diff --git a/.gitlab/renovate.json5 b/.gitlab/renovate.json5
index 88197fc..174045d 100644
--- a/.gitlab/renovate.json5
+++ b/.gitlab/renovate.json5
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
   },
   "postUpgradeTasks": {
     "commands": [
-      "nix-portable nix run .#soonix:update"
+      "nix-portable nix run .#soonix -- update --skip-gitignore"
     ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/default.nix b/lib/default.nix
index ae29377..0ce2d3f 100644
--- a/lib/default.nix
+++ b/lib/default.nix
@@ -22,4 +22,5 @@ in rec {
     };
 
   mkShellHook = userConfig: (make userConfig).config.shellHook;
+  mkCLI = userConfig: (make userConfig).config.packages.soonix;
 }
diff --git a/lib/module.nix b/lib/module.nix
index 4546319..3ea44aa 100644
--- a/lib/module.nix
+++ b/lib/module.nix
@@ -146,15 +146,14 @@ in {
         Packages for updating the hooks without a devshell. (readonly)
       '';
       example = {
-        "soonix:update" = "<derivation>";
+        "soonix" = "<derivation>";
       };
     };
   };
 
   config = let
     hooks = config.hooks;
-    hookNames = builtins.attrNames hooks;
-
+    # allow excluding gitignore since stuff like renovate can't use/commit it anyways
     runHooks = concatMapStringsSep "\n" (hookName: let
       hook = hooks.${hookName};
       modes = {
@@ -163,8 +162,12 @@ in {
           ''
             if [[ ! -L "${hook.output}" ]] || [[ "$(readlink "${hook.output}")" != "${hook.generatedDerivation}" ]]; then
               _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Creating symlink: ${hook.output} -> ${hook.generatedDerivation}"
-              mkdir -p "$(dirname "${hook.output}")"
-              ln -sf "${hook.generatedDerivation}" "${hook.output}"
+              if [[ "$CHECK_MODE" != "true" ]]; then
+                mkdir -p "$(dirname "${hook.output}")"
+                ln -sf "${hook.generatedDerivation}" "${hook.output}"
+              else
+                _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Would create symlink: ${hook.output} -> ${hook.generatedDerivation}"
+              fi
               _changed=true
             else
               _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Symlink up to date: ${hook.output}"
@@ -175,10 +178,14 @@ in {
           ''
             if [[ ! -f "${hook.output}" ]] || ! cmp -s "${hook.generatedDerivation}" "${hook.output}"; then
               _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Copying file: ${hook.generatedDerivation} -> ${hook.output}"
-              mkdir -p "$(dirname "${hook.output}")"
-              # required since they're read only
-              rm -f "${hook.output}"
-              cp "${hook.generatedDerivation}" "${hook.output}"
+              if [[ "$CHECK_MODE" != "true" ]]; then
+                mkdir -p "$(dirname "${hook.output}")"
+                # required since they're read only
+                rm -f "${hook.output}"
+                cp "${hook.generatedDerivation}" "${hook.output}"
+              else
+                _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Would copy file: ${hook.generatedDerivation} -> ${hook.output}"
+              fi
               _changed=true
             else
               _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "File up to date: ${hook.output}"
@@ -192,46 +199,63 @@ in {
           _soonix_add_to_gitignore "${hook.output}"
         ''
         else "";
+
+      isGitignored =
+        if hook.hook.gitignore
+        then "true"
+        else "false";
     in
+      builtins.addErrorContext "[soonix] while generating script for ${hookName}"
       # sh
       ''
         # Process hook: ${hookName}
-        while IFS= read -r line; do
-          case "$line" in
-            UPDATED) _soonix_updated+=("${hookName}") ;;
-            UPTODATE) _soonix_uptodate+=("${hookName}") ;;
-            *) echo "$line" ;;
-          esac
-        done < <(
-          set -euo pipefail
-          _changed=false
+        # Skip if SKIP_GITIGNORE is set and this hook is gitignored
+        if [[ "$SKIP_GITIGNORE" == "true" && "${isGitignored}" == "true" ]]; then
+          : # skip
+        else
+          while IFS= read -r line; do
+            case "$line" in
+              UPDATED) _soonix_updated+=("${hookName}") ;;
+              UPTODATE) _soonix_uptodate+=("${hookName}") ;;
+              *) echo "$line" ;;
+            esac
+          done < <(
+            set -euo pipefail
+            _changed=false
 
