# Ruflo Dependencies: What You Need to Install and Why

> Discover rufflo dependencies: learn what you need to install including @claude-flow/cli and Node.js 20+ to get rufflo running smoothly.

- Repository: [rUv/ruflo](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo)
- Tags: getting-started
- Published: 2026-03-09

---

**Ruflo requires only one production dependency—the `@claude-flow/cli` package (version 3.0.0-alpha.1 or higher) and Node.js 20 or above to run.**

Ruflo is a lightweight orchestration layer built on top of the Claude-Flow ecosystem. Understanding the dependencies for Ruflo is essential before deployment, as the entire framework relies on a single external CLI package to manage agents, swarms, and MCP (Model-Context-Protocol) interactions.

## Production Dependencies in [`ruflo/package.json`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/ruflo/package.json)

Ruflo’s runtime requirements are defined in **[`ruflo/package.json`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/ruflo/package.json)**. The package declares exactly one production dependency, keeping the installation footprint minimal.

| Dependency | Version constraint | Purpose |
|------------|-------------------|---------|
| `@claude-flow/cli` | `>=3.0.0-alpha.1` | Provides the core CLI and orchestration engine that Ruflo uses to spin up agents, manage swarms, and interact with the MCP layer. |

### @claude-flow/cli Version Requirements

The **`@claude-flow/cli`** package must be version `3.0.0-alpha.1` or higher. This constraint ensures access to the MCP protocol support and orchestration primitives required by Ruflo’s architecture. Earlier versions lack the swarm initialization and memory-store APIs that Ruflo depends on for agent management.

## Node.js Engine Requirements

In addition to the npm package, Ruflo specifies a minimum Node.js runtime version. The **`engines`** field in [`ruflo/package.json`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/ruflo/package.json) declares:

- **Node** ≥ 20.0.0

This requirement ensures compatibility with the modern JavaScript features and `node:child_process` APIs used to spawn the underlying CLI processes.

## How Ruflo Uses Its Dependencies

Ruflo functions as a thin wrapper around the Claude-Flow ecosystem. Rather than implementing orchestration logic directly, it invokes the **`@claude-flow/cli`** package to handle heavy lifting.

The CLI supplies the `ruflo` binary ([`bin/ruflo.js`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/bin/ruflo.js)) that starts the MCP bridge ([`src/mcp-bridge/index.js`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/src/mcp-bridge/index.js)). It implements the commands defined in Ruflo’s `scripts` section—such as `dev`, `start`, and `docker:*`—and handles the orchestration of agents, swarms, and memory-based learning.

### MCP Bridge Initialization

The entry point at **[`src/mcp-bridge/index.js`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/src/mcp-bridge/index.js)** demonstrates how Ruflo initializes its sole dependency to launch the orchestration layer:

```javascript
// src/mcp-bridge/index.js
import { exec } from 'node:child_process';

// The CLI entry point from @claude-flow/cli is invoked to launch the orchestration layer.
exec('npx claude-flow swarm init --topology hierarchical', (err, stdout) => {
  if (err) { console.error('Failed to start swarm:', err); return; }
  console.log('Swarm initialized:', stdout);
});

```

This snippet shows Ruflo spawning the Claude-Flow CLI to initialize a hierarchical swarm topology, delegating all orchestration complexity to the dependency.

### Programmatic CLI Access

For more control over the CLI process, Ruflo can spawn the dependency programmatically using Node.js `child_process` APIs:

```javascript
import { spawn } from 'node:child_process';

// Example: run a CLI command from within Ruflo code.
const cli = spawn('npx', ['claude-flow', 'memory', 'store', '--key', 'example', '--value', 'test']);

cli.stdout.on('data', data => console.log(`CLI output → ${data}`));
cli.stderr.on('data', data => console.error(`CLI error → ${data}`));
cli.on('close', code => console.log(`CLI exited with code ${code}`));

```

This approach allows Ruflo to interact with the memory store and other CLI features while capturing stdout and stderr streams for logging or error handling.

## Key Files Managing Dependencies

Several files in the repository coordinate how Ruflo declares and consumes its dependencies:

- **[`ruflo/package.json`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/ruflo/package.json)** — Declares the production dependency `@claude-flow/cli` and the Node engine version constraint.
- **[`src/mcp-bridge/index.js`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/src/mcp-bridge/index.js)** — Entry point that boots the MCP bridge by invoking CLI commands from the dependency.
- **[`bin/cli.js`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/bin/cli.js)** — The generated executable that runs Ruflo’s CLI commands (produced by the monorepo build process).
- **[`scripts/generate-config.js`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/scripts/generate-config.js)** — Helper script that creates configuration files for the CLI, ensuring proper integration with the dependency.

## Summary

- Ruflo maintains a minimal dependency footprint with only one production requirement: **`@claude-flow/cli`** (version 3.0.0-alpha.1 or higher).
- The runtime requires **Node.js 20 or above** to support modern JavaScript features and process management APIs.
- All orchestration, agent management, and MCP protocol handling is delegated to the Claude-Flow CLI, making Ruflo a thin wrapper rather than a standalone implementation.
- Key integration points include **[`src/mcp-bridge/index.js`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/src/mcp-bridge/index.js)** for initialization and **[`ruflo/package.json`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/ruflo/package.json)** for version constraints.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the minimum Node.js version for Ruflo?

Ruflo requires **Node.js 20.0.0 or higher**, as specified in the `engines` field of [`ruflo/package.json`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/ruflo/package.json). This version ensures compatibility with the `node:child_process` APIs and modern JavaScript features used to spawn the underlying CLI processes.

### Does Ruflo require any database dependencies?

No, Ruflo does not declare any database dependencies in its [`package.json`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/package.json). All data persistence and memory storage functionality is handled by the **`@claude-flow/cli`** dependency, which manages its own storage mechanisms internally.

### Can I use a different version of @claude-flow/cli with Ruflo?

No, Ruflo strictly requires **`@claude-flow/cli`** version **3.0.0-alpha.1 or higher**. Earlier versions lack the necessary MCP protocol support, swarm initialization APIs, and memory-store primitives that Ruflo depends on for agent orchestration.

### Is Ruflo a standalone CLI tool?

While Ruflo provides its own entry points such as [`bin/ruflo.js`](https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo/blob/main/bin/ruflo.js), it functions as a **thin wrapper** around the **`@claude-flow/cli`** package. The core CLI functionality, agent orchestration, swarm management, and MCP protocol handling are all implemented by the underlying Claude-Flow dependency, not by Ruflo itself.