Environment

Runtime Requirements

Prepare the Python, Git, working-directory, terminal, editor, and optional tooling boundaries used by Custy.

Commandcusty

Quick Command

project root + installed custy + Git repository

Python 3.14+GitUTF-8 terminaleditor

Python

3.14+

Repository Tool

Git

Preferred Terminal

UTF-8 capable

Configuration Base

Current directory

Runtime Requirements

Requirements

Python 3.14+

Required

The package metadata requires Python 3.14 or newer.

Git

Required

Custy's core workflows inspect and modify Git repository state. Docker images install Git inside the container.

pip or installed package

Required

The custy entrypoint must resolve from the intended virtual environment, release installation, or container.

UTF-8-capable terminal

Recommended

Rich output contains Unicode symbols and emoji; compatible encoding avoids display and redirected-output failures.

Configured Editor

Recommended

Install at least one editor from the active tool.custy.editor candidate list. Docker includes Micro, Nano, Vim, and Vi.

Commitizen

Optional

The external cz executable is needed only by Commitizen-dependent validation or strategy paths.

Docker

Optional

Use the supported container workflow without installing Custy and Git directly on the host.

Make

Optional

Use repository Makefile helpers; it is not required by the installed core CLI.

Working Directory

Run Custy from the project root that contains .config/custy/config.toml, the configured project source, and the target Git repository. Relative configuration, template, backup, log, version, and changelog paths are resolved from the process working directory.

Verify the intended environment

bash

custy --version
custy --no-banner validate
git status

Custy Theme Variables

The active application reads these environment variables only to customize Rich colors and progress presentation:

Color Overrides

CUSTY_PRIMARY / CUSTY_SECONDARY	Primary accent and secondary text.
CUSTY_INFO / CUSTY_WARNING / CUSTY_SUCCESS / CUSTY_ERROR	Semantic output colors.
CUSTY_DRY_RUN / CUSTY_POINTING	Dry-run and pointer or hint colors.
CUSTY_HELP_TITLE / CUSTY_HELP_TEXT / CUSTY_HELP_HINT	Help heading, body, and hint styles.
CUSTY_HELP_OPTION / CUSTY_HELP_EXAMPLE	Help option and example styles.
CUSTY_PROGRESS_TITLE / CUSTY_PROGRESS_STEP / CUSTY_PROGRESS_DONE	Progress heading, active step, and completion styles.

Values must be valid Rich color or style-compatible color strings. These variables do not replace project configuration, command arguments, Git credentials, or file paths.

Editor Environment Variables

Custy does not define an editor environment variable automatically. It inherits the variables supplied to its process and checks the following exact names when tool.custy.editor.prefer_environment = true:

Editor Runtime Variables

VISUAL	Primary editor command. May contain a trusted executable and optional arguments, such as code --wait or micro.
EDITOR	Secondary editor command, checked after VISUAL, such as notepad, nano, vim, or nvim -f.
PATH	Indirectly controls executable discovery. PATH does not select an editor by itself.
CUSTY_CONTAINER	Selects container candidates when set to 1, true, yes, or on. The official image sets it; it is not an editor command.

Only VISUAL and EDITOR accept editor commands. Use the uppercase names exactly for portable behavior. If either is empty, undefined, or names an unavailable executable, Custy moves to the next candidate allowed by the editor policy.

Set values before starting Custy

bash

# PowerShell
$env:VISUAL = "code --wait"
$env:EDITOR = "notepad"

# POSIX shell

export VISUAL="micro"
export EDITOR="nano"

# Docker

docker run --rm -it -e VISUAL=micro -e EDITOR=nano -v "${PWD}:/workspace" -w /workspace custy-prod:latest run release

The operating system, shell profile, IDE, Docker/Compose service, or CI job must supply these values before Custy starts. Custy does not directly load a .env file. It reads VISUAL and EDITOR when a workflow reaches commit or tag message editing, so changing another terminal does not modify an existing Custy process. See Editor Configuration for setup examples, accepted commands, container behavior, and the complete prefer_environment/allow_fallback matrix.

External Tools and Credentials

Custy invokes git and relies on the normal Git executable lookup.
Remote authentication belongs to Git and the configured credential helper, SSH agent, CI secret setup, or container environment. Custy does not read a dedicated GitHub or GitLab token variable in the active core path.
The editor launcher reads VISUAL, then EDITOR, when environment precedence is enabled. It then follows container or platform candidate lists from tool.custy.editor.
Windows executable discovery resolves command shims such as code.CMD before launch. A normal Linux container cannot open VS Code or Notepad from the host; use its bundled terminal editors and an interactive TTY.
Commitizen strategy behavior invokes cz as an external subprocess.
Docker bind mounts determine which host project appears as the container's working directory.

Continue

Related Commands

Commands commonly used together with this command.

Installation

Choose Python source, release asset, Docker, or Makefile setup.

Paths and Files

Locate files resolved from the working directory.

Validation Requirements

Prepare repository, templates, version file, remotes, and staging.

Errors and Exit Status

Interpret terminal, parser, validation, and subprocess failures.

Editor Configuration

Configure editor identifiers, precedence, container behavior, and keybindings.

Runtime Requirements​

Runtime Requirements