-          ${modes.${hook.hook.mode} or (throw "Mode ${hook.hook.mode} doesnt exist")}
+            ${modes.${hook.hook.mode} or (throw "Mode ${hook.hook.mode} doesnt exist")}
 
-          # Add to gitignore if requested
-          ${optionalGitignore}
+            if [[ "$CHECK_MODE" != "true" ]]; then
+              # Add to gitignore if requested
+              ${optionalGitignore}
 
-          # Run extra commands if file changed
-          if [[ "$_changed" == "true" && -n "${hook.hook.extra}" ]]; then
-            _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Running extra command: ${hook.hook.extra}"
-            eval "${hook.hook.extra}"
-          fi
+              # Run extra commands if file changed
+              if [[ "$_changed" == "true" && -n "${hook.hook.extra}" ]]; then
+                _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Running extra command: ${hook.hook.extra}"
+                eval "${hook.hook.extra}"
+              fi
+            fi
 
-          if [[ "$_changed" == "true" ]]; then
-            echo "UPDATED"
-          else
-            echo "UPTODATE"
-          fi
-        ) || {
-          _soonix_log "error" "${hookName}" "Failed to process hook"
-          _soonix_failed+=("${hookName}")
-        }
+            if [[ "$_changed" == "true" ]]; then
+              echo "UPDATED"
+            else
+              echo "UPTODATE"
+            fi
+          ) || {
+            _soonix_log "error" "${hookName}" "Failed to process hook"
+            _soonix_failed+=("${hookName}")
+          }
+        fi
       '')
-    hookNames;
+    (builtins.attrNames hooks);
 
-    generatedShellHook =
+    generateShellHook =
+      builtins.addErrorContext "[soonix] while generating shell hook"
       # sh
       ''
+        CHECK_MODE=''${CHECK_MODE:-false}
+        SKIP_GITIGNORE=''${SKIP_GITIGNORE:-false}
+
         _soonix_log() {
           local level="$1"
           local hook="$2"
@@ -272,6 +296,9 @@ in {
 
         if [[ ''${#_soonix_updated[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
           output="$output [updated: ''${_soonix_updated[*]}]" >&2
+          if [[ "$CHECK_MODE" == "true" ]]; then
+            status=2
+          fi
         fi
         if [[ ''${#_soonix_uptodate[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
           output="$output [unchanged: ''${_soonix_uptodate[*]}]" >&2
@@ -283,8 +310,8 @@ in {
 
         printf "%s\E[m\n" "$output" >&2
 
-        if [[ $status -eq 1 ]]; then
-          exit 1
+        if [[ $status -ne 0 ]]; then
+          exit $status
         fi
       '';
 
