Cargo cheat sheet: build, run, test and manage Rust crates

updated 2026-10-20

tool: Cargo
versions: Cargo 1.62+ (cargo add)
os: linux, macos, windows

Cargo is Rust's build tool and package manager. The commands below cover a typical day: cargo new to start, cargo check/build/run while coding, cargo test before committing, and cargo add/update for dependencies.

A typical session

bash

cargo new -q --vcs none hello && cd hello
cat >> src/main.rs <<'EOF'

fn add(a: i32, b: i32) -> i32 { a + b }

#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
    #[test]
    fn adds() { assert_eq!(super::add(2, 2), 4); }
}
EOF
cargo run -q
cargo test -q 2>&1 | sed -E 's/finished in [0-9.]+s/finished in <time>/'
ls target

Output

warning: function `add` is never used
 --> src\main.rs:5:4
  |
5 | fn add(a: i32, b: i32) -> i32 { a + b }
  |    ^^^
  |
  = note: `#[warn(dead_code)]` (part of `#[warn(unused)]`) on by default

Hello, world!

running 1 test
.
test result: ok. 1 passed; 0 failed; 0 ignored; 0 measured; 0 filtered out; finished in <time>

CACHEDIR.TAG
debug

Create

Command	Effect
cargo new NAME	New binary package in folder NAME (with a git repository)
cargo new --lib NAME	New library package
cargo init	Turn the current folder into a package
cargo new --vcs none NAME	No git repository

Build and run

Command	Effect
cargo check	Type-check without producing a binary (fastest feedback)
cargo build	Debug build in target/debug
cargo build --release	Optimised build in target/release
cargo run -- ARGS	Build and run; ARGS after -- go to the program
cargo run --bin NAME	Run one of several binaries
cargo run --example NAME	Run examples/NAME.rs
cargo clean	Delete the target folder

Test, lint, format, docs

Command	Effect
cargo test	Run unit, integration and doc tests
cargo test NAME	Only tests whose name contains NAME
cargo test -- --nocapture	Show println! output of passing tests
cargo fmt	Format the code with rustfmt
cargo fmt --check	Fail if formatting would change files (CI)
cargo clippy	Lints from Clippy
cargo clippy -- -D warnings	Treat lint warnings as errors (CI)
cargo doc --open	Build the documentation and open it

Dependencies

Command	Effect
cargo add serde --features derive	Add a dependency to Cargo.toml (Cargo 1.62+)
cargo add --dev pretty_assertions	Add a dev-dependency
cargo remove serde	Remove a dependency
cargo update	Update Cargo.lock within the version requirements
cargo update -p serde	Update one package only
cargo tree	Show the dependency tree
cargo tree -i serde	Show what depends on serde
cargo install ripgrep	Install a binary crate into ~/.cargo/bin

Workspaces and selection

Command	Effect
cargo build -p NAME	Build one member of a workspace
cargo test --workspace	Test every member
cargo build --manifest-path path/Cargo.toml	Use a manifest outside the current folder
cargo build --target x86_64-unknown-linux-musl	Cross-compile for another target (install it with rustup target add)
cargo build --locked	Fail if Cargo.lock would change (CI)

Sources

flags · cargocargo build --release: optimised builds and target/releasecargo build --release uses the release profile (opt-level 3, no overflow checks) and writes to target/release. Debug vs release, and how to tune the profile.errors · cargoerror: could not find `Cargo.toml` in `...` or any parent directorycargo reports could not find Cargo.toml when run outside a Rust package. cd into the project, pass --manifest-path, or create a package with cargo new.errors · rustRust error[E0382]: borrow of moved valuerustc reports E0382 when a variable is used after its value moved to another binding or function. Borrow it with &, clone it, or reorder the code. Real output.