Skip to main content
The doctor command is a built-in diagnostic tool that checks your Apicentric installation and environment for potential issues.

​
Overview

The doctor command performs automated checks on your system to ensure everything is configured correctly. It helps you quickly identify and resolve common problems. 
apicentric doctor

​
What it checks

The doctor command runs the following checks:

​
Apicentric version

Verifies that Apicentric is properly installed and displays the current version. 
Checking apicentric version... ✅ v0.1.0
This check always passes if you can run the doctor command, as it confirms the CLI is working.

​
Rust installation

Checks if Rust and Cargo are installed on your system. This is useful if you plan to build Apicentric from source or install plugins. 
Checking Rust installation... ✅ cargo 1.75.0
If Cargo is not found, you’ll see a ❌ error. However, this only affects building from source—prebuilt binaries work without Rust.

​
Docker installation

Verifies that Docker is installed and available. Docker is required for the dockerize command. 
Checking Docker installation... ✅ Docker version 24.0.0
If Docker is not found, you’ll see a ⚠️ warning. The dockerize command will not work without Docker, but other Apicentric features remain functional.

​
Services directory

Checks if a ./services directory exists in your current working directory. This is where Apicentric looks for service definition files by default. 
Checking services directory... ✅ Found ./services
If the directory doesn’t exist: 
Checking services directory... ℹ️ ./services not found (will be created on first use)
You don’t need a services directory to run Apicentric. You can specify service files directly with the --file flag.

​
Configuration file

Checks for an apicentric.json configuration file in the current directory. 
Checking configuration... ✅ Found apicentric.json
If no configuration file exists: 
Checking configuration... ℹ️ apicentric.json not found (using defaults)
Apicentric works perfectly fine with default settings. A configuration file is only needed for custom settings.

​
Understanding the output

After running all checks, the doctor command displays a summary:

​
All checks passed

✨ All systems operational! (5 checks passed) You are ready to build.
This means your environment is fully configured and ready to use all Apicentric features.

​
Some checks failed

⚠️  Some issues were found (4 checks passed, 1 failed). Please review the errors above.
Review the individual check results above the summary to see which checks failed and follow the suggested solutions.

​
Common issues and solutions

​
Cargo not found

Issue: ❌ Cargo not found Impact: You cannot build Apicentric from source or install Cargo-based plugins. Solution: Install Rust and Cargo: 
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
After installation, restart your terminal and run apicentric doctor again.

​
Docker not found

Issue: ⚠️ Docker not found Impact: The dockerize command will not work. Solution: Install Docker from docker.com After installation, verify with: 
docker --version

​
No services directory

Issue: ℹ️ ./services not found Impact: None—this is informational only. Solution: Create a services directory if you want to organize your service definitions: 
mkdir services
Or specify service files directly: 
apicentric simulator start --file my-service.yaml

​
No configuration file

Issue: ℹ️ apicentric.json not found Impact: None—default settings will be used. Solution: Create a configuration file only if you need custom settings: 
{
  "default_port": 9000,
  "log_level": "info"
}

​
When to run doctor

Run the doctor command:
  • After installing Apicentric for the first time
  • When troubleshooting installation or runtime issues
  • Before filing a bug report (include the output)
  • After system updates that might affect dependencies
  • When switching between different installation methods

​
Example output

Here’s an example of a complete doctor command output: 
$ apicentric doctor
🏥 Apicentric Doctor
Checking your system for potential issues...

Checking apicentric version... ✅ v0.1.0
Checking Rust installation... ✅ cargo 1.75.0 (1d8b05cdd 2024-01-01)
Checking Docker installation... ✅ Docker version 24.0.0, build 1331b8c
Checking services directory... ✅ Found ./services
Checking configuration... ℹ️ apicentric.json not found (using defaults)

✨ All systems operational! (5 checks passed) You are ready to build.

​
Next steps

If the doctor command reveals issues:
  1. Follow the suggestions provided in the output
  2. Check the common issues guide for detailed solutions
  3. Review the installation guide if reinstalling is needed
  4. Visit the GitHub issues if problems persist

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us