| 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 run when a specific nixpkgs package is needed:
nix run nixpkgs#<package> -- <args>
-
Use nix shell as 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 zsh for shell wrapping in this dotfiles environment:
zsh -c '<command>'