package-manager-alias-cli

One command to use any\* package manager. A universal CLI that auto-detects and uses npm, yarn, pnpm, or bun.

Install

npm install -g package-manager-alias-cli

Or with other package managers:

yarn global add package-manager-alias-cli
pnpm add -g package-manager-alias-cli
bun add -g package-manager-alias-cli

Usage

Go to any Node.js project and use pm instead of your package manager:

# Instead of npm install / yarn install / pnpm install / bun install
pm install

# Instead of npm add lodash / yarn add lodash / pnpm add lodash / bun add lodash
pm add lodash

# Run scripts
pm run build
pm run test

# Any command works!
pm outdated
pm update
pm remove lodash

Options

-v, --version   Show version number
-h, --help      Show help message
--verbose       Show which package manager is being used

Examples

# Check the version
pm --version

# See help
pm --help

# See which package manager is detected
pm --verbose install
# Output: Detected package manager: yarn
#         yarn install v1.22.19
#         ...

How Detection Works

The tool detects your package manager in this priority order:

• Lockfile detection (highest priority):

• yarn.lock → yarn

• package-lock.json → npm

• pnpm-lock.yaml → pnpm

• bun.lockb → bun

• Fallback (if no lockfile found):

• Checks if yarn, pnpm, or bun command exists

• Falls back to npm if none are found

• Caching: Results are cached for performance

Troubleshooting

"Could not detect package manager"

This error occurs when you're not in a Node.js project directory. Make sure:

• You have a package.json file in the current directory
• Or you have a lockfile (package-lock.json, yarn.lock, pnpm-lock.yaml, or bun.lockb)

Wrong package manager detected

The tool prioritizes lockfiles. If you want to switch package managers:

• Delete the old lockfile
• Run pm install to generate a new lockfile with your preferred package manager

Command not found: pm

Make sure the package is installed globally:

npm install -g package-manager-alias-cli

Then verify it's in your PATH:

which pm

Why Use This?

• Consistency: Use one command across all projects
• Simplicity: No need to remember which package manager each project uses
• Speed: Automatically uses the fastest available package manager
• Team-friendly: Works regardless of individual developer preferences

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read our Contributing Guide for details.

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a list of changes.

License

MIT - Leo Giovanetti