pm x

Execute packages without installing

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

package string required

The package or command to execute

args string[]

Arguments to pass to the executed command

Examples

Run Package Binary

pm x typescript --version

Running: pnpx typescript --version
Version 5.0.0

Execute One-off Command

pm x create-vite my-app

Running: pnpx create-vite my-app

Run CLI Tool

pm x prettier --write .

Running: pnpx prettier --write .

Execute with Arguments

pm x eslint --init

Running: pnpx eslint --init

Run Versioned Package

pm x typescript@4.9.0 --version

Running: pnpx typescript@4.9.0 --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`

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 typescript@5.0.0 --version
pm x typescript@4.9.0 --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

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 prettier@2.8.0 --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