CLI reference

Invoke the tool as pbpluginary or python -m pedalboard_pluginary. Every command accepts --help. Put --verbose before the command for debug logging: pbpluginary --verbose scan.

scan

Discover plugins and write them to the cache.

pbpluginary scan
pbpluginary scan --rescan                 # clear the cache and scan everything
pbpluginary scan --extra-folders ~/Plugins
pbpluginary scan --workers 4 --timeout 60

Option	Default	Meaning
--rescan	off	Clear the cache first, then scan all plugins.
--extra-folders PATH	—	Extra folder(s) to scan; repeatable.
--workers N	CPU count (max 8)	Parallel scan workers.
--timeout N	30	Seconds to wait for a single plugin before skipping it.

Each plugin loads in a separate subprocess. A plugin that hangs or crashes is recorded in the journal and skipped; the scan keeps going and can be resumed.

list

Show the cached catalogue, optionally filtered.

pbpluginary list
pbpluginary list --type vst3
pbpluginary list --name reverb --vendor fabfilter
pbpluginary list --format json

Option	Meaning
--name TEXT	Keep plugins whose name contains TEXT (case-insensitive).
--vendor TEXT	Keep plugins whose vendor/manufacturer contains TEXT.
--type TEXT	Keep only vst3 or aufx.
--format {table,json,yaml}	Output format (default table).

json / yaml

Export the whole catalogue.

pbpluginary json -o plugins.json --pretty
pbpluginary yaml -o plugins.yaml

json keys the export by plugin id; yaml emits a list. Both write to stdout when -o/--output is omitted. YAML export needs PyYAML (installed by default).

info

Print statistics — total plugins, counts per type, top vendors, and cache paths. If a scan journal is left behind, info flags it so you know a scan will resume.

clear

Wipe the plugin cache. Prompts for confirmation first.