Install anyenv with Homebrew

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository

Commands and aliases

• anyenv

Project history

The official README describes anyenv as 'All in one for **env' and a simple wrapper around rbenv-style environment managers. It installs managers such as rbenv, pyenv, and nodenv through manifest scripts, then lets the individual manager handle language/runtime installation.

The companion anyenv-install repository defines the manifest format. A manifest is just a shell script using install_env and optional install_plugin calls, which keeps anyenv's core small and pushes per-manager installation rules into a separate manifest directory.

Adoption history

anyenv is most common among shell users who already accept the rbenv/pyenv/nodenv style of shims and per-user runtime directories. The input facts show Homebrew packaging, and the official README starts with Homebrew setup for macOS users before describing manual git checkout.

The project is intentionally niche: it does not replace each language manager's ecosystem, it reduces the installation and shell-profile repetition around using many of them.

How it is used

A user installs anyenv, runs anyenv init, initializes the manifest directory with anyenv install --init, and then installs managers with commands such as anyenv install rbenv, anyenv install pyenv, and anyenv install nodenv. After restarting the shell, the installed manager commands are available.

Configuration centers on ANYENV_DEFINITION_ROOT, the directory containing install manifests. If not set, official docs fall back to ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/anyenv/anyenv-install or ${HOME}/.config/anyenv/anyenv-install.

Why package nerds care

anyenv is package-manager glue for package-manager people: it manages managers. Its interesting bit is not a runtime resolver, but the small manifest protocol that bootstraps many language-specific env tools from one command.

It is also a reminder that shell initialization is real packaging surface. anyenv's value is partly that it centralizes PATH and init setup, avoiding a growing dotfile pile of independent *env snippets.

Timeline

• 2010s: anyenv adopts the rbenv-style manager pattern as a wrapper around multiple '*env' tools.
• 2020s: The repository reaches the v1.1.x tag series and remains documented through anyenv.github.io and GitHub README.
• 2026: Homebrew package facts list anyenv as an available formula.

Related projects

• rbenv, pyenv, and nodenv are examples shown in the official usage docs.
• anyenv-install is the official manifest repository used by anyenv install --init.
• anyenv-update and anyenv-git are plugins listed by the official README.

Sources

• Official anyenv README, anyenv.github.io, anyenv-install README, and source_facts.package-manager.