Nuts

The Java Package Manager

No Fat Jar

Developers, say goodbye to the hassle of big jars! Forget packaging dependencies with your application—they'll be downloaded automatically when you install. This means your pom.xml file will be much smaller.

Any application

Installing a Java application is as easy as running the command nuts install <your-package>. Nuts manages dependencies and allows you to install and run multiple versions of the same application. Plus, any application built with Maven is already nuts-aware!

Automate

Use the nuts toolbox, which provides a portable, Java-based version of common GNU commands like bash, ls, and cp. These commands are enhanced to support output formats like JSON and XML, making your automation scripts more predictable, debuggable, and easy to use.

Why Nuts?

Traditional package managers solve build-time dependencies but fall short at runtime execution, multi-version management, and polyglot distribution. Nuts fills this gap as a universal runtime package manager, designed with DevOps in mind — enabling applications to be packaged, distributed, and executed anywhere, across multiple platforms and languages, while simplifying deployment, automation, and version management.

Reliable Dependency Management

Once installed, your app can run offline instantly.

  • Dependencies and JARs are cached locally; network access is required only at install.
  • Cached JARs are shared across apps.
                                                    
                                                    nuts install myapp

Fast Start After First Install

First install may take a few seconds/minutes; subsequent runs are instant.

  • Initial download required only once.
  • Reuse cached dependencies for other apps.
                                                    
                                                    nuts install myapp

Flexible Adoption

You can adopt Nuts gradually; no proprietary APIs required.

  • Nuts works standalone; no need for NAF.
  • NAF is optional, providing reusable components for file, process, and CLI management.
                                                    
                                                    nuts install --repo=maven:http://myrepo myapp

Secure and Audit-Friendly

Nuts supports auditable, secure deployments.

  • Downloads can be limited to trusted repositories.
  • Built-in SHA verification and retries.
                                                    
                                                    nuts install --repo=maven:http://mytrustedrepo myapp

Hermetic Deployment Without Fatjars

Deploy apps in a fully controlled environment with all dependencies included.

  • Bundle multiple apps for offline execution.
  • Keeps apps modular while ensuring reproducibility.
                                                    
                                                    nuts bundle myapp1 myapp2

Install & Manage Versions

Nuts makes installing applications effortless. You can install specific versions (even multiple side by side), grab the latest release, or uninstall when done — all with a single command.

                                                    
                                                    nuts install net.thevpc.app:netbeans-launcher#1.2.2   # Install a specific version
                                                    nuts install net.thevpc.app:netbeans-launcher         # Install latest version if none exists
                                                    nuts uninstall net.thevpc.app:netbeans-launcher#1.2.2 # Uninstall a specific version

Run Anywhere, Any Version

Run applications directly, whether installed or not. Nuts installs missing versions on-the-fly, lets you pin exact releases, and updates seamlessly.

                                                    
                                                        nuts netbeans-launcher           # Run the active version (installs if missing)
                                                        nuts netbeans-launcher#1.2.2     # Run a specific version (installs if missing)
                                                        nuts update netbeans-launcher    # Check for and apply updates

Search Made Easy

Find what you need quickly with Nuts’ powerful search. Look locally, remotely, or everywhere at once. Filter by platform, packaging, or latest versions, and even preview execution plans.

                                                    
                                                    nuts search -l --offline netbeans*                      # Search locally (installed & cached)
                                                    nuts search -online -l --latest --distinct --sorted \   # Search remote repos for latest jars
                                                       --os=windows --packaging=jar netbeans*
                                                    nuts search -online -l --describe netbeans*             # Show search plan (TSON format)

Built-in Help Anywhere

Never get lost. Nuts provides detailed help for the CLI itself, or for any installed application, right when you need it.

                                                    
                                                    nuts help                        # Show help on Nuts CLI
                                                    nuts help netbeans-launcher       # Show help for an app
                                                    nuts netbeans-launcher --help     # Same as above, directly from the app

Customize with Aliases & Settings

Tailor Nuts to your workflow by creating command aliases, managing repositories, or resolving commands to see where they come from.

                                                    
                                                    nuts settings add alias ls='nsh -c ls'  # Create alias 'ls' → run 'nsh -c ls'
                                                    nuts settings list repos                # List configured repositories
                                                    nuts which ls                           # Resolve if 'ls' is internal, alias, or system cmd

Run as Different Users or Modes

Switch execution contexts with ease. Run as root, sudo, or another user. Use embedded mode to avoid starting a new JVM, or exec mode for controlled execution.

                                                    
                                                    nuts --as-root netbeans-launcher     # Run as root
                                                    nuts --as-user:vpc netbeans-launcher # Run as user 'vpc'
                                                    nuts --sudo netbeans-launcher        # Run with sudo privileges
                                                    nuts --embedded netbeans-launcher    # Run in current JVM (embedded)
                                                    nuts --exec netbeans-launcher        # Run in exec mode (like default run)

Automate & Distribute Execution

Nuts isn’t just about local runs — it’s built for automation and remote execution. Schedule tasks with cron, or run commands seamlessly on remote machines.

                                                    
                                                    nuts --exec --cron "* * * * *" ls                 # Run 'ls' every minute (cron)
                                                    nuts --exec --target="ssh://myuser@myserver" ls   # Run 'ls' remotely over SSH