Installation

Install repo2pdf using NPX or from source

Prerequisites

Before installing repo2pdf, ensure you have the following installed on your system:

• Node.js version 18.0.0 or higher
• git (required only for cloning remote repositories)

You can check your Node.js version by running node --version in your terminal

Installation methods

NPX (recommended)

The fastest way to use repo2pdf is with NPX, which downloads and runs the latest version without requiring installation.

1. Run with NPX

   Execute repo2pdf directly using NPX:

   npx repo2pdf
   

   This command automatically downloads the latest version from npm and starts the interactive CLI.

2. Follow the prompts

   The tool will guide you through the conversion process:

   • Choose between remote repository or local directory
   • Select features (line numbers, syntax highlighting, etc.)
   • Specify output file name
   • Decide whether to keep the cloned repository

Using NPX ensures you always run the latest version without manual updates

Clone from source

For development or customization, you can clone and build repo2pdf from source.

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/BankkRoll/repo2pdf
   
2. Navigate to the directory

   cd repo2pdf
   
3. Install dependencies

   npm install
   
4. Build the project

   npm run build
   

   This compiles the TypeScript source code to JavaScript in the dist folder.

5. Run the tool

   npm start
   

   You can also run the compiled version directly:

   node dist/clone.js
   

Global installation

Install repo2pdf globally to use it as a system command.

1. Install globally

   npm install -g repo2pdf
   
2. Run from anywhere

   repo2pdf
   

Global installation allows you to run repo2pdf from any directory without the npx prefix

Verify installation

To verify that repo2pdf is working correctly, run it with NPX:

npx repo2pdf

You should see the repo2pdf welcome banner:

██████╗ ███████╗██████╗  ██████╗         ██████╗         ██████╗ ██████╗ ███████╗
██╔══██╗██╔════╝██╔══██╗██╔═══██╗        ╚════██╗        ██╔══██╗██╔══██╗██╔════╝
██████╔╝█████╗  ██████╔╝██║   ██║         █████╔╝        ██████╔╝██║  ██║█████╗
██╔══██╗██╔══╝  ██╔═══╝ ██║   ██║        ██╔═══╝         ██╔═══╝ ██║  ██║██╔══╝
██║  ██║███████╗██║     ╚██████╔╝        ███████╗        ██║     ██████╔╝██║
╚═╝  ╚═╝╚══════╝╚═╝      ╚═════╝         ╚══════╝        ╚═╝     ╚═════╝ ╚═╝

Welcome to Repo-to-PDF! Let's get started...

Troubleshooting

Error: Command not found

If you see “command not found” when running npx repo2pdf, ensure:

• Node.js and npm are properly installed
• Your npm installation is in your system PATH
• You have an active internet connection (for NPX to download packages)

Error: Failed to install package

This usually indicates a network or permissions issue:

# Try clearing npm cache
npm cache clean --force

# Then retry
npx repo2pdf

If using global installation, you may need to use sudo on macOS/Linux:

sudo npm install -g repo2pdf

Error: Node version too old

repo2pdf requires Node.js 18 or higher. Update Node.js:

• Visit nodejs.org to download the latest LTS version

• Or use a version manager like nvm:

  nvm install 18
  nvm use 18
  

Next steps

Quick start

Convert your first repository to PDF

Configuration

Learn about customization options