>`	Run with additional packages (comma separated)
`--test-app-path <path>`	Set directory for temporary test app (default: system temp dir)

Mobile Testing Options

Option	Description
`--ios`, `--android`	Run tests in an emulator
`--ios-device`, `--android-device`	Run tests on a connected device
`--mobile-server <url>`	Server location for mobile builds (default: local IP and port)
`--cordova-server-port <port>`	Local port where Cordova will serve content

Examples

Test specific packages by name

bash

meteor test-packages accounts-base accounts-password

Test a package by path

bash

meteor test-packages ./packages/my-package

Test with custom settings

bash

meteor test-packages --settings settings.json

Test with Mocha test driver

bash

meteor test-packages --driver-package meteortesting:mocha

Test with filter

bash

meteor test-packages --filter myTestName

Alternatively, you can use the TINYTEST_FILTER environment variable to filter:

bash

TINYTEST_FILTER=myTestName meteor test-packages

Test on mobile device

bash

meteor test-packages --ios-device

meteor admin

Administrative commands for official Meteor services.

bash

meteor admin <command> [args]

Authorization Required

These commands require authorization to use.

Available Commands

Command	Description
`maintainers`	View or change package maintainers
`recommend-release`	Recommend a previously published release
`change-homepage`	Change the homepage URL of a package
`list-organizations`	List the organizations of which you are a member
`members`	View or change the members of an organization
`get-machine`	Open an SSH shell to a machine in the Meteor build farm

Usage Examples

bash

# View or change package maintainers
meteor admin maintainers packagename [add/remove] [username]

# Change a package homepage
meteor admin change-homepage packagename [url]

# List your organizations
meteor admin list-organizations

# Manage organization members
meteor admin members organization-name [add/remove] [username]

Detailed Help

For more information on any admin command, run:

bash

meteor help admin <command>

meteor shell

Start an interactive JavaScript shell for evaluating server-side code.

bash

meteor shell

Description

The meteor shell command connects to a running Meteor server and provides an interactive JavaScript REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop) for executing server-side code.

Connection Behavior

Requires a running Meteor server in the application directory
If no server is available, it will keep trying to connect until successful
Multiple shells can be attached to the same server simultaneously

Features

Server Integration

Exiting the shell does not terminate the server
If the server restarts (due to code changes or errors), the shell will automatically restart with it
You can manually trigger a reload by typing .reload in the shell

Developer Experience

Feature	Description
Tab Completion	Built-in tab completion for global variables like `Meteor`, `Mongo`, and `Package`
Persistent History	Command history is maintained across sessions
Command Recall	Access previously-run commands using the up arrow key

Example Usage

bash

# Start a Meteor server in one terminal
meteor run

# Connect a shell in another terminal
meteor shell

# Now you can run server-side code interactively:
> Meteor.users.find().count()
> Package.mongo.Mongo.Collection.prototype
> Meteor.isServer
true
> .reload  # Manually restart the shell

Advanced Example

// Query the database
> db = Package.mongo.MongoInternals.defaultRemoteCollectionDriver().mongo.db
> db.collection('users').find().toArray()

// Access Meteor settings
> Meteor.settings.public

// Inspect publications
> Object.keys(Meteor.server.publish_handlers)

meteor npm

Run npm commands using Meteor's bundled npm version.

bash

meteor npm <command> [args...]

Description

The meteor npm command executes npm commands using the version bundled with Meteor itself.

Benefits of Using Meteor's npm

Ensures compatibility with Meteor's Node.js version
Crucial for packages with native dependencies (like bcrypt)
No need to install npm separately
Consistent behavior across development environments

Common Commands

Command	Description
`meteor npm install`	Install all dependencies listed in `package.json`
`meteor npm install <package> --save`	Install and save a package as a dependency
`meteor npm install <package> --save-dev`	Install and save a package as a development dependency
`meteor npm update`	Update all packages to their latest allowed versions
`meteor npm ls`	List installed packages
`meteor npm rebuild`	Rebuild packages that have native dependencies

Examples

bash

# Install a package and save to dependencies
meteor npm install lodash --save

# Install packages from package.json
meteor npm install

# Run an npm script defined in package.json
meteor npm run start

# View package information
meteor npm info react

Native Dependencies

Using meteor npm instead of regular npm is especially important when working with packages that have binary dependencies making native C calls (like bcrypt). This ensures they're built with the same libraries used by Meteor.

meteor node

Run Node.js commands using Meteor's bundled Node.js version.

bash

meteor node [options] [script.js] [arguments]

Alternative

Consider using meteor shell instead, which provides similar functionality plus access to your Meteor application's server context.

