# pkgxdev/pkgx

Run Anything

Repository: https://github.com/pkgxdev/pkgx
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/pkgx
Homepage: https://pkgx.sh
Language: Rust
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: package-manager, environment-manager, package-runner
Last push: 2026-08-26T00:23:29+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 97/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 94, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 1747, "days_push": 8, "days_rel": 42, "gap_med": 4.5, "n_releases_24m": 31}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 9899, forks 1390 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:38.718999+00:00)

## What it is
pkgx is a standalone 4 MiB Rust binary that can run any version of any open-source tool on demand without permanently installing it, leaving the wider system untouched. It doubles as a package and environment manager usable in scripts, Dockerfiles, and CI/CD pipelines.

## Use cases
- run a specific version of node or python without installing it globally
- try out a CLI tool without polluting my system
- pin tool versions in CI pipelines
- create per-project development environments with specific tool versions
- run tools in docker images without complex setup
- write scripts with shebang lines that declare their dependencies

## When to choose
- you need to run many different tools or versions across projects without global installs
- you want reproducible, hermetic tool environments in scripts and CI
- you want a lightweight alternative to homebrew/nvm/pyenv-style version managers

## When to avoid
- you need a full system package manager with services and GUI apps
- you are on native Windows where package support is still limited
- you prefer apt/dnf/brew-managed system-wide installations

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: package-manager, cli, developer-tools, configuration-management
- domain: developer-tools
- platform: windows, cli, cross-platform, rust
- tags: package-runner, environment-manager, polyglot-tooling, version-pinning, hermetic-environments, ci-cd, command-line, devops, automation, macos, linux, docker

## Member repositories
- pkgxdev/pkgx (main) score 97

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:38.718999+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:20:20.740613+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/pkgxdev/pkgx (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:38.718999+00:00, sha 2a65f54eefc5)
  - homepage: https://pkgx.sh (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:10.042324+00:00, sha 445c816abb07)
  - registry_crates: https://crates.io/api/v1/crates/pkgx (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:10.045485+00:00, sha dc9265dafc72)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.