mise - Development Environment Management

This skill activates when working with mise for managing tool versions, environment variables, and project tasks.

When to Use This Skill

Activate when:

• Setting up development environments
• Managing tool and runtime versions (Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, etc.)
• Configuring environment variables and secrets
• Defining and running project tasks
• Creating reproducible development setups
• Working with monorepos or multiple projects

What is mise?

mise is a polyglot runtime manager and development environment tool that combines:

• Tool version management - Install and manage multiple versions of dev tools
• Environment configuration - Set environment variables per project
• Task automation - Define and run project tasks
• Cross-platform - Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows

Installation

# macOS/Linux (using curl)
curl https://mise.run | sh

# macOS (using Homebrew)
brew install mise

# Windows
# See https://mise.jdx.dev for Windows install instructions

# Activate mise in your shell
echo 'eval "$(mise activate bash)"' >> ~/.bashrc   # bash
echo 'eval "$(mise activate zsh)"' >> ~/.zshrc     # zsh
echo 'mise activate fish | source' >> ~/.config/fish/config.fish  # fish

Managing Tools

Tool Backends

mise uses different backends (package managers) to install tools. Understanding backends helps you install tools correctly.

Available Backends

• asdf - Traditional asdf plugins (default for many tools)
• ubi - Universal Binary Installer (GitHub/GitLab releases)
• cargo - Rust packages (requires Rust installed)
• npm - Node.js packages (requires Node installed)
• go - Go packages (requires Go installed)
• aqua - Package manager
• pipx - Python packages (requires Python installed)
• gem - Ruby packages (requires Ruby installed)
• github/gitlab - Direct from repositories
• http - Direct HTTP downloads

Verifying Tool Names

Always verify tool names using mise ls-remote before adding to configuration:

# Check if tool exists in registry
mise ls-remote node

# Check tool with specific backend
mise ls-remote cargo:ripgrep
mise ls-remote ubi:sharkdp/fd

# Search the registry
mise registry | grep <tool-name>

Installing Tools

# List available tools in registry
mise registry

# Install from default backend
mise install node@20.10.0
mise install python@3.12
mise install ruby@3.3

# Install with specific backend
mise install cargo:ripgrep        # From Rust crates
mise install ubi:sharkdp/fd       # From GitHub releases
mise install npm:typescript       # From npm

# Install latest version
mise install node@latest

# Install from .mise.toml or .tool-versions
mise install

Using Tools with mise use

The mise use command is the primary way to add tools to projects. It combines two operations:

1. Installs the tool (if not already installed)
2. Adds the tool to your configuration file

Key Difference: mise install only installs tools, while mise use installs AND configures them.

Basic Usage

# Interactive selection
mise use

# Add tool with fuzzy version (default)
mise use node@20              # Saves as "20" in mise.toml

# Add tool with exact version
mise use --pin node@20.10.0   # Saves as "20.10.0"

# Add latest version
mise use node@latest          # Saves as "latest"

# Add with specific backend
mise use cargo:ripgrep@latest
mise use ubi:sharkdp/fd

Configuration File Selection

mise use writes to configuration files in this priority order:

1. --global flag: ~/.config/mise/config.toml
2. --path <file> flag: Specified file path
3. --env <env> flag: .mise.<env>.toml
4. Default: mise.toml in current directory

# Global (all projects)
mise use --global node@20

# Local (current project)
mise use node@20              # Creates/updates ./mise.toml

# Environment-specific
mise use --env local node@20  # Creates .mise.local.toml

# Specific file
mise use --path ~/.config/mise/custom.toml node@20

Important Flags

# Pin exact version
mise use --pin node@20.10.0        # Saves "20.10.0"

# Fuzzy version (default)
mise use --fuzzy node@20           # Saves "20"

# Force reinstall
mise use --force node@20

# Dry run (preview changes)
mise use --dry-run node@20

# Remove tool from config
mise use --remove node

Version Pinning

# Fuzzy (recommended) - auto-updates within major version
mise use node@20                   # Uses latest 20.x.x

# Exact - locks to specific version
mise use --pin node@20.10.0        # Always uses 20.10.0

# Latest - always uses newest version
mise use node@latest               # Always updates to latest

Best Practice: Use fuzzy versions for flexibility, mise.lock for reproducibility.

Setting Tool Versions

The mise use command automatically sets tool versions by updating configuration files.

.mise.toml Configuration

[tools]
node = "20.10.0"
python = "3.12"
ruby = "3.3"
go = "1.21"

# Use latest version
terraform = "latest"

# Backends - use quotes for namespaced tools
"cargo:ripgrep" = "latest"        # Requires rust installed
"ubi:sharkdp/fd" = "latest"       # GitHub releases
"npm:typescript" = "latest"       # Requires node installed

# Version from file
node = { version = "lts", resolve = "latest-lts" }

UBI Backend (Universal Binary Installer)

The ubi backend installs tools directly from GitHub/GitLab releases without requiring plugins. It's built into mise and works cross-platform including Windows.

