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name: install-and-cli description: "Covers Anomalib installation choices, the install subcommand, CLI help behavior, config loading, and command selection for fit, validate, test, train, predict, export, and benchmark." disable-model-invocation: true metadata: disco-role: operating license: Apache 2.0

Install and CLI

Use this sub-skill when the user wants to install Anomalib, understand the anomalib install subcommand, inspect CLI help, load configs, or choose between fit, validate, test, train, predict, export, and benchmark.

Read first

• For install matrices, backend selection, editable installs, and when to use direct package install versus anomalib install, read references/installation.md.
• For the command map, config-loading rules, help verbosity, and export flag selection, read references/cli-reference.md.
• For missing-backend, config-path, help-verbosity, or export-flag failures, read references/troubleshooting.md.
• For a read-only CLI smoke check, run scripts/check_cli_help.sh.
• For copyable install, training, prediction, export, and benchmark recipes, run scripts/cli_recipes.sh.

Safe operating boundary

This sub-skill stays at the command, installation, and routing layer.

It covers:

• package installation choices for CPU and OpenVINO support;
• anomalib install options and when they are appropriate;
• top-level help output, verbose help formatting, and config-file loading;
• command selection for fit, validate, test, train, predict, export, and benchmark.

It does not cover:

• model math, dataset schemas, export internals, or training loops;
• benchmark pipeline mechanics beyond choosing the benchmark command;
• Studio or UI application code.

Quick routing

User need	Route here?	Read or run
Smallest CPU plus OpenVINO install	Yes	Read references/installation.md, then print commands with scripts/cli_recipes.sh
Decide between anomalib install and pip/uv	Yes	Read references/installation.md
Explain why anomalib -h only shows install	Yes	Read references/troubleshooting.md
Check top-level help, install help, and verbose help behavior	Yes	Run scripts/check_cli_help.sh
Choose fit vs train vs validate vs test	Yes	Read references/cli-reference.md
Choose predict or recover from old --data_path examples	Yes	Read references/cli-reference.md and references/troubleshooting.md
Diagnose export flags, especially OpenVINO options	Yes	Read references/cli-reference.md and references/troubleshooting.md
Understand benchmark routing or benchmark config semantics	Partly	Route the command choice here, then hand off to the sibling pipelines-and-benchmarks sub-skill for workflow details

Operating notes

• Use direct package install when the user is bootstrapping a fresh environment or needs a specific backend wheel.
• Use anomalib install only after Anomalib is already installed and the user wants to add optional bundles such as openvino, loggers, or notebooks.
• Treat cpu as a package extra, not as an anomalib install --option value.
• Prefer the current --data syntax for prediction examples; older --data_path shell snippets are legacy and should be translated before reuse.
• If a config file names the right subcommand but the wrong model or data class path, diagnose it as a command/config mismatch rather than a parser failure.
• If the benchmark command is missing, check whether the pipeline module is importable before assuming the CLI is broken.

Recommended workflow

1. Confirm whether the user needs a fresh install, an editable source install, or an add-on bundle inside an existing environment.
2. Read the installation reference and pick the smallest command that satisfies the backend.
3. Run the CLI smoke helper after installation or dependency changes.
4. Use the CLI reference to choose the right subcommand and flags.
5. Escalate to troubleshooting when help output, config loading, or export flags do not match the expected command shape.