ni

npm i in a yarn project, again? F**k!

ni - use the right package manager

npm · yarn · pnpm · bun · deno · nub · aube

ni - install

ni

# npm install
# yarn install
# pnpm install
# bun install
# deno install
# nub install
# aube install

ni vite

# npm i vite
# yarn add vite
# pnpm add vite
# bun add vite
# deno add vite
# nub add vite
# aube add vite

ni @types/node -D

# npm i @types/node -D
# yarn add @types/node -D
# pnpm add -D @types/node
# bun add -d @types/node
# deno add -D @types/node
# nub add -D @types/node
# aube add -D @types/node

ni -P

# npm i --omit=dev
# yarn install --production
# pnpm i --production
# bun install --production
# (deno not supported)
# nub install --production
# aube install --production

ni --frozen

# npm ci
# yarn install --frozen-lockfile (Yarn 1)
# yarn install --immutable (Yarn Berry)
# pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
# bun install --frozen-lockfile
# deno install --frozen
# nub install --frozen-lockfile
# aube install --frozen-lockfile

ni -g eslint

# npm i -g eslint
# yarn global add eslint (Yarn 1)
# pnpm add -g eslint
# bun add -g eslint
# deno install eslint
# nub add -g eslint
# aube add -g eslint

# this uses default agent, regardless your current working directory

ni -i

# interactively select the dependency to install
# search for packages by name

Since v29.0.0

When working in a pnpm workspace with catalogs configured in pnpm-workspace.yaml, a Yarn Berry workspace with catalogs in .yarnrc.yml, or a Bun workspace with catalogs in package.json, ni automatically enters catalog mode. Instead of adding packages with pinned versions, it writes catalog: references into package.json and updates the workspace catalog.

# Given pnpm-workspace.yaml with:
#   catalogs:
#     prod:
#       react: ^18.3.0

ni react
# → detects react in "prod" catalog
# → writes "react": "catalog:prod" to package.json
# → runs pnpm install

ni lodash
# → lodash not in any catalog
# → prompts to select a catalog (or skip)
# → fetches latest version, updates pnpm-workspace.yaml
# → writes "lodash": "catalog:prod" to package.json
# → runs pnpm install

For Bun, catalogs live in the root package.json instead, either nested under workspaces or at the top level:

# Given root package.json with:
#   "workspaces": {
#     "packages": ["packages/*"],
#     "catalogs": { "prod": { "react": "^18.3.0" } }
#   }

ni react
# → detects react in "prod" catalog
# → writes "react": "catalog:prod" to package.json
# → runs bun install

When only a default catalog (catalog: top-level) is used, new packages are added directly without prompting. When only named catalogs exist, the default catalog is never offered.

Flags like -D are respected — the catalog ref is written to the correct package.json section:

ni typescript -D
# → writes "typescript": "catalog:dev" to devDependencies

Use -w / --workspace to target the workspace root package.json:

ni react -w
# → writes catalog ref to workspace root package.json

To only reuse catalog entries that already exist — never adding a new package to a catalog and never prompting for one — set catalog=existing in ~/.nirc or NI_CATALOG=existing environment variable:

# with catalog=existing

ni react
# → react is already in the "prod" catalog
# → writes "react": "catalog:prod" to package.json

ni lodash
# → lodash is in no catalog
# → installed normally with a pinned version, catalogs are left untouched

To disable catalog mode, set catalog=false in ~/.nirc or NI_CATALOG=false environment variable.

nr - run

nr dev --port=3000

# npm run dev -- --port=3000
# yarn run dev --port=3000
# pnpm run dev --port=3000
# bun run dev --port=3000
# deno task dev --port=3000
# nub run dev --port=3000
# aube run dev --port=3000

nr

# interactively select the script to run
# supports https://www.npmjs.com/package/npm-scripts-info convention

nr -

# rerun the last command

nr -p
nr -p dev

# interactively select the package and script to run

# Add completion script for bash
nr --completion-bash >> ~/.bashrc

# Add completion script for zsh
# For zim:fw
mkdir -p ~/.zim/custom/ni-completions
nr --completion-zsh > ~/.zim/custom/ni-completions/_ni
echo "zmodule $HOME/.zim/custom/ni-completions --fpath ." >> ~/.zimrc
zimfw install

# Add completion script for fish
mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions
nr --completion-fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/nr.fish

nlx - download & execute

nlx vitest

# npx vitest
# yarn dlx vitest
# pnpm dlx vitest
# bunx vitest
# deno run npm:vitest
# nubx vitest
# aube dlx vitest

Pass --local to prefer an already-installed local binary over downloading it (equivalent to pnpm exec / yarn exec). npm, bun and aube already resolve local binaries first, so this flag mainly matters for pnpm, yarn, and nub:

nlx --local vitest

# npx vitest
# yarn exec vitest
# pnpm exec vitest
# bunx vitest
# nub exec vitest
# aube exec vitest

nup - upgrade

nup

# npm upgrade
# yarn upgrade (Yarn 1)
# yarn up (Yarn Berry)
# pnpm update
# bun update
# deno upgrade
# nub update
# aube update

