How to View Arc-Kit Directory Structure with Bash: 5 Command Methods

Use tree -L 2 to display a visual hierarchy of the tractorjuice/arc-kit repository, or find . -maxdepth 3 -type d for a lightweight alternative that requires no installation.

The ArcKit repository organizes its core CLI tooling, project templates, and automation scripts into a predictable layout. When you need to view the arc-kit directory structure with bash, standard Unix utilities provide several ways to inspect this hierarchy without leaving the terminal.

Understanding the Arc-Kit Directory Layout

Before running commands, recognize the four primary zones in the repository root:

• src/arckit_cli/ — Python source for the CLI entry point and get_data_paths() logic
• .arckit/ — Default document templates and reusable Bash helpers (.arckit/templates/, .arckit/scripts/bash/)
• scripts/ — Conversion utilities such as converter.py that generate extension packages
• arckit-codex/, arckit-gemini/, arckit-opencode/ — Generated AI-assistant extensions

Method 1: Quick Recursive Listing with ls

The ls -R command provides the simplest way to view every file and subdirectory alphabetically.

# Show every file and sub-directory, sorted alphabetically

ls -R

This outputs a flat, long list without visual nesting. It works on all Unix systems without installing additional packages, making it ideal for constrained environments.

Method 2: Visual Tree Hierarchy with tree

For a structured, indented view that mirrors the Project Structure diagram in the README, use the tree utility.

# Install tree if missing (Debian/Ubuntu)

sudo apt-get install -y tree

# Show the top-level hierarchy (2 levels deep)

tree -L 2

The -L 2 flag limits depth to two levels, revealing top-level components such as .arckit/, projects/, .codex/, and .github/ without overwhelming detail. This command best represents the visual layout described in the repository documentation.

Method 3: Depth-Controlled Directory Discovery with find

When tree is unavailable, find offers a lightweight alternative to view the arc-kit directory structure with bash.

# Show the directory tree up to depth 3, stripping the leading "./"

find . -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 3 -type d | sed 's|^\./||' | sort

This command lists directories up to a configurable depth (-maxdepth) and works on any POSIX-compliant system without extra installations. The sed and sort pipeline cleans the output for readability.

Method 4: File Count Analysis with du and wc

To understand the relative weight of each component (for example, the large number of generated prompts in .github/prompts/), combine du with a counting loop.

# How many files are in each top-level folder?

for d in */ ; do
    echo "$d: $(find "$d" -type f | wc -l) files"
done

This reveals which directories contain the most assets, helping you identify where core logic resides versus template content or generated extensions.

Method 5: JSON Structure Output from Arc-Kit Scripts

ArcKit includes a Bash helper script that returns a machine-readable description of the scaffolded layout. Located at .arckit/scripts/bash/create-project.sh, this script can output the exact directories that would be created during project initialization.

# Run the helper to see the JSON summary of the project structure

.arckit/scripts/bash/create-project.sh --json

This method provides the canonical structure definition used by the ArcKit CLI, reflecting the intended layout for arckit init operations.

Key Directories and Files to Observe

When you view the arc-kit directory structure with bash, prioritize these authoritative paths:

• src/arckit_cli/ — Contains the CLI entry point and get_data_paths() resolution logic
• .arckit/templates/ — Default document templates used by ArcKit commands
• .arckit/scripts/bash/ — Reusable helpers including create-project.sh and generate-document-id.sh
• scripts/converter.py — Generates the Codex, OpenCode, Gemini, and Copilot extension packages
• arckit-codex/, arckit-gemini/, arckit-opencode/ — Generated AI-assistant extensions
• VERSION — Single source of truth for the toolkit version

Summary

• Use tree -L 2 for the clearest visual representation of the ArcKit hierarchy
• Use find . -maxdepth 3 -type d when tree is unavailable to list directories precisely
• Use ls -R for simple, universal recursive listing without dependencies
• Use create-project.sh --json to see the canonical project structure definition used by the CLI
• Inspect src/arckit_cli/ and .arckit/scripts/bash/ to understand core tooling and helper logic

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I install the tree command on Ubuntu or Debian?

Run sudo apt-get install -y tree to install the tree utility. This package provides the tree -L 2 command used to generate indented visual representations of the ArcKit directory structure.

Where are the Bash helper scripts located in ArcKit?

The reusable Bash functions reside in .arckit/scripts/bash/. This directory contains create-project.sh, generate-document-id.sh, and other helpers used during project scaffolding and document generation.

What does the .arckit directory contain?

The .arckit/ directory stores default document templates (in .arckit/templates/) and automation scripts (in .arckit/scripts/). These assets define the initial content and structure created when you run arckit init.

How can I see the exact directory structure that arckit init creates?

Execute .arckit/scripts/bash/create-project.sh --json from the repository root. This outputs a JSON description of the scaffolded project layout, showing exactly which directories and files the initialization command generates.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}