Basic UBI Usage

# Install from GitHub releases
mise use -g ubi:goreleaser/goreleaser
mise use -g ubi:sharkdp/fd
mise use -g ubi:BurntSushi/ripgrep

# Specific version
mise use -g ubi:goreleaser/goreleaser@1.25.1

# In .mise.toml
[tools]
"ubi:goreleaser/goreleaser" = "latest"
"ubi:sharkdp/fd" = "2.0.0"

UBI Advanced Options

Configure tool-specific options when binary names differ or filtering is needed:

[tools]
# When executable name differs from repo name
"ubi:BurntSushi/ripgrep" = { version = "latest", exe = "rg" }

# Filter releases with matching pattern
"ubi:some/tool" = { version = "latest", matching = "linux-gnu" }

# Use regex for complex filtering
"ubi:some/tool" = { version = "latest", matching_regex = ".*-linux-.*\\.tar\\.gz$" }

# Extract entire tarball
"ubi:some/tool" = { version = "latest", extract_all = true }

# Rename extracted executable
"ubi:some/tool" = { version = "latest", rename_exe = "my-tool" }

UBI Supported Syntax

Three installation formats:

• GitHub shorthand (latest): ubi:owner/repo
• GitHub shorthand (version): ubi:owner/repo@1.2.3
• Direct URL: ubi:https://github.com/owner/repo/releases/download/v1.2.3/...

Cargo Backend

The cargo backend installs Rust packages from crates.io. Requires Rust to be installed first.

Cargo Prerequisites

Install Rust before using cargo backend:

# Option 1: Install Rust via mise
mise use -g rust

# Option 2: Install Rust directly
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

Cargo Usage

# Install from crates.io
mise use -g cargo:ripgrep
mise use -g cargo:eza
mise use -g cargo:bat

# In .mise.toml - requires rust installed first
[tools]
rust = "latest"              # Install rust first
"cargo:ripgrep" = "latest"   # Then cargo tools
"cargo:eza" = "latest"
"cargo:bat" = "latest"

Cargo from Git Repositories

# Specific tag
mise use cargo:https://github.com/username/demo@tag:v1.0.0

# Branch
mise use cargo:https://github.com/username/demo@branch:main

# Commit hash
mise use cargo:https://github.com/username/demo@rev:abc123

Cargo Settings

Configure cargo behavior globally:

[settings]
# Use cargo-binstall for faster installs (default: true)
cargo.binstall = true

# Use alternative cargo registry
cargo.registry_name = "my-registry"

Managing Installed Tools

# List installed tools
mise list

# List all versions of a tool
mise list node

# Uninstall a version
mise uninstall node@18.0.0

# Update all tools to latest
mise upgrade

# Update specific tool
mise upgrade node

Tool Aliases

# Create alias for a tool
mise alias node 20 20.10.0

# Use alias
mise use node@20

Environment Variables

Setting Environment Variables

In .mise.toml

[env]
DATABASE_URL = "postgresql://localhost/myapp"
API_KEY = "development-key"
NODE_ENV = "development"

# Template values
APP_ROOT = "{{ config_root }}"
DATA_DIR = "{{ config_root }}/data"

File-based env vars

[env]
_.file = ".env"
_.path = ["/custom/bin"]

Environment Templates

Use Go templates in environment variables:

[env]
PROJECT_ROOT = "{{ config_root }}"
LOG_FILE = "{{ config_root }}/logs/app.log"
PATH = ["{{ config_root }}/bin", "$PATH"]

Secrets Management

# Use with sops
mise set SECRET_KEY sops://path/to/secret

# Use with age
mise set API_TOKEN age://path/to/secret

# Use from command
mise set BUILD_ID "$(git rev-parse HEAD)"

Tasks

Defining Tasks

In .mise.toml

[tasks.build]
description = "Build the project"
run = "npm run build"

[tasks.test]
description = "Run tests"
run = "npm test"

[tasks.lint]
description = "Run linter"
run = "npm run lint"
depends = ["build"]

[tasks.ci]
description = "Run CI pipeline"
depends = ["lint", "test"]

[tasks.dev]
description = "Start development server"
run = "npm run dev"

Running Tasks

# Run a task
mise run build
mise run test

# Short form
mise build
mise test

# Run multiple tasks
mise run lint test

# List available tasks
mise tasks

# Run task with arguments
mise run script -- arg1 arg2

Task Dependencies

[tasks.deploy]
depends = ["build", "test"]
run = "npm run deploy"

# Tasks run in order: build, test, then deploy

Task Options

[tasks.build]
description = "Build the project"
run = "npm run build"
sources = ["src/**/*.ts"]      # Only run if sources changed
outputs = ["dist/**/*"]         # Check outputs for changes
dir = "frontend"                # Run in specific directory
env = { NODE_ENV = "production" }

