Node.js/npm installer for Just

[brombal]

Hello,

I created this thing:

https://npmjs.com/package/just-install
https://github.com/brombal/just-install

It seemed like it would be a useful tool for those of us who work primarily in Node.js/npm, especially on development teams (as I do) where the simplicity of project development setup is a worthwhile goal.

It's an incredibly simple script that fetches the install bash script (https://just.systems/install.sh), executes it, and stores the resulting binary in node_modules where npm expects it to be. This makes the binary available within the project using npx or within a package.json script.

While it does somewhat defeat the "globalness" feature that I recognize is part of Just's beauty, it has the benefit of not needing a separate install command (which until now I always have to go lookup on Just's website).

I am open to feedback, including admonishment for possibly re-inventing something that is already out there (that I couldn't find) or somehow "missing the point" of Just. But if none of that is the case, I hope this is useful for other fans of Just out there.

[casey]

Nice! I'm not sure I understand the use-case. Would it also be possible to use the install script, but install just to node_modules/.bin, like so:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://just.systems/install.sh | bash -s -- --to node_modules/.bin

This requires remembering the long, complicated install command, so that's a downside.

[brombal]

I suppose you could do that, but in Node you aren't supposed to manually modify the contents of node_modules, as the npm package manager handles that for you (and would overwrite it on subsequent installs).

The use case is really just following the Node.js "purist" mindset of npm install being the only thing you should need to run to set up your project for development. Whether that's valid or not is debatable, but it makes it easier for junior devs on a team to get started.

[casey]

Gotcha, that makes sense. If you want to add a section to the readme, pointing node developers to just-install, that would be sweet. It would be good to outline the reasoning, i.e. you could use the installer, but if you want npm install to the the only thing that people have to run, you can use `just-install.

[brombal]

Thanks @casey, done! brombal#1

[agilgur5]

Thanks @casey, done! brombal#1

For reference for other readers, this was moved to #1241 per brombal#1 (comment)

[agilgur5]

For reference for other readers searching for NPM or package.json, another variant was recently added via rust-just in #2361 (comment) / #2384

[goyalyashpal]

• i see the reasoning behind single command to setup the project on new system,
• but it seem absurd to mingle executables in language specific environment with which they have no direct business whatsoever

that's why i am super glad to have found the nix pkg manager which is a language agnostic manager for development environments and projects.

it makes all such tasks trivial to carry out, removing the hodge-podge. and gives so much peace of mind to me as a developer.

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well, it's kinda weird to me that similar concerns are shared by the author of this discussion over at #2361 (comment) and following, but ...