Demo

This recording runs one-off commands with mise exec, installs global tools with mise use --global, and switches Node.js versions between a global default and a project. It was recorded in March 2025 with Node.js 22 and 23; the transcript below uses current versions.

Guided transcript

The commands follow the recording with current versions, so the versions and output you see differ from the video. To follow along, install mise and open a Bash shell. The demo writes global defaults, so to keep them out of your normal global config, point mise at a temporary one first:

export MISE_GLOBAL_CONFIG_FILE="$(mktemp -d)/config.toml"

Run one command

mise exec node@26 -- node --version
mise exec terraform -- terraform version

mise exec installs a missing tool and makes it available to that one command. It does not add the tool to the calling shell or save it in mise.toml, so a plain node --version afterward runs whatever Node.js was already on PATH, if any.

Activate and choose global defaults

eval "$(mise activate bash)"
mise use --global node@lts
node --version
which node

Activation updates PATH each time the prompt appears, so the selected Node.js is on PATH for the next command. lts is a version request that the Node.js backend resolves to the current long-term support release, so the version it selects changes over time. which node prints the installed Node.js binary itself, not a shim.

Add other global tools and inspect their selection:

mise use --global terraform jq go
terraform version
jq --version
go version
mise ls --current

Override defaults in a project

mkdir myproj
cd myproj
mise use node@26 pnpm@10
node --version
pnpm --version
cat mise.toml

The project config contains:

[tools]
node = "26"
pnpm = "10"

Within this project, Node.js 26 overrides the global lts request. Leave the project, and mise restores the global selection; most shells update on cd (directory changes):

cd ..
node --version
mise ls --current

For a first project with tools, environment variables, and tasks, continue with Getting started. To bring mise into a project that already exists, see Use mise in an existing project.