[tasks.watch]
run = "npm run watch"
raw = true                      # Don't wrap in shell

Task Files

Create separate task files:

# .mise/tasks/deploy
#!/bin/bash
# mise description="Deploy to production"
# mise depends=["build", "test"]

echo "Deploying..."
npm run deploy

Make executable:

chmod +x .mise/tasks/deploy

Common Workflows

Node.js Project Setup

# .mise.toml
[tools]
node = "20"

[env]
NODE_ENV = "development"

[tasks.install]
run = "npm install"

[tasks.dev]
run = "npm run dev"
depends = ["install"]

[tasks.build]
run = "npm run build"
depends = ["install"]

[tasks.test]
run = "npm test"
depends = ["install"]

# Setup and run
cd project
mise install      # Installs Node 20
mise dev         # Runs dev server

Python Project Setup

# .mise.toml
[tools]
python = "3.12"

[env]
PYTHONPATH = "{{ config_root }}/src"

[tasks.venv]
run = "python -m venv .venv"

[tasks.install]
run = "pip install -r requirements.txt"
depends = ["venv"]

[tasks.test]
run = "pytest"
depends = ["install"]

[tasks.format]
run = "black src tests"

Monorepo Setup

# Root .mise.toml
[tools]
node = "20"
python = "3.12"

[env]
WORKSPACE_ROOT = "{{ config_root }}"

[tasks.install-all]
run = """
npm install
cd services/api && npm install
cd services/web && npm install
"""

[tasks.test-all]
depends = ["install-all"]
run = """
mise run test --dir services/api
mise run test --dir services/web
"""

Multi-Tool Project

# .mise.toml
[tools]
node = "20"
python = "3.12"
ruby = "3.3"
go = "1.21"
terraform = "latest"

[env]
PROJECT_ROOT = "{{ config_root }}"
PATH = ["{{ config_root }}/bin", "$PATH"]

[tasks.setup]
description = "Setup all dependencies"
run = """
npm install
pip install -r requirements.txt
bundle install
go mod download
"""

Lock Files

Generate lock files for reproducible environments:

# Generate .mise.lock
mise lock

# Use locked versions
mise install --locked

# .mise.toml
[tools]
node = "20"

[settings]
lockfile = true  # Auto-generate lock file

Shims

Use shims for tool binaries:

# Enable shims
mise settings set experimental true
mise reshim

# Now tools are in PATH via shims
node --version  # Uses mise-managed node
python --version  # Uses mise-managed python

Configuration Locations

mise reads configuration from multiple locations (in order):

1. .mise.toml - Project local config
2. .mise/config.toml - Project local config (alternative)
3. ~/.config/mise/config.toml - Global config
4. Environment variables - MISE_*

IDE Integration

VS Code

Add to .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "terminal.integrated.env.linux": {
    "PATH": "${env:HOME}/.local/share/mise/shims:${env:PATH}"
  },
  "terminal.integrated.env.osx": {
    "PATH": "${env:HOME}/.local/share/mise/shims:${env:PATH}"
  }
}

JetBrains IDEs

Use mise shims or configure tool paths:

# Find tool path
mise which node
mise which python

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions

name: CI

on: [push]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: jdx/mise-action@v2

      - name: Run tests
        run: mise run test

GitLab CI

test:
  image: ubuntu:latest
  before_script:
    - curl https://mise.run | sh
    - eval "$(mise activate bash)"
    - mise install
  script:
    - mise run test

Troubleshooting

Check mise status

# Show configuration
mise config

# Show environment
mise env

# Show installed tools
mise list

# Debug mode
mise --verbose install node

Clear cache

# Clear tool cache
mise cache clear

# Remove and reinstall
mise uninstall node@20
mise install node@20

Legacy .tool-versions

mise is compatible with asdf's .tool-versions:

# .tool-versions
nodejs 20.10.0
python 3.12.0
ruby 3.3.0

Convert to mise:

# mise auto-reads .tool-versions
# Or convert to .mise.toml
mise config migrate

Best Practices

• Use .mise.toml for projects: Better than .tool-versions (more features)
• Pin versions in projects: Ensure consistency across team
• Use tasks for common operations: Document and standardize workflows
• Lock files in production: Use mise lock for reproducibility
• Global tools for dev: Set global defaults, override per project
• Environment per project: Keep secrets and config in .mise.toml
• Commit .mise.toml: Share config with team
• Don't commit .mise.lock: Let mise generate per environment

Key Principles

• Reproducible environments: Lock versions for consistency
• Project-specific config: Each project defines its own tools and env
• Task automation: Centralize common development tasks
• Cross-platform: Same config works on all platforms
• Zero setup for team: Clone and mise install to get started