nup -i

# (not available for npm)
# yarn upgrade-interactive (Yarn 1)
# yarn up -i (Yarn Berry)
# pnpm update -i
# bun update -i
# deno outdated -u -i
# nub update -i
# aube update -i

nun - uninstall

nun webpack

# npm uninstall webpack
# yarn remove webpack
# pnpm remove webpack
# bun remove webpack
# deno remove webpack
# nub remove webpack
# aube remove webpack

nun

# interactively multi-select
# the dependencies to remove

nun -g silent

# npm uninstall -g silent
# yarn global remove silent
# pnpm remove -g silent
# bun remove -g silent
# deno uninstall -g silent
# nub remove -g silent
# aube remove -g silent

nci - clean install

nci

# npm ci
# yarn install --frozen-lockfile
# pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
# bun install --frozen-lockfile
# deno cache --reload
# nub install --frozen-lockfile
# aube install --frozen-lockfile

nd - dedupe dependencies

nd

# npm dedupe
# yarn dedupe
# pnpm dedupe
# nub dedupe
# aube dedupe

na - agent alias

na

# npm
# yarn
# pnpm
# bun
# deno
# nub
# aube

na run foo

# npm run foo
# yarn run foo
# pnpm run foo
# bun run foo
# deno task foo
# nub run foo
# aube run foo

Global Flags

# ?               | Print the command execution depends on the agent
ni vite ?

# -C              | Change directory before running the command
ni -C packages/foo vite
nr -C playground dev

# -v, --version   | Show version number
ni -v

# -h, --help      | Show help
ni -h

Config

; ~/.nirc

; fallback when no lock found
defaultAgent=npm # default "prompt"

; for global installs
globalAgent=npm

; use node --run instead of package manager run command (requires Node.js 22+)
runAgent=node

; prefix commands with sfw
useSfw=true

; use catalog mode when catalogs are detected (default true)
; "existing" only reuses packages already in a catalog, never adds new ones
catalog=true

# ~/.bashrc

# custom configuration file path
export NI_CONFIG_FILE="$HOME/.config/ni/nirc"

# environment variables have higher priority than config file if presented
export NI_DEFAULT_AGENT="npm" # default "prompt"
export NI_GLOBAL_AGENT="npm"
export NI_USE_SFW="true"
export NI_CATALOG="false" # disable catalog mode, "existing" to only reuse existing catalog entries

# for Windows

# custom configuration file path in PowerShell accessible within the `$profile` path
$Env:NI_CONFIG_FILE = 'C:\to\your\config\location'

Automatic installation

You can set NI_AUTO_INSTALL=true to enable automatic installation.

If the corresponding package manager (npm, yarn, pnpm, bun, deno, nub, or aube) is not installed, it will install it globally before running the command.

Integrations

Homebrew

You can install ni with Homebrew:

brew install ni

asdf

You can also install ni via the 3rd-party asdf-plugin maintained by CanRau

# first add the plugin
asdf plugin add ni https://github.com/CanRau/asdf-ni.git

# then install the latest version
asdf install ni latest

# and make it globally available
asdf global ni latest

How?

ni assumes that you work with lock-files (and you should).

Before ni runs the command, it detects your yarn.lock / pnpm-lock.yaml / pnpm-workspace.yaml / package-lock.json / bun.lock / bun.lockb / deno.json / deno.jsonc / nub.lock / aube-lock.yaml / aube-workspace.yaml to know the current package manager (or packageManager field in your packages.json if specified) using the package-manager-detector package and then runs the corresponding package-manager-detector command.

Trouble shooting

Conflicts with PowerShell

PowerShell comes with a built-in alias ni for the New-Item cmdlet. To remove the alias in your current PowerShell session in favor of this package, use the following command:

'Remove-Item Alias:ni -Force -ErrorAction Ignore'

If you want to persist the changes, you can add them to your PowerShell profile. The profile path is accessible within the $profile variable. The ps1 profile file can normally be found at

• PowerShell 5 (Windows PowerShell): C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
• PowerShell 7: C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\PowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
• VSCode: C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\PowerShell\Microsoft.VSCode_profile.ps1

You can use the following script to remove the alias at shell start by adding the above command to your profile:

if (-not (Test-Path $profile)) {
  New-Item -ItemType File -Path (Split-Path $profile) -Force -Name (Split-Path $profile -Leaf)
}

$profileEntry = 'Remove-Item Alias:ni -Force -ErrorAction Ignore'
$profileContent = Get-Content $profile
if ($profileContent -notcontains $profileEntry) {
  ("`n" + $profileEntry) | Out-File $profile -Append -Force -Encoding UTF8
}

nx, nix and nu are no longer available

We renamed nx/nix and nu to nlx and nup to avoid conflicts with the other existing tools - nx, nix and nushell. You can always alias them back on your shell configuration file (.zshrc, .bashrc, etc).

alias nx="nlx"
# or
alias nix="nlx"
# or
alias nu="nup"