[CLI] Added install command

[mohsenari]

Summary

Added devbox install command. Re-used the same functions as devbox run since it's just an alias for calling devbox run -- : ( : is noop in shell).

How was it tested?

./devbox install

[hezhizhen]

I think it's not necessary because when users run devbox shell, it ensures that all packages specified in devbox.json are installed (see internal/impl/devbox.go:L142).

[gcurtis]

I like the concept, but I find the command name to be confusing. It's not immediately obvious what the difference is between devbox add and devbox install by their names. I'd also expect devbox install to install a package.

Some random ideas for names:

1. Make devbox add (without a package) add missing packages that are in devbox.json.
2. Make devbox run (without any args) a no-op. It starts a shell and immediately exits, triggering the package downloads.
3. Have a devbox shell --prefetch or devbox shell --download flag.

[gcurtis]

I think it's not necessary because when users run devbox shell, it ensures that all packages specified in devbox.json are installed (see internal/impl/devbox.go:L142).

@hezhizhen this is true, but we've had a few users ask for a way to trigger the package install manually for things like CI. You may want to know that your entire environment is downloaded and installed (and maybe cache it) before proceeding with other CI steps. Right now the workaround is to run something like devbox run -- exit, but it's not easy to figure that out.

[savil]

My take:

1. I agree we need this functionality
2. I also agree with Greg that devbox install and devbox add are too similar.

I think devbox init should do an "install step" at the end. That way we avoid adding more top-level commands.

[savil]

I don't think this is accurate:

or a json file specified via --config

I believe we always look for a devbox.json file at the directory specified by --config. See these lines where we first get the "projectDir" and then append the hardcoded configFilename which is devbox.json:
https://github.com/jetpack-io/devbox/blob/bf52b9a6324f3d4fb65dc92ce1f67240f151cc9d/internal/impl/devbox.go#L88-L92

[savil]

Should we clarify that the shell is a devbox shell?
i.e. suggestion: "Starts a new devbox shell and ...."

[savil]

for shell n00bs like myself, would you mind adding a small comment explaining that : is a noop in shell?

[savil]

Discussing IRL, the compelling argument is that init, install and add sub-commands are a common pattern for similar package managers like yarn, bundler, poetry.

Accepting modulo my suggestions below which I think are fairly straightforward to amend. Thanks!

[hezhizhen]

Discussing IRL, the compelling argument is that init, install and add sub-commands are a common pattern for similar package managers like yarn, bundler, poetry.

Accepting modulo my suggestions below which I think are fairly straightforward to amend. Thanks!

I think add and install are too similar and it's better to have one alone (add package to devbox.json and install it). Users can manually edit devbox.json file (add or remove packages), and devbox provides searching functionality (like devbox search) to get valid package names and then users can directly edit devbox.json or through devbox install command.

[mohsenari]

I think add and install are too similar and it's better to have one alone (add package to devbox.json and install it).

@hezhizhen We had people asking for a way to install all their packages separately before going into devbox shell. Mostly, in CICD stages or with Dockerfile where installed packages can be cached as a layer in building stage of a container.
Most of the time we end up suggesting a hacky solutions such as devbox run -- echo "done" and to make this command set as an alias in their shell e.g., alias devbox-install="devbox run -- echo \"done\""
So this is to cover those cases. The add command still adds a package and installs it.

With all that said, do you have a nicer idea to implement instead of recommending devbox run -- echo "done" other than implementing devbox install?

devbox provides searching functionality (like devbox search)

This is a separate issue. We have been experimenting with different ideas and implementations of devbox search but we want to commit to an implementation that is sustainable for future development and scale.

[hezhizhen]

We had people asking for a way to install all their packages separately before going into devbox shell. Mostly, in CICD stages or with Dockerfile where installed packages can be cached as a layer in building stage of a container.
Most of the time we end up suggesting a hacky solutions such as devbox run -- echo "done" and to make this command set as an alias in their shell e.g., alias devbox-install="devbox run -- echo "done""
So this is to cover those cases. The add command still adds a package and installs it.

You don't need to repeat what's been said before.

With all that said, do you have a nicer idea to implement instead of recommending devbox run -- echo "done" other than implementing devbox install?

My point is, should we have both of devbox add and devbox install, or we can combine them into one (like devbox install)?

This is a separate issue. We have been experimenting with different ideas and implementations of devbox search but we want to commit to an implementation that is sustainable for future development and scale.

Ignore it now.

[hezhizhen]

Please ignore my comments, I'm not sure what's better.

[mohsenari]

@hezhizhen only having devbox install would imply removing devbox add which is difficult to do since most users would have to re-learn/re-implement devbox install [pkg] instead of devbox add [pkg].

Thanks a ton for providing your input on this. After a ton of discussion internally, we're gonna follow the pattern of well-known CLI tools and have a devbox install command. But it's only gonna be a small alias for devbox run -- : and not much more.