diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c4398d4..e6392ba 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -12,6 +12,66 @@ dev, across your team and in production.
 
 ## Getting Started
 
+Since `dev` v1.7.0 we integrate with `pkgm` and this is the recommended way to
+use `dev`.
+
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+>
+> `dev` must be installed to `/usr/local/bin/dev` for this route to work:
+>
+> ```sh
+> sudo pkgm install dev  # use of `shim` is also fine
+> ```
+
+```sh
+$ cd my-project
+$ ls
+package.json
+
+$ node --version
+command not found: node
+
+$ sudo pkgm install dev node
+$ node --version && which node
+v23.11.0
+/usr/local/bin/node
+
+$ cat package.json | jq .engines
+{
+  "node": "^20"
+}
+
+$ dev
+activated `~/my-project` (+node^20)
+
+$ node --version && which node
+v20.19.0
+/usr/local/bin/node
+
+$ cd ..
+$ node --version && which node
+v23.11.0
+/usr/local/bin/node
+
+$ cd -
+$ node --version && which node
+v20.19.0
+/usr/local/bin/node
+```
+
+`pkgm` installs `dev`-aware packages to `/usr/local/bin`. Provided you have
+`/usr/local/bin/dev` installed and you have activated `dev` in your project
+directories the `node` that is invoked is swapped out _when invoked_.
+
+This is the recommended way to use `dev` because it works everywhere and not
+just the terminal.
+
+## `dev` via Shellcode
+
+Shellcode works _as well_ and is your preference. It has notable caveats with
+regard to use in tools like editors. It also requires you to add shellcode to
+your `shell.rc` files and thus is more intrusive (depending on your outlook).
+
 ```sh
 pkgx dev integrate
 ```
@@ -78,6 +138,7 @@ command not found: node
 > ```sh
 > $ cd my-project
 > $ eval "$(pkgx dev)"
+> +deno^2
 > ```
 >
 > The devenv will only exist for the duration of your shell session.
@@ -166,8 +227,8 @@ environment. We recommend Visual Studio Code, `dev && code .` works great.
 - uses: pkgxdev/dev@v1
 ```
 
-Installs needed packages and sets up the environment the same as `dev` does in
-your terminal.
+Installs needed packages (via `pkgx`) and sets up the environment the same as
+`dev` does in your terminal.
 
 ## Contributing
 
diff --git a/action.js b/action.js
index 6ba0255..2cc6a36 100644
--- a/action.js
+++ b/action.js
@@ -21,12 +21,16 @@ const replaceEnvVars = (str) => {
   return value;
 };
 
+let found = false;
+
 readInterface.on("line", (line) => {
+  if (!found) found = line.trim() == "set -a";
+  if (!found) return;
   const match = line.match(/^([^=]+)=(.*)$/);
   if (match) {
     const [_, key, value_] = match;
     const value = stripQuotes(value_);
-    if (key === "PATH") {
+    if (key.trim() === "PATH") {
       value
         .replaceAll("${PATH:+:$PATH}", "")
         .replaceAll("$PATH", "")
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 97174e0..f7ea17c 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@ description:
 
 inputs:
   path:
+    description: path that should be evaluated by `dev`
     required: false
 
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
-    - uses: pkgxdev/setup@v3
+    - uses: pkgxdev/setup@v4
 
     - run: |
         TMP="$(mktemp)"
@@ -20,10 +21,10 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
 
     - run: |
-        if ! node --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-          set -a
-          eval "$(pkgx +node)"
-          set +a
+        if ! command -v node >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          node() {
+            pkgx node^20 "$@"
+          }
         fi
         node "$GITHUB_ACTION_PATH"/action.js ${{ steps.env.outputs.file }}
       shell: bash
diff --git a/app.ts b/app.ts
index ffcbb17..4ff1e7c 100755
--- a/app.ts
+++ b/app.ts
@@ -1,24 +1,27 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env -S pkgx deno^2 run -A
+#!/usr/bin/env -S pkgx --quiet deno^2 run -A
 
 //TODO if you step into dev-dir/subdir and type `dev` does it find the root properly?
