install-tool

name	install-tool
description	Install tools, applications, CLIs, runtimes, and packages. Use when an installation request should prefer mise for development tools, then fall back to pacman or yay for system-integrated software.

Install Tool

Use mise first for user-scoped development tools. Use Arch packages for software that needs system integration.

Workflow

1. Identify the requested tool, version constraint, expected executable, and whether it needs root-owned files, services, drivers, desktop integration, or another system-level feature.
2. Check whether the request is already satisfied with command -v <command>, mise ls --installed, and pacman -Q <package> as applicable. Do not reinstall a suitable existing version.
3. Discover viable sources before choosing:
   • Resolve mise shorthand with mise registry <tool>.
   • Consider explicit mise backends such as aqua:owner/repo, github:owner/repo, npm:package, and cargo:crate.
   • Check official Arch repositories and the AUR when mise is unsuitable.
4. Decide whether the installation should persist through dotfiles:
   • The global mise config at ~/.config/mise/config.toml is stowed from ~/.config/dotfiles/mise/.config/mise/config.toml. Confirm that ownership before changing it, and edit the stowed source rather than creating an unmanaged live config.
   • Arch packages needed on every public machine belong in ~/.config/dotfiles/.dot-public-packages.
   • Private or machine-specific required packages may belong in the optional ~/.config/dotfiles-private/.dot-private-packages overlay. Do not copy its contents into public files or output.
   • dot init installs the stowed mise tools, then the public and available private package lists. Prefer this managed flow over a one-off package command when the tool should remain managed.
5. When multiple viable sources exist, use the question tool to show the concrete choices and recommend one. Recommend mise by default. Recommend an Arch package for desktop applications, system services, drivers, and tools that genuinely need system integration.
6. Install from the selected source:
   • Managed mise: update the stowed global mise source, then run mise install or the appropriate dot flow. mise use --global <tool>@latest is valid when the global config resolves to that stowed source.
   • Unmanaged mise: mise use --global <tool>@latest, or use the requested version constraint. Omitting a version also defaults to latest.
   • Managed Arch package: add it to the correct public or private required package list, then use dot init to install it.
   • Official Arch repository: load pkexec-root, then run pkexec pacman -S --needed <package>.
   • AUR: load pkexec-root, then run yay -S --needed <package> --sudo pkexec --sudoflags "".
7. Verify both ownership and usability with mise ls, pacman -Q <package>, command -v <command>, and the tool's version command as applicable. Run mise reshim only when a command installed outside mise's normal tool installation is missing from the shims.

Source Rules

• Prefer mise registry shorthand for CLIs, development tools, runtimes, and language package managers. The registry selects its configured backend.
• If the registry has no shorthand, prefer a suitable explicit mise backend before pacman or yay for user-scoped development tooling.
• Do not treat a successful one-off install as complete when the tool belongs in the stowed mise config or a required package list. Persist it through the owning dotfiles source and verify that source changed.
• Keep the global minimum_release_age setting unchanged. For an intentional trusted or high-velocity exception, use mise use --global --minimum-release-age <duration> <tool>@latest or a per-tool table in the global mise config.
• Load and follow pkexec-root before every privileged package operation, including package conflict removal.
• If the selected AUR package is mise-bin and official mise is installed, confirm the conflict, remove it with pkexec pacman -Rdd mise, then install mise-bin through yay. Do not apply this conflict rule to other packages.
• Record the selected source, backend or package name, and version constraint in any config or documentation included in the installation request.

Examples

# Registry-backed CLI
mise use --global ripgrep@latest

# Explicit language-package backend
mise use --global npm:typescript@latest

# System-integrated package from the AUR, after loading pkexec-root
yay -S --needed <package> --sudo pkexec --sudoflags ""

# Replace the conflicting official mise package with mise-bin
pkexec pacman -Rdd mise
yay -S --needed mise-bin --sudo pkexec --sudoflags ""