Performance Optimization

Launchpad is designed to be efficient, but there are several ways to optimize its performance for different scenarios and workloads.

Reducing Installation Time

Parallel Installations

When installing multiple packages, consider splitting them into batches, when useful:

bash

# Instead of installing all at once
launchpad install node@22 python@3.12 ruby@3.3 go@1.23 rust@1.82

# Split into parallel installations
launchpad install node@22 python@3.12 &
launchpad install ruby@3.3 go@1.23 rust@1.82 &
wait

Installation Location Strategy

Understanding installation location performance characteristics:

bash

# System-wide to /usr/local (preferred, fastest for most use cases)
launchpad install node@22  # Uses /usr/local if writable

# User-specific installation (automatic fallback)
launchpad install --path ~/.local node@22  # Falls back automatically if /usr/local not writable

# Custom path for specific performance needs
launchpad install --path /fast-ssd/packages node@22  # For SSD optimization

Force Reinstall Optimization

The --force flag bypasses existing installation checks, which can be slower:

bash

# Only use force when needed
launchpad install --force node  # Only when you actually need to reinstall

Optimizing Shim Performance

Direct Shims

For frequently used binaries, consider using direct shims that don't require the full pkgx resolution:

bash

# Create a custom efficient shim
cat > ~/.local/bin/node << EOF
#!/bin/sh
# Direct path to reduce overhead
exec ~/.local/pkgs/nodejs.org/v22.0.0/bin/node "\$@"
EOF
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/node

Optimized PATH Order

Arrange your PATH for optimal lookup performance:

bash

# Put frequently used directories earlier in your PATH
export PATH="~/.local/bin:$PATH"  # This will be checked first

Cache Management

Clear pkgx Cache

pkgx maintains its own cache that can sometimes become large:

bash

# Clear pkgx cache
rm -rf ~/.pkgx/cache/*

Optimize Download Cache

Preserve downloaded packages to avoid re-downloading:

bash

# Set environment variable to preserve downloads
export PKGX_KEEP_DOWNLOADS=1
launchpad install node@22

Configuration Optimization

Disable Verbose Logging

Verbose logging adds overhead:

bash

# In configuration
{
  "verbose": false
}

# Or on the command line
launchpad install --quiet node

Shell Message Performance

Shell messages can add slight overhead to directory changes:

bash

# Disable shell messages for maximum performance
export LAUNCHPAD_SHOW_ENV_MESSAGES=false

# Or use minimal messages
export LAUNCHPAD_SHELL_ACTIVATION_MESSAGE="[ENV]"
export LAUNCHPAD_SHELL_DEACTIVATION_MESSAGE="[EXIT]"

Adjust Timeout and Retries

Optimize timeout and retry settings for your network conditions:

bash

# In configuration
{
  "timeout": 30000,  # 30 seconds instead of default 60
  "maxRetries": 2    # Only retry twice instead of default 3
}

Memory Usage Optimization

Clean Up After Large Installations

Some packages can consume significant memory during installation:

bash

# After installing large packages, clean up environments
launchpad env:clean --older-than 1 --force

Auto-update Configuration

Disable auto-updates if you prefer manual control:

bash

# Disable auto-updates
launchpad autoupdate:disable

System-Specific Optimizations

macOS

On macOS, leverage the default /usr/local installation for optimal performance:

bash

# Use system-wide installation (default and fastest)
launchpad install node@22  # Automatically uses /usr/local

# Never use Homebrew paths (conflicts and slower)
# launchpad install --path /opt/homebrew node  # DON'T DO THIS

Linux

On Linux, prefer the default behavior which chooses the fastest available option:

bash

# Let Launchpad choose the optimal path
launchpad install node@22  # Uses /usr/local if writable, ~/.local otherwise

# For containers or CI, user installation is often faster
launchpad install --path ~/.local node@22

Windows

On Windows, prefer shorter paths to avoid path length limitations:

bash

# Use shorter paths on Windows
launchpad install --path C:\pkg node@22

CI/CD Pipeline Optimization

For continuous integration environments:

bash

# Install only what you need
launchpad install node  # Just the specific package

# Use a persistent cache directory
PKGX_CACHE_DIR=/ci-cache launchpad install node@22

# Disable shell messages in CI
export LAUNCHPAD_SHOW_ENV_MESSAGES=false

# Use shorter timeouts in CI
launchpad install --timeout 30000 node@22

Monitoring Performance

You can time Launchpad commands to identify bottlenecks:

bash

# Time a command
time launchpad install node@22

# More detailed profiling
/usr/bin/time -v launchpad install node@22

# Monitor environment activation speed
time (cd my-project && cd ..)

Network Performance

If you're in an environment with limited bandwidth:

bash

# Set a longer timeout
launchpad install --timeout 120000 node@22  # 2 minutes

# Use fewer retries to fail faster
launchpad install --max-retries 1 node@22

Environment Management Performance

Environment Cleanup

Regular environment cleanup improves performance and saves disk space:

bash

# Clean up old environments regularly
launchpad env:clean --older-than 7 --force

# Preview cleanup to understand disk usage
launchpad env:clean --dry-run

# Aggressive cleanup for performance
launchpad env:clean --older-than 1 --force

Environment Hash Optimization

The new readable hash format is more efficient than the old base64 format:

