Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install ni with Homebrew, Nix, apt

Selects the right Node package manager based on lockfiles. Version 30.2.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-26.

Install commandSecurity notes

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

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

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.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
nacliglobal executable
ncicliglobal executable
ndcliglobal executable
nicliglobal executable
nlxcliglobal executable
nrcliglobal executable
nuncliglobal executable
nupcliglobal 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 generated2026-07-08
manager version30.2.0
manager updated2026-06-26
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

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

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:ni
Version30.2.0
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ni
Homepagehttps://github.com/antfu-collective/ni
Repositoryhttps://github.com/antfu-collective/ni
Upstream docshttps://github.com/antfu-collective/ni#readme
LicenseMIT
Source archivehttps://registry.npmjs.org/@antfu/ni/-/ni-30.2.0.tgz
Last updated2026-06-26T08:24:45Z
Pulseupdated
Dependenciesnode
Bottleavailable (on all)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Nameni
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
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.

Related tools

  • nodeRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • corepackShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, nodejs, npm, package-management.
  • install-peerdepsShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, npm, package-management, pnpm.
  • npm-check-updatesShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, nodejs, npm, package-management.
  • nrmShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, nodejs, npm, package-management.
  • orogeneShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, nodejs, package-management, package-manager.
  • patch-packageShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, nodejs, npm, package-management.

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
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment