From fnm/Node & Manual Go to mise: Unified Management for uv, Bun, Rust, Node.js, Go
From fnm/Node & Manual Go to mise: Unified Management for uv, Bun, Rust, Node.js, Go
Still using nvm/fnm for Node, rustup for Rust, manual tar extraction for Go, and curl for uv/Bun in 2026?
Each tool has its own version management, PATH handling, and update process. Switching between projects is a hassle, and upgrading means running commands one by one. mise (formerly rtx, written in Rust) is the most powerful cross-language version manager, capable of managing Node, Bun, Rust, Go, uv (even Deno, Python, Terraform, etc.), with fast performance, clean shims, and flexible global/project-level configuration.
My Actual Versions (March 21, 2026)
After cleaning up old tools, install everything with one command mise use --global ...@latest:
- Node.js: v25.8.1 (Current channel latest, LTS is v24.14.0)
- Bun: 1.3.11 (latest)
- uv: 0.10.12 (via aqua backend)
- Rust: 1.94.0 (stable, released 2026-03-02)
- Go: 1.26.1 (latest patch)
These versions are queried in real-time from official sources. Using @latest pulls Current; for LTS use node@lts or node@24.
Why Choose mise Over asdf / proto / Manual Scripts?
| Tool | One-command upgrade all? | Supports uv/Bun/Rust/Node/Go? | Unified config? | Speed / Community |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mise | Yes (mise upgrade --bump) | Native + aqua full coverage | Yes (.mise.toml) | ★★★★★ |
| asdf | Partial (multi-step) | Via plugins | Yes (.tool-versions) | ★★★☆☆ |
| proto | Partial | Less mature | Yes | ★★★☆☆ |
| Manual | Custom | Depends on you | No | ★★☆☆☆ |
mise wins: written in Rust for speed, real shims (not symlinks), built-in core backends, aqua registry for new tools like uv, and task running (like Makefile).
Step 1: Clean Up Old Tools Completely (Avoid Conflicts)
Warning: Back up important global packages (like ~/.cargo/bin tools, global node_modules, etc.) before proceeding.
1. Uninstall fnm + Node
rm -rf ~/.fnm ~/.local/share/fnm
# Edit ~/.zshrc / ~/.bashrc, remove fnm lines (e.g., eval "$(fnm env --use-on-cd)")
# Remove residual binaries
rm -f ~/.local/bin/node ~/.local/bin/npm ~/.local/bin/npx /usr/local/bin/node*2. Uninstall rustup
rustup self uninstall3. Uninstall Manually Installed Go
# Find and remove Go installation directory
rm -rf /usr/local/go ~/.go
# Edit PATH, remove /usr/local/go/bin4. Uninstall curl-installed uv/Bun
rm -f ~/.local/bin/uv ~/.local/bin/bun ~/.cargo/bin/uv ~/.cargo/bin/bunStep 2: Install mise
macOS / Linux One-liner
# Universal (auto-detects shell)
curl https://mise.run | shThe universal install puts mise at ~/.local/bin/mise, then manually add activation:
echo 'eval "$(mise activate zsh)"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc# Or choose by shell (auto-configures activation)
zsh curl https://mise.run/zsh | sh
bash curl https://mise.run/bash | sh
fish curl https://mise.run/fish | sh
# Or via Homebrew
brew install miseWhen using shell-specific commands, the installer automatically adds activation to the corresponding config:
- zsh →
~/.zshrc - bash →
~/.bashrc - fish →
~/.config/fish/config.fish
Verify Installation
mise doctorStep 3: Configure Global Tools (@latest)
Create or edit ~/.config/mise/config.toml:
[tools]
node = "latest"
bun = "latest"
uv = "latest"
rust = "latest"
go = "latest"Or one-liner:
mise use --global node@latest bun@latest uv@latest rust@latest go@latestStep 4: Project-level Auto-switching (.mise.toml)
Place .mise.toml in your project root:
[tools]
node = "20"
python = "3.12"Now entering the project directory automatically switches versions; leaving reverts to global.
Quick Command Reference
mise list # List installed tools and versions
mise upgrade # Upgrade all tools to latest
mise upgrade --bump # Upgrade all and update version numbers in config
mise run <task> # Run Task defined in .mise.toml
mise settings # View/modify mise settings
mise doctor # Check mise status and potential issuesmise Backends: core vs aqua
- core: Built-in support for Node.js, Rust, Go, Python, Ruby, Deno, and more.
- aqua: Via aqua-installer plugin, supports uv, Bun, Buf, Cargo, and other emerging tools.
For tools not in core, use aqua:
mise use --global uv@latest # Default uses core
# Or force aqua
MISE_AQUA_VERSION_RESOLVER=latest mise use -g uv@latestFAQ
Q: What are shims? Why better than symlinks?
A: mise places shims (stubs) ahead in $PATH that directly invoke real executables, keeping $HOME clean (no .node-version etc.). asdf uses symlinks which can cause conflicts.
Q: Works with direnv?
A: Perfect combo. .mise.toml triggers direnv automatically; use mise direnv to generate .envrc:
mise direnv export bash >> ~/.config/direnv/direnvrcQ: How fast?
A: Written in Rust, switches instantly. Actual test: mise use node@20 takes ~0.5s (including download and extraction).
Summary
With mise:
- ✅ One command to upgrade all tools
- ✅ One config file for global + project-level versions
- ✅ Clean PATH after removing old tools
- ✅ Blazing fast, reliable shims
- ✅ Supports emerging tools like uv and Bun
Migrating from fnm/rustup/manual scripts to mise is one of the fastest DevOps efficiency gains in 2026.
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