# Elm reactor - init with flags for 0.19

**URL:** <https://discourse.elm-lang.org/t/elm-reactor-init-with-flags-for-0-19/2217>\
**Category:** Learn\
**Created:** [October 15, 2018, 7:08am UTC](https://discourse.elm-lang.org/t/elm-reactor-init-with-flags-for-0-19/2217 "2018-10-15T07:08:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 10

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**Author:** ![dmy](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.elm-lang.org/dmy/32/702_2.png) [@dmy](https://discourse.elm-lang.org/u/dmy)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://discourse.elm-lang.org/t/elm-reactor-init-with-flags-for-0-19/2217/10 "2018-10-16T18:08:18Z")

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Ah right, it also happened to me at first to overwrite my `index.html` by using the wrong arguments, that’s why I usually put my `index.html` in a subdirectory to avoid messing with it inadvertently, for example using `./public/index.html`:

```bash
$ elm-live src/Main.elm -d public -- --output=public/elm.js

```

`elm-live` will serve `./public/index.html` that must include `elm.js` and init the elm application. You can also put some `css` or other static files in `public/`. If you forgot the `-- --output`, the generated `index.html` will be in `.` and won’t overwrite your carefully crafted one (which is indeed annoying).

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.elm-lang.org/t/elm-reactor-init-with-flags-for-0-19/2217)._