ni

---
name: ni
description: Use ni instead of npm, yarn, pnpm, bun, or deno commands when working with JavaScript projects. When you need to install dependencies, run scripts, update packages, or perform any package manager operations, fetch ni documentation and use ni commands instead. Ni automatically detects the correct package manager from lock files (package-lock.json, yarn.lock, pnpm-lock.yaml, bun.lock, deno.json).
license: MIT
---

# ni - Use the Right Package Manager

This skill ensures that package manager operations for npm, yarn, pnpm, bun, and deno always use ni, which automatically detects the correct package manager based on lock files.

## When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill whenever you (the agent) are about to execute any package manager command:
- `npm [command]` (any npm command)
- `yarn [command]` (any yarn command)
- `pnpm [command]` (any pnpm command)
- `bun [command]` (any bun command)
- `deno [command]` (any deno command)
- `npx [package]` (npm package execution)
- `yarn dlx [package]` or `yarn exec [package]`
- `pnpm dlx [package]`
- `bunx [package]`

**Note:** This skill only applies to npm, yarn, pnpm, bun, and deno. It should not intercept package managers for other languages like Python's pip, Rust's cargo, Ruby's gem, etc.

## How to Proceed

1. **Fetch Latest Documentation**: Always fetch the latest ni README from:
   ```
   https://github.com/antfu-collective/ni/raw/refs/heads/main/README.md
   ```
   Use the WebFetch tool to get the most up-to-date information.

2. **Parse ni Commands**: Read the fetched README to understand:
   - Available ni commands and their purposes
   - How ni commands map to traditional package manager operations
   - Any flags or options supported by each ni command

3. **Determine the Correct ni Command**: Based on the operation you were about to perform and the information from the fetched README, identify which ni command achieves the same result.

4. **Execute with ni**: Run the ni command instead of the original npm/yarn/pnpm/bun/deno command.

5. **Inform the User**: Briefly explain that you're using ni instead of the traditional package manager, and mention that ni automatically detects the correct package manager based on the project's lock files.

## Why This Matters

Using ni ensures that:
- The correct package manager is always detected from lock files
- Wrong lock files are never generated (e.g., running npm in a pnpm project)
- Repository history remains clean
- A consistent workflow is maintained across different projects