 //TODO dev off uses PWD which may not be correct if in subdir (obv)
 
 import { Path } from "libpkgx";
-import shellcode from "./src/shellcode().ts";
+import shellcode, { datadir } from "./src/shellcode().ts";
 import app_version from "./src/app-version.ts";
 import integrate from "./src/integrate.ts";
-import { parse } from "jsr:@std/flags";
+import { parseArgs } from "jsr:@std/cli@^1/parse-args";
 import dump from "./src/dump.ts";
+import sniff from "./src/sniff.ts";
 
-const parsedArgs = parse(Deno.args, {
+const parsedArgs = parseArgs(Deno.args, {
   alias: {
     n: "dry-run",
     "just-print": "dry-run",
     recon: "dry-run",
     v: "version",
     h: "help",
+    q: "quiet",
   },
-  boolean: ["help", "version", "shellcode"],
+  collect: ["quiet"],
+  boolean: ["help", "version", "shellcode", "quiet"],
   default: {
     "dry-run": false,
   },
@@ -26,7 +29,7 @@ const parsedArgs = parse(Deno.args, {
 
 if (parsedArgs.help) {
   const status = await new Deno.Command("pkgx", {
-    args: ["gh", "repo", "view", "pkgxdev/dev"],
+    args: ["--quiet", "gh", "repo", "view", "pkgxdev/dev"],
   }).spawn().status;
   Deno.exit(status.code);
 } else if (parsedArgs.shellcode) {
@@ -36,6 +39,7 @@ if (parsedArgs.help) {
 } else {
   const subcommand = parsedArgs._[0];
   const dryrun = parsedArgs["dry-run"] as boolean;
+  const quiet = parsedArgs["quiet"] != undefined;
   switch (subcommand) {
     case "integrate":
       await integrate("install", { dryrun });
@@ -43,9 +47,23 @@ if (parsedArgs.help) {
     case "deintegrate":
       await integrate("uninstall", { dryrun });
       break;
+    case "status":
+      {
+        const cwd = Path.cwd();
+        if (
+          datadir().join(cwd.string.slice(1), "dev.pkgx.activated").isFile()
+        ) {
+          //FIXME probably slower than necessary
+          const { pkgs } = await sniff(cwd);
+          Deno.exit(pkgs.length == 0 ? 1 : 0);
+        } else {
+          Deno.exit(1);
+        }
+      }
+      break;
     default: {
       const cwd = Path.cwd().join(subcommand as string);
-      await dump(cwd, { dryrun });
+      await dump(cwd, { dryrun, quiet });
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/deno.json b/deno.json
index f2c9b1f..39e8daf 100644
--- a/deno.json
+++ b/deno.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   },
   "imports": {
     "libpkgx": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pkgxdev/libpkgx/refs/tags/v0.21.0/mod.ts",
-    "libpkgx/": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pkgxdev/libpkgx/refs/tags/v0.20.1/src/",
+    "libpkgx/": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pkgxdev/libpkgx/refs/tags/v0.21.0/src/",
     "is-what": "https://deno.land/x/is_what@v4.1.15/src/index.ts",
     "outdent": "https://deno.land/x/outdent@v0.8.0/mod.ts"
   }
diff --git a/deno.lock b/deno.lock
index 8576c98..96d12a1 100644
--- a/deno.lock
+++ b/deno.lock
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     "jsr:@std/assert@0.224": "0.224.0",
     "jsr:@std/assert@^1.0.6": "1.0.6",
     "jsr:@std/bytes@^1.0.2": "1.0.2",
+    "jsr:@std/cli@1": "1.0.11",
     "jsr:@std/crypto@1": "1.0.3",
     "jsr:@std/encoding@1": "1.0.5",
     "jsr:@std/flags@*": "0.224.0",
@@ -40,6 +41,9 @@
     "@std/bytes@1.0.2": {
       "integrity": "fbdee322bbd8c599a6af186a1603b3355e59a5fb1baa139f8f4c3c9a1b3e3d57"
     },
+    "@std/cli@1.0.11": {
