mise generates a mise.toml file even though .nvmrc exists and I have enabled add idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools

[icelattefull]

According to the docs:

By default, mise uses a mise.toml file for auto-switching between software versions.

It also supports .tool-versions, .nvmrc or .node-version file to find out what version of Node.js should be used. This will be used if node isn't defined in mise.toml.

I interpreted these lines that if a .nvmrc file exists and there's no mise.toml, then mise will use it. However, this is not the case.

When I enter a dir with a .nvmrc for the first time I get a warning:

mise WARN  missing: node@22.11.0

I then do mise use node and I get the latest version of node, not the one specified and detected from .nvmrc

If I then do mise use node@22.11.0, I get the desired version of node, but mise also generates a mise.toml file which I don't want because in my team we use nvm and so the files could get out of sync.

[jdx]

why are you using mise use?

[icelattefull]

Maybe it's not the right command, but it's the one I saw in the Getting Started page with node 🤷

[LukasWillin]

@jdx I made the same "mistake" apparently. But mise use is what's written everywhere to install and use node and npm. It's not at all clear what other command one should use. And the docs, as well as the verbose debug output, make it look like mise use is at least supposed to honour .nvmrc files.

• Here: https://mise.jdx.dev/dev-tools/backends/npm.html
• Here: https://mise.jdx.dev/lang/node.html#nvmrc-and-node-version-support
• And Here: https://mise.jdx.dev/walkthrough.html#installing-dev-tools

I am open to the possibility that I'm just misreading the docs. 😅 At this point, I do feel quite clueless indeed.

I can see that mise is in fact looking at the .nvmrc file but seems to ignore it (verbose mode enabled)

PS C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components> mise use node
DEBUG Version: 2026.2.10 windows-x64 (2026-02-12)
DEBUG ARGS: C:\Users\<user>\scoop\apps\mise\current\bin\mise.exe use node
DEBUG [vfox] Getting metadata for yarn
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\package.json
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\.nvmrc
DEBUG config: C:\Users\<user>\.config\mise\config.toml
DEBUG [vfox] Getting metadata for yarn
DEBUG [vfox] Getting metadata for yarn
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\package.json
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\.nvmrc
DEBUG config: C:\Users\<user>\.config\mise\config.toml
DEBUG [core:node@25.6.1] list_bin_paths: ["C:\\Users\\<user>\\AppData\\Local\\mise\\installs\\node\\25.6.1"]
DEBUG [vfox] Getting metadata for yarn
DEBUG [vfox] Getting metadata for yarn
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\mise.toml
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\package.json
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\.nvmrc
DEBUG config: C:\Users\<user>\.config\mise\config.toml
DEBUG updating 2 lockfiles
mise C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\mise.toml tools: node@25.6.1

Global config.toml (Tried different settings here: None changed the behaviour)

[settings]
idiomatic_version_file = true
idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools = ["node"]
paranoid = true
legacy_version_file = true
verbose = true
not_found_auto_install = true

Project .nvmrc

24.11.1

PS C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components> mise version
              _                                        __
   ____ ___  (_)_______        ___  ____        ____  / /___ _________
  / __ `__ \/ / ___/ _ \______/ _ \/ __ \______/ __ \/ / __ `/ ___/ _ \
 / / / / / / (__  )  __/_____/  __/ / / /_____/ /_/ / / /_/ / /__/  __/
/_/ /_/ /_/_/____/\___/      \___/_/ /_/     / .___/_/\__,_/\___/\___/
                                            /_/                 by @jdx
2026.2.10 windows-x64 (2026-02-12)
DEBUG ARGS: C:\Users\<user>\scoop\apps\mise\current\bin\mise.exe version
DEBUG exiting with code: 0

I also tried to install the wanted version of node first

But even then the version of 24.11.1 will not be selected by mise:

S C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components> mise use node
DEBUG Version: 2026.2.10 windows-x64 (2026-02-12)
DEBUG ARGS: C:\Users\<user>\scoop\apps\mise\current\bin\mise.exe use node
DEBUG [vfox] Getting metadata for yarn
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\package.json
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\.nvmrc
DEBUG config: C:\Users\<user>\.config\mise\config.toml
DEBUG [vfox] Getting metadata for yarn
DEBUG [vfox] Getting metadata for yarn
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\package.json
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\.nvmrc
DEBUG config: C:\Users\<user>\.config\mise\config.toml
DEBUG [core:node@25.6.1] list_bin_paths: ["C:\\Users\\<user>\\AppData\\Local\\mise\\installs\\node\\25.6.1"]
DEBUG [vfox] Getting metadata for yarn
DEBUG [vfox] Getting metadata for yarn
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\mise.toml
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\package.json
DEBUG config: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\.nvmrc
DEBUG config: C:\Users\<user>\.config\mise\config.toml
DEBUG updating 2 lockfiles
mise C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\mise.toml tools: node@25.6.1

I have also tried to set the .nvmrc file as trusted with:

PS C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components> mise trust .nvmrc
DEBUG Version: 2026.2.10 windows-x64 (2026-02-12)
DEBUG ARGS: C:\Users\<user>\scoop\apps\mise\current\bin\mise.exe trust .nvmrc
DEBUG write: "C:\\Users\\<user>\\.local\\state\\mise\\trusted-configs\\Web.Components-.nvmrc-8b5d3e99068cd545"
INFO  trusted \\?\C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dev\CORE\NPM\Web.Components\.nvmrc

I always made sure there never is a mise.toml file in my project or parent paths that would override .nvmrc. I have also deleted the package.json and package-lock.json, in case it had something inside it which would mess with mise.

