---
level: 2
---

# Usage

`infctl` has a single, compulsory parameter `[-f|--deployment-file]` and an optional environment variable `LOG_FORMAT` which may be ["none"|"basic"|""]

there must be a valid `deployment-file` 

`LOG_FORMAT` is used to switch structured log to be off, "none", 2 field with "basic" or JSON ( the default )



````md magic-move {lines: true}
```bash 
export LOG_FORMAT=none 
infctl 

no config specified with --deployment-file=<path_to_config_file>
```

```bash 
export LOG_FORMAT=none 
infctl -f pipelines/dev/vagrant-k3s.json

🔄 Running step: Create Vagrant nodes
🐞 Running command: ./scripts/install_vagrant_nodes.sh
...
```

```bash
export LOG_FORMAT="basic"
infctl -f pipelines/dev/vagrant-k3s.json

level=INFO msg="Project name already exists: hdshd\n"
level=INFO msg="🔄 Running step: Create Vagrant nodes"
...
```

```bash
export LOG_FORMAT=""
infctl -f pipelines/dev/vagrant-k3s.json

{"time":"2025-08-16T18:28:00.412416282+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"Project name already exists: hdshd\n"}
{"time":"2025-08-16T18:28:00.412511255+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"🔄 Running step: Create Vagrant nodes"}
...
```


````

[cast](https://ascii.headshed.dev/a/OB2jSE47d1HTz2d5vFhJhIKAl)


<!--

`infctl` has only one compulsory parameter 

-f | --deployment-file

another, entirely optional environment variable `LOG_FORMAT` sets the degree to which output is structured 

none - supresses all structured logging

basic - shows level and standard / error output

default - structures log output as JSON with date timestamp, level and message

the latter is purposed for ingesting logs into other systems that can use these fields for categorizing the data

-->