+      "integrity": "ec219619fdcd31bcf0d8e53bee1e2706ec9a02f70255365a094f69755dadd340"
+    },
     "@std/crypto@1.0.3": {
       "integrity": "a2a32f51ddef632d299e3879cd027c630dcd4d1d9a5285d6e6788072f4e51e7f"
     },
diff --git a/src/dump.ts b/src/dump.ts
index fe0c90d..62ca976 100644
--- a/src/dump.ts
+++ b/src/dump.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import { Path, utils } from "libpkgx";
 import sniff from "./sniff.ts";
 import shell_escape from "./shell-escape.ts";
 
-export default async function (cwd: Path, opts: { dryrun: boolean }) {
+export default async function (
+  cwd: Path,
+  opts: { dryrun: boolean; quiet: boolean },
+) {
   const snuff = await sniff(cwd);
 
   if (snuff.pkgs.length === 0 && Object.keys(snuff.env).length === 0) {
@@ -20,7 +23,7 @@ export default async function (cwd: Path, opts: { dryrun: boolean }) {
 
   if (snuff.pkgs.length > 0) {
     const cmd = new Deno.Command("pkgx", {
-      args: [...pkgspecs],
+      args: ["--quiet", ...pkgspecs],
       stdout: "piped",
       env: { CLICOLOR_FORCE: "1" }, // unfortunate
     }).spawn();
@@ -54,7 +57,9 @@ export default async function (cwd: Path, opts: { dryrun: boolean }) {
     " ",
   );
 
-  console.error("%c%s", "color: green", pkgspecs.join(" "));
+  if (!opts.quiet) {
+    console.error("%c%s", "color: green", pkgspecs.join(" "));
+  }
 
   console.log(`
   eval "_pkgx_dev_try_bye() {
diff --git a/src/shellcode().ts b/src/shellcode().ts
index a1f4a34..3293bd9 100644
--- a/src/shellcode().ts
+++ b/src/shellcode().ts
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 import { Path } from "libpkgx";
 
 export default function shellcode() {
-  const datadir = new Path(
-    Deno.env.get("XDG_DATA_HOME")?.trim() || platform_data_home_default(),
-  ).join("pkgx", "dev");
-
   // find self
   const dev_cmd = Deno.env.get("PATH")?.split(":").map((path) =>
     Path.abs(path)?.join("dev")
@@ -17,9 +13,9 @@ export default function shellcode() {
 _pkgx_chpwd_hook() {
   if ! type _pkgx_dev_try_bye >/dev/null 2>&1 || _pkgx_dev_try_bye; then
     dir="$PWD"
-    while [ "$dir" != "/" ]; do
-      if [ -f "${datadir}/$dir/dev.pkgx.activated" ]; then
-        eval "$(${dev_cmd})"
+    while [ "$dir" != / -a "$dir" != . ]; do
+      if [ -f "${datadir()}/$dir/dev.pkgx.activated" ]; then
+        eval "$(${dev_cmd})" "$dir"
         break
       fi
       dir="$(dirname "$dir")"
@@ -31,7 +27,7 @@ dev() {
   case "$1" in
   off)
     if type -f _pkgx_dev_try_bye >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-      rm "${datadir}$PWD/dev.pkgx.activated"
+      rm "${datadir()}$PWD/dev.pkgx.activated"
       PWD=/ _pkgx_dev_try_bye
     else
       echo "no devenv" >&2
@@ -40,8 +36,8 @@ dev() {
     if [ "$2" ]; then
       "${dev_cmd}" "$@"
     elif ! type -f _pkgx_dev_try_bye >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-      mkdir -p "${datadir}$PWD"
-      touch "${datadir}$PWD/dev.pkgx.activated"
+      mkdir -p "${datadir()}$PWD"
+      touch "${datadir()}$PWD/dev.pkgx.activated"
       eval "$(${dev_cmd})"
     else
       echo "devenv already active" >&2
@@ -74,6 +70,12 @@ fi
 `.trim();
 }
 
+export function datadir() {
+  return new Path(
+    Deno.env.get("XDG_DATA_HOME")?.trim() || platform_data_home_default(),
+  ).join("pkgx", "dev");
+}
+
 function platform_data_home_default() {
   const home = Path.home();
   switch (Deno.build.os) {