pm x - Better PM

Overview

The pm x command executes packages directly from the registry without permanently installing them. It’s the Better PM equivalent of npx, pnpx, or bunx, automatically using the right tool for your package manager.

Syntax

pm x <package> [...args]

Arguments

string

required

The package or command to execute

string[]

Arguments to pass to the executed command

Examples

Run Package Binary

pm x typescript --version

Output

Running: pnpx typescript --version
Version 5.0.0

Execute One-off Command

pm x create-vite my-app

Output

Running: pnpx create-vite my-app

Run CLI Tool

pm x prettier --write .

Output

Running: pnpx prettier --write .

Execute with Arguments

pm x eslint --init

Output

Running: pnpx eslint --init

Run Versioned Package

pm x [email protected] --version

Output

Running: pnpx [email protected] --version

Package Manager Mapping

Better PM automatically uses the appropriate execution tool:

Package Manager	Tool Used	Example
pnpm	`pnpx`	`pnpx create-vite`
bun	`bunx`	`bunx create-vite`
npm	`npx`	`npx create-vite`

You don’t need to remember which tool to use - pm x handles it automatically.

From src/commands/x.ts:13-14:

const execBin =
  pm.name === 'pnpm' ? 'pnpx' : pm.name === 'bun' ? 'bunx' : 'npx';

Use Cases

Project Scaffolding

Create new projects without global installs:

pm x create-next-app my-app
pm x create-vite my-app --template react
pm x degit user/repo my-project

One-time Tools

Run tools you don’t need permanently:

pm x prettier --check .
pm x eslint --fix src/
pm x markdownlint **/*.md

Version Testing

Test different package versions:

pm x [email protected] --version
pm x [email protected] --version
pm x typescript@latest --version

CI/CD Scripts

Run commands without adding to dependencies:

pm x semantic-release
pm x commitizen
pm x lint-staged

Common Commands

Create Projects

pm x create-next-app@latest

pm x create-vite

pm x create-remix@latest

pm x create-astro@latest

Development Tools

pm x prettier --write .

pm x eslint --init

pm x tsc --init

pm x playwright install

Generators

pm x license mit > LICENSE

pm x gitignore node

pm x readme-md-generator

How It Works

From src/commands/x.ts:10-19:

export const xCmd = cli.Command.make('x', { args: argsArg }, (args) =>
  Effect.gen(function* () {
    const pm = yield* PackageManagerService;
    const execBin =
      pm.name === 'pnpm' ? 'pnpx' : pm.name === 'bun' ? 'bunx' : 'npx';
    const passthrough = Array.from(args.args);
    const cmd = ShellCommand.make(execBin, ...passthrough);
    yield* Console.log(`Running: ${execBin} ${passthrough.join(' ')}`);
    yield* runShellCommand(cmd);
  }).pipe(Effect.provide(PackageManagerLayer)),
);

The command:

Detects your package manager
Maps to the appropriate execution binary (npx/pnpx/bunx)
Passes all arguments through
Executes the command

Benefits

No Global Installs

Keep your global environment clean:

# Instead of:
npm install -g create-vite
create-vite my-app

# Use:
pm x create-vite my-app

Always Latest Version

Run the latest version without updating:

pm x create-next-app@latest
# Always gets the newest version

Try Before Installing

Test tools before adding to package.json:

pm x vitest
# Try it out first

# If you like it:
pm add -D vitest

Package Manager Agnostic

Same command works everywhere:

pm x prettier --write .
# Works with pnpm, bun, or npm

Performance

Execution tools cache packages for faster subsequent runs:

# First run (downloads package)
pm x prettier --version
# ~2-3 seconds

# Second run (uses cache)
pm x prettier --version
# ~200ms

For frequently used tools, consider installing them locally with pm add -D for even better performance.

Best Practices

Use for Generators

# Perfect for project creation
pm x create-vite my-app

Use for One-off Tasks

# Great for occasional commands
pm x prettier --check .

Install for Repeated Use

# If used frequently, install it
pm add -D prettier
pm run format

Pin Versions for Consistency

# In CI/CD, use specific versions
pm x [email protected] --check .

Common Workflows

Quick Project Setup

pm x create-vite my-app --template react-ts
cd my-app
pm install
pm run dev

Format and Lint

pm x prettier --write .
pm x eslint --fix src/

Generate Files

pm x license mit > LICENSE
pm x gitignore node > .gitignore

Run Scripts

pm x tsx src/script.ts
pm x ts-node src/script.ts

pm run - Run package.json scripts
pm add - Install packages permanently
pm install - Install all dependencies

​Overview

​Syntax

​Arguments

​Examples

​Run Package Binary

​Execute One-off Command

​Run CLI Tool

​Execute with Arguments

​Run Versioned Package

​Package Manager Mapping

​Use Cases

​Project Scaffolding

​One-time Tools

​Version Testing

​CI/CD Scripts

​Common Commands

​Create Projects

​Development Tools

​Generators

​How It Works

​Benefits

​No Global Installs

​Always Latest Version

​Try Before Installing

​Package Manager Agnostic

​Performance

​Best Practices

​Use for Generators

​Use for One-off Tasks

​Install for Repeated Use

​Pin Versions for Consistency

​Common Workflows

​Quick Project Setup

​Format and Lint

​Generate Files

​Run Scripts

​Related Commands

Overview

Syntax

Arguments

Examples

Run Package Binary

Execute One-off Command

Run CLI Tool

Execute with Arguments

Run Versioned Package

Package Manager Mapping

Use Cases

Project Scaffolding

One-time Tools

Version Testing

CI/CD Scripts

Common Commands

Create Projects

Development Tools

Generators

How It Works

Benefits

No Global Installs

Always Latest Version

Try Before Installing

Package Manager Agnostic

Performance

Best Practices

Use for Generators

Use for One-off Tasks

Install for Repeated Use

Pin Versions for Consistency

Common Workflows

Quick Project Setup

Format and Lint

Generate Files

Run Scripts

Related Commands