install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install ni

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#ni

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ni/ni/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install nd

Debian stable package indexes · nd · source: deb.debian.org

overview

Package summary

Selects the right Node package manager based on lockfiles

Project links

Commands and aliases

na
nci
nd
ni
nlx
nr
nun
nup

history

Project history and usage

`ni` is Anthony Fu's JavaScript package-manager dispatcher: one set of short commands that detects whether a project uses npm, Yarn, pnpm, Bun, or Deno and runs the matching package-manager command.

Project history

The npm registry metadata for `@antfu/ni` shows the package created on November 5, 2020. The project later moved under the `antfu-collective` GitHub organization while keeping the author ecosystem around Anthony Fu's JavaScript tooling.

The README documents the core idea as lockfile and package metadata detection. It maps `ni`, `nr`, `nlx`, `nup`, `nun`, `nci`, `nd`, and `na` onto equivalent npm, Yarn, pnpm, Bun, and Deno operations, and uses the separate `package-manager-detector` package for detection.

Adoption history

The tool became a small package-nerd convenience in the Node ecosystem because frontend and monorepo developers often switch between repositories with different lockfiles. Homebrew analytics on July 1, 2026 reported 1,661 install-on-request events over 365 days, and the npm package was modified as version 30.2.0 on June 25, 2026.

The ecosystem signal is not that `ni` owns dependency installation, but that it standardizes muscle memory. Its README includes Homebrew and asdf installation paths, auto-install support for missing package managers, and configuration through `~/.nirc` or environment variables.

How it is used

Practical usage is intentionally tiny: run `ni` to install dependencies, `nr` to run scripts, `nlx` to download and execute a package, `nup` to upgrade, `nun` to uninstall, `nci` for clean/frozen installs, and `na` to invoke the detected package manager itself. The tool detects `yarn.lock`, `pnpm-lock.yaml`, `package-lock.json`, `bun.lock`, `bun.lockb`, `deno.json`, `deno.jsonc`, or the `packageManager` field.

Timeline

{'date': '2020-11-05', 'event': '`@antfu/ni` npm package created.'}
{'date': '2026-06-25', 'event': 'npm metadata listed version 30.2.0 as the latest package version.'}

Related projects

npm
Yarn
pnpm
Bun
Deno
package-manager-detector

Sources

security posture

Risk level: orange

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal

Signals

text:package manager

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ~/.nirc

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`na`	cli	global executable
`nci`	cli	global executable
`nd`	cli	global executable
`ni`	cli	global executable
`nlx`	cli	global executable
`nr`	cli	global executable
`nun`	cli	global executable
`nup`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-09-19

manager version30.6.0

manager updated2026-09-17

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/antfu-collective/ni

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/antfu-collective/ninone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:ni
Version	30.6.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ni
Homepage	https://github.com/antfu-collective/ni
Repository	https://github.com/antfu-collective/ni
License	MIT
Source archive	https://registry.npmjs.org/@antfu/ni/-/ni-30.5.0.tgz
Last updated	2026-09-17T08:46:31Z
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	node
Bottle	available (on all)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	ni
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

ni

nix profile install nixpkgs#ni

normalized package name match
Matched by: Ni

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ni/ni/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Debian apt92%

nd 0.8.2-8.1

small command line interface to WebDAV servers

http://gohome.org/nd/

sudo apt install nd

Section: net
Architecture: amd64
3 dependencies
installed executable or alias match
Matched by: Nd

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: nd from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Ubuntu apt92%

nd 0.8.2-8.1

small command line interface to WebDAV servers

http://gohome.org/nd/

sudo apt install nd

Section: universe/net
Architecture: amd64
3 dependencies
installed executable or alias match
Matched by: Nd

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: nd from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/ni.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install ni with Homebrew, Nix, apt