Manifa

Quickstart

Manifa keeps a folder in sync across machines with end-to-end encryption — the server stores only ciphertext and never holds your keys. This walks through installing the CLI, creating your account, and syncing your first vault.

1. Install the CLI

curl -fsSL https://manifa.dev/install | sh

This installs the mani binary for your platform. Verify it landed:

mani --version

2. Sign in

mani login

You'll be emailed a one-time code. This step establishes your identity — it doesn't touch your encryption keys yet.

3. Set up your account on this device

mani init

init runs once per account, on your first device. It:

  1. Generates your Account Master Key (AMK) — the root of your key hierarchy, generated client-side and never transmitted in plaintext.
  2. Wraps the AMK under a password you choose (this is your master password — separate from your login, and Manifa never sees it).
  3. Shows you a 12-word recovery code, once, and asks you to retype it to confirm you saved it.

The recovery code is the only way back into your account if every device is lost. Write it down somewhere durable before continuing — see the zero-knowledge model for why there's no "forgot password" reset.

4. Create a vault

A vault is a synced root folder and its history — the unit of sharing and keying. Point one at any directory:

mani vault create my-project ~/code/my-project

This registers the vault and runs the first sync, uploading the directory's current contents (encrypted, chunk by chunk).

5. Sync changes

From inside the vault's directory:

mani sync

sync pushes your local changes and pulls everyone else's. Run it again any time, or use mani watch to sync continuously in the foreground, or mani daemon start to run it in the background.

6. Add a second device

On another machine:

curl -fsSL https://manifa.dev/install | sh
mani login
mani device enroll
mani clone my-project ~/code/my-project

device enroll authorizes the new machine — either by approving it from an already-trusted device, or with your password + recovery code if this is the only device you have left. clone then pulls the vault's full current state.

What's next

  • Concepts — the key hierarchy, what the server can and can't see, vaults and devices.
  • Platforms — what's different on macOS, Linux, and Windows, including on-demand-files support.
  • CLI reference — every command, generated from mani --help.