docs(fern): add local library autodocs without Fern auth

.claude/skills/nemo-curator-docs/SKILL.md

@@ -320,7 +320,12 @@ This is a temporary maneuver — track the change so it gets reverted.
 
 ## Library Reference (Autodocs) and the Fern Cross-Ref Bug
 
-`fern/docs.yml` declares a `libraries:` block that pulls Python source from `nemo_curator/` and generates MDX into `fern/product-docs/nemo-curator/Full-Library-Reference/` (gitignored). It runs as `fern docs md generate` in the publish and preview workflows.
+`fern/docs.yml` declares two `libraries:` entries that write to the same output folder (`fern/product-docs/nemo-curator/Full-Library-Reference/`, gitignored):
+
+- **`nemo-curator`** (`input.git`) — used by CI/publish/preview; requires `fern login` or `FERN_TOKEN`. Workflows run `fern docs md generate --library nemo-curator`.
+- **`nemo-curator-local`** (`input.path: ../nemo_curator`) — local dev without Fern auth; requires Docker. Run `npm run generate:library:local` from `fern/`.
+
+For a full API reference locally (424 pages), use `npm run generate:library`. The local Docker parser is beta and currently produces fewer pages — fine for testing the no-auth flow, not a substitute for CI generation.
 
 **Known bug in the Fern Python library generator** (filed upstream): the generator emits cross-references that miss the `/nemo/curator` site basepath (links use `/nemo-curator/...` instead of `/nemo/curator/nemo-curator/...`) and tacks on Sphinx-style `#nemo_curator-…` fragments that don't match any rendered anchor. Result: ~540 broken links across the generated API reference.
 
@@ -347,7 +352,7 @@ python3 fern/_fix_broken_links.py
 | `{{ variable }}` shows literally on site | Not in `DEFAULT_VARIABLES` in `substitute_variables.py` — add it there |
 | MDX parse error | Replace bare `<https://...>` with `[text](https://...)`; escape `<` in prose with `&lt;` or backticks |
 | Old Sphinx URL breaks | Add a `redirects:` entry in `fern/docs.yml` |
-| Library reference missing | Run `fern docs md generate` in `fern/` (see `fern/AUTODOCS_GUIDE.md`) |
+| Library reference missing | Run `npm run generate:library` in `fern/` (full reference; needs Fern auth). Or `npm run generate:library:local` without auth (Docker; beta, fewer pages). See `fern/AUTODOCS_GUIDE.md`. |
 | Broken image | Path is relative to the MDX file; check `fern/assets/` or `pages/_images/` exists |
 
 ## Key References

.github/workflows/fern-docs-preview-comment.yml

@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           FERN_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.DOCS_FERN_TOKEN }}
         working-directory: ./fern
-        run: fern docs md generate
+        run: fern docs md generate --library nemo-curator
 
       - name: Generate preview URL
         id: generate-docs

.github/workflows/publish-fern-docs.yml

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           FERN_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.DOCS_FERN_TOKEN }}
         working-directory: ./fern
-        run: fern docs md generate
+        run: fern docs md generate --library nemo-curator
 
       - name: Publish Docs
         env:

Makefile

@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 #   make docs                          # local dev server at http://localhost:3000
 #   make docs-check                    # validate Fern config + MDX
 #   make docs-login                    # guided dashboard sign-in + fern login
-#   make docs-generate-library         # regenerate the Python API reference (libraries:)
+#   make docs-generate-library         # regenerate the Python API reference (git; needs auth)
+#   make docs-generate-library-local   # regenerate locally without Fern auth (Docker)
 #   make docs-substitute               # substitute {{ variables }} in MDX (CI runs this automatically)
 #   make docs-substitute DOCS_VERSION=26.02
 #   make docs-preview                  # build a shared preview URL (needs DOCS_FERN_TOKEN)
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@
 #
 # See fern/README.md for the full authoring guide.
 
-.PHONY: docs docs-check docs-login docs-generate-library docs-substitute \
+.PHONY: docs docs-check docs-login docs-generate-library docs-generate-library-local docs-substitute \
         docs-preview docs-publish docs-clean docs-help
 
