Node.js Ecosystem

vx provides comprehensive support for the Node.js ecosystem.

Supported Tools

Tool	Description
node	Node.js runtime
npm	Node.js package manager
npx	Node.js package runner
pnpm	Fast, disk space efficient package manager
yarn	JavaScript package manager (all versions)
bun	All-in-one JavaScript runtime

Node.js

Installation

vx install node 20
vx install node lts
vx install `node@latest

Version Specifiers

node 20          # Latest 20.x.x
node 20.10       # Latest 20.10.x
node 20.10.0     # Exact version
node lts         # Latest LTS
node latest      # Latest stable

Usage

vx node --version
vx node script.js
vx node -e "console.log('Hello')"

npm

npm is included with Node.js.

vx npm install
vx npm run build
vx npm test

npx

npx is included with Node.js.

vx npx create-react-app my-app
vx npx eslint .
vx npx prettier --write .

pnpm

# Install pnpm
vx install `pnpm@latest

# Usage
vx pnpm install
vx pnpm run build
vx pnpm add react

Yarn

vx provides seamless support for all Yarn versions - both Yarn 1.x (Classic) and Yarn 2.x+ (Berry/Modern).

Yarn Version Support

Version	Type	Installation Method
1.x	Classic	Direct download from GitHub releases
2.x	Berry	Via corepack (auto-managed)
3.x	Berry	Via corepack (auto-managed)
4.x	Berry	Via corepack (auto-managed)

Yarn 1.x (Classic)

Yarn 1.x is directly downloaded and installed by vx:

# Install Yarn 1.x
vx install yarn 1.22.22

# Check version
vx yarn@1.22.22 --version
# Output: 1.22.22

# Usage
vx yarn install
vx yarn build
vx yarn add react

Yarn 2.x+ (Berry/Modern)

Yarn 2.x and later versions are automatically managed via corepack - vx handles this transparently:

# Use any Yarn 2.x+ version directly
vx yarn@2.4.3 --version    # Berry 2.x
# Output: 2.4.3

vx yarn@3.6.0 --version    # Berry 3.x
# Output: 3.6.0

vx yarn@4.0.0 --version    # Berry 4.x
# Output: 4.0.0

vx yarn@4.12.0 --version   # Latest Berry
# Output: 4.12.0

How it works:

1. When you request Yarn 2.x+, vx automatically:

   • Ensures Node.js (with corepack) is installed
   • Enables corepack if not already enabled
   • Prepares the specific Yarn version via corepack prepare yarn@<version> --activate
   • Executes Yarn through corepack

2. You don't need to manually enable corepack or run any setup commands - vx handles everything transparently.

Using Yarn in Projects

# Create a new project with Yarn Berry
mkdir my-project && cd my-project
vx yarn@4.0.0 init

# Install dependencies
vx yarn@4.0.0 install

# Add packages
vx yarn@4.0.0 add react

# Run scripts
vx yarn@4.0.0 build

Yarn Version Pinning

For projects using Yarn Berry, vx respects the packageManager field in package.json:

{
  "name": "my-project",
  "packageManager": "yarn@4.0.0"
}

When this field exists, corepack ensures the correct version is used automatically.

Bun

Bun is an all-in-one JavaScript runtime and toolkit.

# Install bun
vx install `bun@latest

# Usage
vx bun run script.ts
vx bun install
vx bun build ./index.ts

Project Configuration

[tools]
node = "20"
pnpm = "latest"
yarn = "4.0.0"  # Yarn Berry works seamlessly

[scripts]
dev = "yarn run dev"
build = "yarn run build"
test = "yarn test"

Common Workflows

Create React App

vx npx create-react-app my-app
cd my-app
vx npm start

Next.js Project

vx npx create-next-app@latest my-app
cd my-app
vx npm run dev

Vite Project

vx npm create vite@latest my-app
cd my-app
vx npm install
vx npm run dev

Yarn Berry Project

# Create a new project with Yarn 4.x
mkdir my-yarn-project && cd my-yarn-project
vx yarn@4.0.0 init
vx yarn@4.0.0 add react react-dom
vx yarn@4.0.0 dev