@@ -297,8 +324,8 @@ in {
   in rec {
     # nothing to do if no hooks exist
     shellHook =
-      if (builtins.length hookNames > 0)
-      then generatedShellHook
+      if (builtins.length (builtins.attrNames config.hooks) > 0)
+      then generateShellHook
       else "";
     shellHookFile = pkgs.writeShellScript "shellHook" shellHook;
     devshellModule = {
@@ -307,11 +334,102 @@ in {
     };
     finalFiles = buildAllFiles allFiles;
     # make it simpler to update the hooks without any devshell
-    packages."soonix:update" = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "soonix:update" ''
-      function _soonix() {
-        ${shellHook}
-      }
-      _soonix
-    '';
+    packages = {
+      soonix =
+        pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "soonix"
+        # sh
+        ''
+          set -euo pipefail
+
+          SKIP_GITIGNORE=false
+          CHECK_MODE=false
+          COMMAND=""
+
+          show_help() {
+            cat << EOF
+          soonix - Declarative file management tool
+
+          USAGE:
+              soonix <COMMAND> [OPTIONS]
+
+          COMMANDS:
+              update              Update all managed files
+              check               Check if all files are up to date (dry-run)
+              list                List all managed file targets
+              help                Show this help message
+
+          OPTIONS:
+              --skip-gitignore    Skip files that would be added to .gitignore
+
+          EXAMPLES:
+              soonix update                    # Update all files
+              soonix update --skip-gitignore   # Update only non-gitignored files
+              soonix list                      # List all targets
+              soonix list --skip-gitignore     # List only non-gitignored targets
+          EOF
+          }
+
+          while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+            case "$1" in
+              update|check|list|help)
+                COMMAND="$1"
+                shift
+                ;;
+              --skip-gitignore)
+                SKIP_GITIGNORE=true
+                shift
+                ;;
+              *)
+                echo "Error: Unknown argument '$1'" >&2
+                echo ""
+                show_help
+                exit 1
+              ;;
+            esac
+          done
+
+          if [[ -z "$COMMAND" ]]; then
+            echo "Error: No command specified" >&2
+            echo ""
+            show_help
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          case "$COMMAND" in
+            help)
+              show_help
+              ;;
+            list)
+              ${concatMapStringsSep "\n" (hookName: let
+            hook = hooks.${hookName};
+          in ''
+            if [[ "$SKIP_GITIGNORE" == "true" && "${
+              if hook.hook.gitignore
+              then "true"
+              else "false"
+            }" == "true" ]]; then
+              : # skip
+            else
+              echo "${hook.output}"
+            fi
+          '') (builtins.attrNames hooks)}
+              ;;
+            update)
+              function _soonix() {
+                ${generateShellHook}
+              }
+              _soonix
+              ;;
+            check)
+              CHECK_MODE=true
+              echo "Checking files..."
+              function _soonix() {
+                ${generateShellHook}
+              }
+              _soonix
+              ;;
+            esac
+        '';
+    };
   };
 }
diff --git a/nix/repo/devShells.nix b/nix/repo/devShells.nix
index c473189..272f851 100644
--- a/nix/repo/devShells.nix
+++ b/nix/repo/devShells.nix
@@ -41,8 +41,10 @@ in {
           }
           {
             name = "soonix";
+            files = "nix run .#soonix -- list --skip-gitignore";
             stage_fixed = true;
-            run = "nix run .#soonix:update";
+            # {files} is needed so lefthook git add's them
+            run = "nix run .#soonix -- update --skip-gitignore; #{files}";
           }
         ];
       };
diff --git a/nix/repo/soonix.nix b/nix/repo/soonix.nix
index fa17fd8..8ca5f8c 100644
--- a/nix/repo/soonix.nix
+++ b/nix/repo/soonix.nix
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ in
         data = {
           extends = ["config:recommended"];
           postUpgradeTasks.commands = [
-            "nix-portable nix run .#soonix:update"
+            "nix-portable nix run .#soonix -- update --skip-gitignore"
           ];
           lockFileMaintenance = {
             enabled = true;
diff --git a/tests/soonix_test.nix b/tests/soonix_test.nix
index e59498e..39b6bbf 100644
--- a/tests/soonix_test.nix
+++ b/tests/soonix_test.nix
@@ -69,6 +69,27 @@ in {
             assert_file_contains ${shellHook} "gomplate"
           '';
       }
+      {
+        name = "packages";
+        type = "script";
+        script = let
+          conf = (soonix.make {inherit hooks;}).config;
+          soonixBin = conf.packages.soonix + "/bin/soonix";
+        in
+          # sh
+          ''
+            ${ntlib.helpers.path [pkgs.gnugrep]}
+            ${ntlib.helpers.scriptHelpers}
+
+            assert -f "${soonixBin}" "should exist"
+
+            assert_file_contains "${soonixBin}" "gotmpl"
+            assert_file_contains "${soonixBin}" "test.json"
+
+            assert_file_contains "${soonixBin}" "SKIP_GITIGNORE"
+            assert_file_contains "${soonixBin}" "CHECK_MODE"
+          '';
+      }
     ];
   };
 }