Description

The meteor node command runs Node.js using the version bundled with Meteor itself.

Common Uses

Command	Description
`meteor node`	Start an interactive Node.js REPL
`meteor node script.js`	Execute a JavaScript file
`meteor node -e "<code>"`	Execute a line of JavaScript
`meteor node --version`	Show Node.js version

Examples

bash

# Start an interactive REPL
meteor node

# Execute inline JavaScript
meteor node -e "console.log(process.versions)"

# Run a script with arguments
meteor node scripts/migrate.js --force

# Check installed Node.js version
meteor node --version

Running a Simple Script

Create hello.js:

console.log('Hello from Node.js version', process.version);
console.log('Arguments:', process.argv.slice(2));

Run it:

bash

meteor node hello.js arg1 arg2

Command Line ​

meteor help ​

meteor run ​

Features ​

Options ​

Node.js Options ​

Port Configuration Example ​

meteor debug ​

Modern Debugging Approach ​

Command Usage ​

How It Works ​

Setting Breakpoints ​

Debugging Clients ​

Differences from Node.js Flags ​

Alternative Approach ​

meteor profile ​

Usage ​

Options ​

Environment Variables ​

Example Usage ​

meteor create app-name ​

Basic Options ​

Application Types ​

Project Structure Options ​

Included Packages ​

meteor generate ​

collection.js ​

methods.js ​

publication.js ​

index.js ​

path option ​

collection.ts ​

methods.ts ​

publications.ts ​

index.ts ​

Using the Wizard ​

Using your own template ​

How to rename things? ​

How to replace things in your own templates? ​

meteor login ​

meteor logout ​

meteor whoami ​

meteor deploy site ​

Basic Deployment ​

Deployment Options ​

Free Deployment ​

Free App Limitations ​

MongoDB Options ​

Shared MongoDB (Free) ​

MongoDB Connection Settings ​

Important Notes ​

meteor update ​

meteor add package ​

meteor remove package ​

meteor list ​

meteor add-platform platform ​

meteor remove-platform platform ​

meteor list-platforms ​

meteor ensure-cordova-dependencies ​

meteor mongo ​

meteor reset ​

meteor build ​

Output Artifacts ​

Options ​

Examples ​

meteor lint ​

Description ​

Options ​

Example Usage ​

meteor search ​

Description ​

Options ​

Examples ​

meteor show ​

Description ​

Common Usage ​

View Package Information ​

View Meteor Releases ​

Options ​

Examples ​

Command Line

meteor help

meteor run

Features

Options

Node.js Options

Port Configuration Example

meteor debug

Modern Debugging Approach

Command Usage

How It Works

Setting Breakpoints

Debugging Clients

Differences from Node.js Flags

Alternative Approach

meteor profile

Usage

Options

Environment Variables

Example Usage

meteor create app-name

Basic Options

Application Types

Project Structure Options

Included Packages

meteor generate

collection.js

methods.js

publication.js

index.js

path option

collection.ts

methods.ts

publications.ts

index.ts

Using the Wizard

Using your own template

How to rename things?

How to replace things in your own templates?

meteor login

meteor logout

meteor whoami

meteor deploy site

Basic Deployment

Deployment Options

Free Deployment

Free App Limitations

MongoDB Options

Shared MongoDB (Free)

MongoDB Connection Settings

Important Notes

meteor update

meteor add package

meteor remove package

meteor list

meteor add-platform platform

meteor remove-platform platform

meteor list-platforms

meteor ensure-cordova-dependencies

meteor mongo

meteor reset

meteor build

Output Artifacts

Options

Examples

meteor lint

Description

Options

Example Usage

meteor search

Description

Options

Examples

meteor show

Description

Common Usage

View Package Information

View Meteor Releases

Options

Examples