Replace nodejs with native support #3575
Description
What feature would you like to see?
Challenges with Node.js / JavaScript for a CLI:
Security / maintenance: Relying on Node.js means inheriting its package ecosystem, which is notorious for supply chain vulnerabilities and frequent dependency churn. A native implementation reduces this risk surface.
Performance: Native binaries generally start faster and use fewer resources.
Portability: Native executables are easier to distribute, especially for users who expect a single download-and-run experience.
Benefits of native support
Simple installation: One binary, no runtime requirements.
Consistency: Many widely used developer CLIs (git, kubectl, docker) are native, which sets a strong precedent.
While JavaScript is a great choice for web development, many developers don’t expect to run it natively on their machines for CLI tooling. For a lot of us, it feels out of place compared to the standard practice of distributing self-contained binaries. This is less about language preference and more about aligning with established developer workflows.
Conclusion
While JavaScript is a great choice for web development, many developers don’t expect to run it natively on their machines for CLI tooling. For a lot of us, it feels out of place compared to the standard practice of distributing self-contained binaries. This is less about language preference and more about aligning with established developer workflows.
Are you interested in implementing this feature?
I imagine this would be a fairly big feature, so I’d suggest starting with Windows support first.
If you think this is something I could help with, I’d be open to discussing possible collaboration terms.
Additional information
No response