Faster directory lookups - Shorter, more predictable names
Better filesystem performance - Avoids special characters that can slow down some filesystems
Reduced memory usage - Shorter strings use less memory in directory listings
Human-readable - Easier debugging and management

Monitoring Environment Disk Usage

Track environment disk usage to identify cleanup opportunities:

bash

# List environments sorted by size (requires jq)
launchpad env:list --format json | jq -r 'sort_by(.size) | reverse | .[] | "\(.projectName): \(.size)"'

# Find large environments
launchpad env:list --verbose | grep -E '[0-9]+[0-9][0-9]M|[0-9]+G'

# Quick size check
du -sh ~/.local/share/launchpad/envs/*

Optimizing Environment Activation

For faster environment activation:

bash

# Use the fast activation path when packages are already installed
# This automatically happens when you re-enter a project directory
cd my-project  # Fast activation if environment already exists

# Pre-build environments for faster activation
launchpad dev:dump ~/my-project > /dev/null  # Pre-install packages

Environment Storage Location

Consider the storage location for environments:

bash

# Use faster storage for environments if available
export LAUNCHPAD_ENV_BASE_DIR=/fast-ssd/launchpad/envs

# Or configure in launchpad.config.ts
export default {
  envBaseDir: '/fast-ssd/launchpad/envs'
}

Batch Environment Operations

When managing multiple environments:

bash

# Use JSON output for efficient scripting
envs=$(launchpad env:list --format json)

# Remove empty environments efficiently
echo "$envs" | jq -r '.[] | select(.packages == 0) | .hash' | \
  xargs -I {} launchpad env:remove {} --force

# Clean up large, old environments
echo "$envs" | jq -r '.[] | select(.size | test("[0-9]+G")) | .hash' | \
  xargs -I {} launchpad env:inspect {}

Performance Benchmarking

Measuring Installation Speed

bash

# Benchmark installation
time launchpad install node@22
time npm install -g node  # Compare with npm

# Benchmark environment activation
time (cd project && echo "activated")

Memory Usage Monitoring

bash

# Monitor memory usage during operations
/usr/bin/time -v launchpad install large-package

# Monitor environment memory usage
ps aux | grep launchpad

Disk I/O Optimization

bash

# Use SSDs for better performance
# Monitor disk usage during operations
iostat -x 1 &  # Monitor disk I/O
launchpad install node@22
kill %1  # Stop iostat

Performance Best Practices

Use default installation paths - /usr/local is optimized for performance
Clean environments regularly - Prevents disk space and performance issues
Disable unnecessary features in CI - Turn off shell messages and verbose logging
Monitor disk usage - Large environments can slow down operations
Use appropriate timeouts - Match your network conditions
Leverage caching - Keep download caches when possible
Batch operations - Group similar operations together when possible

Performance Optimization ​

Reducing Installation Time ​

Parallel Installations ​

Installation Location Strategy ​

Force Reinstall Optimization ​

Optimizing Shim Performance ​

Direct Shims ​

Optimized PATH Order ​

Cache Management ​

Clear pkgx Cache ​

Optimize Download Cache ​

Configuration Optimization ​

Disable Verbose Logging ​

Shell Message Performance ​

Adjust Timeout and Retries ​

Memory Usage Optimization ​

Clean Up After Large Installations ​

Auto-update Configuration ​

System-Specific Optimizations ​

macOS ​

Linux ​

Windows ​

CI/CD Pipeline Optimization ​

Monitoring Performance ​

Network Performance ​

Environment Management Performance ​

Environment Cleanup ​

Environment Hash Optimization ​

Monitoring Environment Disk Usage ​

Optimizing Environment Activation ​

Environment Storage Location ​

Batch Environment Operations ​

Performance Benchmarking ​

Measuring Installation Speed ​

Memory Usage Monitoring ​

Disk I/O Optimization ​

Performance Best Practices ​

Performance Optimization

Reducing Installation Time

Parallel Installations

Installation Location Strategy

Force Reinstall Optimization

Optimizing Shim Performance

Direct Shims

Optimized PATH Order

Cache Management

Clear pkgx Cache

Optimize Download Cache

Configuration Optimization

Disable Verbose Logging

Shell Message Performance

Adjust Timeout and Retries

Memory Usage Optimization

Clean Up After Large Installations

Auto-update Configuration

System-Specific Optimizations

macOS

Linux

Windows

CI/CD Pipeline Optimization

Monitoring Performance

Network Performance

Environment Management Performance

Environment Cleanup

Environment Hash Optimization

Monitoring Environment Disk Usage

Optimizing Environment Activation

Environment Storage Location

Batch Environment Operations

Performance Benchmarking

Measuring Installation Speed

Memory Usage Monitoring

Disk I/O Optimization

Performance Best Practices