I almost wonder whether mise expects us to do something with this LUA script documentation first 🤔
https://mise.jdx.dev/tool-plugin-development.html#parselegacyfile-hook

I have also checked on these discussions about .nvmrc

• "mise install" doesn't install version from idiomatic tool file #5839
• "mise use" creates new config despite mise.toml existing in current directory #5831
• Mise idiomatic enable tools not respecting config #5064

[LukasWillin]

First of all: Amazing Software! I already love it! 🎉🥳

However, I think the docs could need some clarifications for mise use.
I guess the docs do not spend enough time talking about mise activate <shell-environment> or at least not in the right places.
For me, it's mise activate pwsh. After I added it's output to my C:\Users\<user>\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 profile, some things started working as expected. Eg. running node --version would print the right version for my project directory.

• https://mise.jdx.dev/cli/activate.html
• https://github.com/connorads/mise

It would also reinstall the correct node-version from .nvmrc, after running mise uninstall node@24.11.1 and switching back into my project directory, without creating mise.toml.

Running mise install with an .nvmrc file also works as expected.

I guess the docs fail to mention that mise use is not meant to look at .nvmrc files? This is either a bug, or the docs are a bit confusing, especially since in verbose mode the .nvmrc file is mentioned.

I think the confusion also stems from pages like this:

mise use is being referenced directly before support for .nvmrc-files is mentioned. Never ever do the docs specifically state that mise use will not honour idiomatic files like .nvmrc, unlike other commands like mise install and even though support for them is mentioned everywhere.

Here it is mentioned that mise use will add the tool version to mise.toml. This is confusing if other commands of mise like mise install don't seem to have the same hard requirement for mise.toml.

[hverlin]

Maybe we can clarify this on the NodeJS page. I think a short snippet such as the one I have here could help.

# mise also supports .nvmrc files

# this is required if you want mise to read .nvmrc files automatically
mise settings add idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools node

mkdir nvm-project && cd nvm-project
echo "24" > .nvmrc
mise install
node -v
# v24.x.x

On https://mise.jdx.dev/walkthrough.html#installing-dev-tools, we can have a short mise use vs mise install section in addition/instead of the warning? (i.e. when to use mise use ... vs mise install

[LukasWillin]

Yeah something like that would definitely help!
But I think it would be even better to place it in the support section for idiomatic files or maybe even better here. Since as long as you do not use idiomatic files you won't care about this difference?
I don't think code snippets are helpful here (Too much information already). A simple bullet point I think would clarify this better:

• mise use unlike mise install does not honour configuration files (neither mise.toml nor idiomatic files).

I'm still new to the usage of mise, so I haven't tried yet what happens, if I set a version in mise.toml:
Will mise use node always override a set version for example node = "24.11.1" with node = "latest"? If that is the case this difference outside of idiomatic files should definitely be described in https://mise.jdx.dev/walkthrough.html#installing-dev-tools (like you suggested). Something like the following would have clarified this to me:

• mise use is only to update and make tools available and does not check configured tool versions.

(I'm currently not at my development machine. I will check this on Monday.)

PS: To be honest I have read your article and completely missed that snippet at the end of the code block. That is definitely my bad. Anyhow I think it would still be great if the official docs would mention this somehow.

[LukasWillin]

I now tested the behaviour of mise use and I now better understand what the docs were trying to tell me. This is clear to you the maintainers, but wasn't to me at the time I picked up mise for the first time.

Screenshot of https://mise.jdx.dev/walkthrough.html#installing-dev-tools

1. I think this should have been a simple information / notice. Discouraging the use of mise install so early on, leads to a wrong expectation, which is that: I should really only ever use mise use tool[@version]. Which is obviously not true. Instead, what this should say is what number 2 is trying to say:

"Use mise use tool[@version] to install a tool-version and (always) update mise.toml (ignoring idiomatic files) and use mise install to install tool-versions from existing configurations (idiomatic or mise.toml). Note that mise install will never update any configuration files."

2. This should be moved up and should instead explain that mise use node[@version] will always update mise.toml and will never honour idiomatic files. As is it now, it sais mise use will "add the tool to mise.toml", but a new user could expect the command to read from mise.toml, if that tool is already inside the config and he doesn't state a version.

3. Only a side note: But saying that a tool is "active" could clash with activation of mise. I find tool is "available" (as stated in the current warning) is much easier to distinguish.

All in all, I think it boils down to this: The introduction does not talk about the exact behaviour of mise use enough and concisely. The information is there, but feels scattered or out of order. If you like I can make a PR with a few changes. How I would write it.

[thernstig]

What is the intention here? I also found it somewhat strange. I thought mise would install see and install the correct node version out of the box if entering a project directory that had a .nvmrc file. It did not do that, so I found the docs misleading.

I also think it should install automatically. I mean, in many organisations you cannot enforce all users to use mise. Some might prefer nvm or similar. But to me that use mise, and where is no mise.toml file, I want it to just work.

There is a mise settings add idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools node I can use to have it find the .nvmrc. But upon entering the project dir it just says:

mise WARN  missing: node@26.0.0

I can then issue a mise install. Or mise will automatically install the correct node verison if I do node -v or any similar node command. But I would want it to install directly upon entering the directory, at least as an option. So to summarize:

1. I think the default should be that if you enter a project directory with a .nvmrc, mise should respect it immediately and even install the node version if it has not been installed by mise before.
2. If 1) is not ok, it would be nice with a setting like auto_install_on_pwd (default true) that installs missing tools upon entering a directory.

edit 1: Going to write a new post since I found the rationale here: #4345

edit 2: Added this topic instead: #9771