Introduction

A lightweight package manager built on top of pkgx to simplify package installation and management.

What is Launchpad?

Launchpad serves as an alternative to package managers like Homebrew, focusing on:

• A consistent and simple CLI interface
• Automatic PATH management
• Easy installation of development tools
• Cross-platform support
• Clean separation from other package managers

At its core, Launchpad leverages pkgx, a next-generation package runner that allows you to use packages without installing them. Launchpad extends this functionality with convenient commands, better management of executables, and improved integration with your development workflow.

Installation Philosophy

Launchpad follows the pkgm approach to package management:

• Never installs to Homebrew directories (/opt/homebrew) - maintains clean separation
• Prefers /usr/local for system-wide installations (traditional Unix philosophy)
• Falls back to ~/.local for user-specific installations when needed
• Respects existing system conventions while avoiding conflicts with other package managers

This approach ensures that Launchpad can coexist peacefully with Homebrew, system package managers, and other tools without interfering with their operation.

Key Features

• 📦 Package Management — Install and manage packages directly using pkgx
• 🗑️ Package Removal — Remove specific packages or completely uninstall Launchpad
• 🔄 Executable Shims — Create executable shims for packages automatically
• 🌍 Environment Isolation — Project-specific environments with automatic activation/deactivation
• 🎯 Bootstrap Setup — One-command setup of essential development tooling
• 🔧 Auto-updates — Configure automatic updates for pkgx
• 🔌 PATH Integration — Automatically add installation directories to your PATH
• 🪟 Cross-platform — Support for macOS, Linux, and Windows systems
• 🔒 Smart Installation — Automatic fallback to system package managers when needed
• 💬 Customizable Messages — Configure or disable shell environment messages
• 🔗 Clean Integration — Works alongside Homebrew and other package managers

How It Works

Launchpad works by managing the installation of pkgx and creating shims (executable scripts) that automatically run the correct versions of your tools. It can:

• Figure out required system or project dependencies and install them
• Provide project-specific environment isolation with automatic dependency activation/deactiviation
• Configure automatic updates and PATH modifications

Whether you're setting up a new development machine, working on multiple projects with different tooling requirements, or just want a cleaner way to manage your packages, Launchpad offers a streamlined experience for modern developers with complete environment isolation.

Quick Example

Here's a simple example of how to use Launchpad:

# Install Launchpad
bun add -g @stacksjs/launchpad

# Bootstrap everything you need at once (installs to /usr/local if writable)
launchpad bootstrap

# Or install individual packages
launchpad install node@22

# Set up automatic environment activation
echo 'eval "$(launchpad dev:shellcode)"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

# Create a project with dependencies
mkdir my-project && cd my-project
cat > dependencies.yaml << EOF
dependencies:
  - node@22
  - python@3.12
env:
  NODE_ENV: development
  PROJECT_NAME: my-project
EOF

# Environment automatically activates when you enter the directory
# ✅ Environment activated for /path/to/my-project

# Customize environment messages (optional)
export LAUNCHPAD_SHELL_ACTIVATION_MESSAGE="🚀 Project environment ready: {path}"
export LAUNCHPAD_SHELL_DEACTIVATION_MESSAGE="👋 Environment closed"

# Install Zsh shell
launchpad zsh

# Create shims for Node.js
launchpad shim node

# Now 'node' and 'zsh' are available in your PATH
node --version
zsh --version

# Environment automatically deactivates when you leave
cd ..
# 👋 Environment closed

# Remove specific packages when no longer needed
launchpad remove node

# Or completely uninstall everything
launchpad uninstall

With just a few commands, you've set up a complete development environment with automatic project-specific isolation. Launchpad handles all the complexity for you, and you can easily clean up when you're done.

Why Choose Launchpad?

Launchpad offers several advantages over traditional package managers:

• Speed: Installing packages is significantly faster
• Isolation: Changes to one package don't affect others
• Simplicity: Clean, consistent interface across platforms
• Integration: Automatic PATH management and environment configuration
• Flexibility: Works with project-specific development environments
• Coexistence: Peaceful coexistence with Homebrew and other package managers
• Customization: Configurable shell messages and behavior
• Philosophy: Follows traditional Unix conventions while avoiding conflicts

Package Manager Coexistence

Launchpad is designed to work alongside other package managers:

# Launchpad installs to /usr/local (or ~/.local)
launchpad install node@22

# Homebrew manages its own directory
brew install git

# System package manager handles OS packages
apt install curl  # or yum, dnf, etc.

# All can coexist without conflicts

This clean separation means you can:

• Use Homebrew for GUI applications and system tools
• Use Launchpad for development environments and project-specific tools
• Use system package managers for OS-level dependencies
• Switch between them without conflicts or interference

Shell Message Customization

Launchpad provides flexible shell message customization:

# Disable all environment messages
export LAUNCHPAD_SHOW_ENV_MESSAGES=false

# Customize activation messages with project path
export LAUNCHPAD_SHELL_ACTIVATION_MESSAGE="🔧 Development environment: {path}"

# Customize deactivation messages
export LAUNCHPAD_SHELL_DEACTIVATION_MESSAGE="🔒 Environment closed"

# Or configure in launchpad.config.ts
echo 'export default {
  showShellMessages: true,
  shellActivationMessage: "📁 Project: {path}",
  shellDeactivationMessage: "🏠 Global environment"
}' > launchpad.config.ts

Next Steps

Ready to get started with Launchpad? Check out these guides:

• Installation Guide — Install Launchpad on your system
• Basic Usage — Learn the basic commands
• Configuration — Customize Launchpad to your needs
• Why Launchpad? — More details on the advantages of Launchpad

Community

For help, discussion about best practices, or any other conversation that would benefit from being searchable:

Discussions on GitHub

For casual chit-chat with others using this package:

Join the Stacks Discord Server

Postcardware

"Software that is free, but hopes for a postcard." We love receiving postcards from around the world showing where Stacks is being used! We showcase them on our website too.

Our address: Stacks.js, 12665 Village Ln #2306, Playa Vista, CA 90094

Sponsors

We would like to extend our thanks to the following sponsors for funding Stacks development. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please reach out to us.

• JetBrains
• The Solana Foundation

Credits

• Max Howell - for creating pkgx and Homebrew
• pkgm & dev - for the initial project inspiration
• Chris Breuer
• All Contributors

License

The MIT License (MIT). Please see LICENSE for more information.

Made with 💙