 # Override FERN to pin a CLI version, e.g. `FERN=npx -y fern-api@4.43.1 make docs-check`.
@@ -40,7 +41,11 @@ docs-login:
 
 docs-generate-library:
 	@echo "Generating Python API reference under $(FERN_DIR)/product-docs/ (requires FERN_TOKEN)..."
-	cd $(FERN_DIR) && $(FERN) docs md generate
+	cd $(FERN_DIR) && $(FERN) docs md generate --library nemo-curator
+
+docs-generate-library-local:
+	@echo "Generating Python API reference locally under $(FERN_DIR)/product-docs/ (Docker; no Fern auth)..."
+	cd $(FERN_DIR) && $(FERN) docs md generate --local --library nemo-curator-local
 
 docs-substitute:
 	@echo "Substituting {{ variables }} in versions/v$(DOCS_VERSION) MDX..."
@@ -67,7 +72,8 @@ docs-help:
 	@echo "  docs                    local dev server (http://localhost:3000)"
 	@echo "  docs-check              validate Fern config + MDX"
 	@echo "  docs-login              guided dashboard sign-in + fern login"
-	@echo "  docs-generate-library   regenerate Python API reference (libraries:)"
+	@echo "  docs-generate-library        regenerate Python API reference via git (needs auth)"
+	@echo "  docs-generate-library-local  regenerate locally without Fern auth (Docker)"
 	@echo "  docs-substitute         run substitute_variables.py on a version tree"
 	@echo "                          (override version: make docs-substitute DOCS_VERSION=26.02)"
 	@echo "  docs-preview            build a shared preview URL (needs DOCS_FERN_TOKEN)"

fern/AUTODOCS_GUIDE.md

@@ -86,7 +86,13 @@ Notes:
 Run:
 
 ```bash
-fern docs md generate
+fern docs md generate --library nemo-curator
+```
+
+For local generation without Fern authentication (requires Docker):
+
+```bash
+fern docs md generate --local --library nemo-curator-local
 ```
 
 Fern will generate markdown under the output path you configured, for example:

fern/README.md

@@ -97,6 +97,17 @@ fern generate --docs        # static build
 
 For prose-only iteration, `fern docs dev` is enough. Library reference (`product-docs/`) is regenerated by Fern on `dev`/`generate` from the `libraries:` block in `docs.yml`. See [`./AUTODOCS_GUIDE.md`](./AUTODOCS_GUIDE.md) for how that works.
 
+### Library reference without Fern login
+
+CI and deploy previews use the `nemo-curator` library (`input.git`) and require `fern login` or `FERN_TOKEN`. For local iteration on the Python API reference without Fern authentication, use the `nemo-curator-local` entry (`input.path`) with Docker:
+
+```bash
+npm run generate:library:local
+# equivalent: fern docs md generate --local --library nemo-curator-local
+```
+
+Both libraries write to the same output folder (`product-docs/nemo-curator/Full-Library-Reference`), so previews and publish keep working unchanged. Requires Docker (Fern pulls `fernapi/fern-python-library-docs-parser` on first run).
+
 ### Variable substitution
 
 CI runs `substitute_variables.py` before `fern generate` so `{{ container_version }}` and other tokens in MDX are replaced. To run locally (from repo root):
@@ -208,7 +219,7 @@ PR titles follow Conventional Commits (e.g. `docs(fern): add rollout collection
 
 | Symptom | Fix |
 |---|---|
-| `HTTP 403: User does not belong to organization` on library generation | Sign in to https://dashboard.buildwithfern.com first, then re-run `fern login` |
+| `HTTP 403: User does not belong to organization` on library generation | Sign in to https://dashboard.buildwithfern.com first, then re-run `fern login`. Or use `npm run generate:library:local` (no Fern auth; requires Docker). |
 | `Folder not found: ./product-docs/...` in `fern docs dev` | Library generation hasn't run; trigger a `fern docs dev` cycle or check the `libraries:` block in `docs.yml` |
 | `fern check` YAML error | 2-space indent; `- page:` inside `contents:`; `path:` is relative to the version YAML |
 | Page 404 in preview | `slug:` missing/duplicated in the same section, or `position:` collision in an auto-discovered folder |

fern/docs.yml

@@ -183,6 +183,12 @@ libraries:
     output:
       path: ./product-docs/nemo-curator/Full-Library-Reference
     lang: python
+  nemo-curator-local:
+    input:
+      path: ../nemo_curator
+    output:
+      path: ./product-docs/nemo-curator/Full-Library-Reference
+    lang: python
 
 experimental:
   mdx-components:

fern/fern.config.json

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 {
   "organization": "nvidia",
-  "version": "5.29.0"
+  "version": "5.50.4"
 }

fern/package.json

@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
     "check": "npx -y fern-api@latest check",
     "dev": "npx -y fern-api@latest docs dev",
     "generate": "npx -y fern-api@latest generate --docs",
-    "generate:library": "npx -y fern-api@latest docs md generate"
+    "generate:library": "npx -y fern-api@latest docs md generate --library nemo-curator",
+    "generate:library:local": "npx -y fern-api@latest docs md generate --local --library nemo-curator-local"
   },
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=20"