name: missing-tools description: Resolves missing CLI tools. Use when a command is unavailable, a shell reports command not found, or a tool must be run without installing it globally.
Missing Tools
Use this workflow when a command is unavailable in the current shell.
Priority Order
Try the current project's direnv environment:
direnv exec . <command>Use comma for tools from nixpkgs:
, <command>Use
nix runwhen a specific nixpkgs package is needed:nix run nixpkgs#<package> -- <args>Use
nix shellas the last resort:nix shell nixpkgs#<package> --command <command>
Notes
Never install missing tools globally. Do not use commands such as
npm install -g,npm i -g,pnpm add -g,yarn global add,bun add -g,uv tool install,brew install, or language-specific global installers to resolve a missing command.Prefer
direnv exec .first because project-local dev shells often already provide the right tool version and environment variables.Comma automatically finds and runs the nixpkgs package containing the requested command.
Use fish for shell wrapping in this dotfiles environment:
fish -c '<command>'