Installation — fastkit-cli

Requirements

Python 3.12+

Strictly required — FastKit CLI uses 3.12 features

fastkit-core

Required in your project — generated code depends on it

Alembic

Required for migrate commands — installed automatically with fastkit-core

Verify your Python version before proceeding:

bash

python --version   # must be 3.12 or higher

Install

FastKit CLI is installed as a global tool — not inside a project virtual environment. This makes the fastkit command available system-wide, just like git or npm.

uv installs CLI tools in isolated environments automatically:

bash

# Install uv if you don't have it
# macOS/Linux
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Windows (PowerShell)
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

# Install fastkit-cli as a global tool
uv tool install fastkit-cli

Install globally with pip — make sure you're not inside a virtual environment when running this:

bash

pip install fastkit-cli

pipx installs CLI tools in isolated environments, similar to uv:

bash

# Install pipx if you don't have it
pip install pipx
pipx ensurepath

# Install fastkit-cli
pipx install fastkit-cli

FastKit CLI is a global tool. Your project's virtual environment needs fastkit-core, but fastkit-cli itself lives outside the project — just like Alembic or Black.

Verify Installation

Confirm the CLI is available and check all available commands:

bash

fastkit --help

Terminal

$ fastkit --help

Usage: fastkit [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

FastAPI with structure and developer experience.

Options:

--help Show this message and exit.

Commands:

make Generate modules, models, schemas, repositories...

migrate Database migration commands (Alembic wrapper)

db Database utilities (seed)

server Start the development server

Check the version:

bash

fastkit --version

Project Setup

FastKit CLI generates code that depends on fastkit-core. Install it inside your project's virtual environment:

bash

# Create your project
mkdir my-fastapi-project && cd my-fastapi-project

# Create virtual environment and activate
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate   # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

# Install fastkit-core in the project
uv add fastkit-core

bash

mkdir my-fastapi-project && cd my-fastapi-project

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate   # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

pip install fastkit-core

bash

mkdir my-fastapi-project && cd my-fastapi-project
poetry init
poetry add fastkit-core

What gets installed with fastkit-core

Package	Version	Purpose
`fastapi`	≥ 0.115	The web framework
`uvicorn`	≥ 0.34	ASGI server
`pydantic`	≥ 2.10	Data validation
`sqlalchemy`	≥ 2.0.36	ORM — used in generated models
`alembic`	latest	Migrations — used by `fastkit migrate`
`python-dotenv`	≥ 1.0	Environment variable loading

Database Drivers

The generated models use SQLAlchemy but the database driver is separate. Install the one that matches your database inside the project virtual environment:

PostgreSQL Recommended

bash

pip install psycopg2-binary

MySQL / MariaDB

bash

pip install pymysql

SQLite Built-in

Built into Python — no installation needed. Perfect for development and testing.

Or use extras to install the driver together with fastkit-core:

bash

pip install "fastkit-core[postgresql]"   # includes psycopg2-binary
pip install "fastkit-core[mysql]"        # includes pymysql
pip install "fastkit-core[full]"         # all drivers

Troubleshooting

fastkit: command not found

The CLI installed but isn't in your PATH. Add pip's bin directory to your PATH:

bash

# Find where pip installs scripts
python -m site --user-base

# Add to PATH (add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc)
export PATH="$PATH:$(python -m site --user-base)/bin"

# Or reinstall with uv (handles PATH automatically)
uv tool install fastkit-cli

Python version error

FastKit CLI requires Python 3.12+. Check your version and install it if needed:

bash

python --version   # check current version

# Use uv to install a specific Python version
uv python install 3.12
uv python pin 3.12

ModuleNotFoundError: fastkit_core in generated files

The CLI is installed globally, but fastkit-core must be installed in your project's virtual environment:

bash

# Activate your project venv first
source venv/bin/activate

# Then install fastkit-core
pip install fastkit-core

fastkit migrate fails with Alembic error

Alembic must be configured in your project. Make sure alembic.ini and alembic/env.py exist. If not, initialize Alembic first:

bash

alembic init alembic

Next: Quick Start