Tired of Running Into "Dependency Hell"? Here's a Shortcut 🩳🍰✂️

Randy Kipkurui — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 05:59:41 +0000

Tired of constant dependency headaches every time you clone a project? I hit my breaking point just last month, and it was time to take control.

Here's a lightweight solution I put into place to avoid 90% of the chaos:

Add a .nvmrc file to every project (trust me, it’s a game-changer).
Include a simple setup.sh script that auto-installs dependencies.
Feature this in your README for easy access!

I thought about automating this with Make.com, but I got lost in webhook madness 😂🥽.

However, GitHub Actions? Always a win. Here’s how I set it up:

Create a new workflow in .github/workflows/setup.yml with the following code:

name: Setup Node.js Environment

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  setup:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
    - name: Checkout code
      uses: actions/checkout@v2

    - name: Create .nvmrc file
      run: |
        echo "v14.17.0" > .nvmrc

    - name: Setup Node.js with nvm
      uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      with:
        node-version-file: .nvmrc

    - name: Create setup.sh script
      run: |
        echo '#!/bin/bash' > setup.sh
        echo 'if [ -f .nvmrc ]; then' >> setup.sh
        echo '  nvm install' >> setup.sh
        echo '  nvm use' >> setup.sh
        echo 'fi' >> setup.sh
        echo 'npm install' >> setup.sh
        chmod +x setup.sh

    - name: Run setup.sh
      run: ./setup.sh

    - name: Update README.md
      run: |
        echo "## Setup Instructions" >> README.md
        echo "1. Ensure you have 'nvm' installed." >> README.md
        echo "2. Run 'nvm install' to install the Node version defined in .nvmrc." >> README.md
        echo "3. Run './setup.sh' to install dependencies." >> README.md
    - name: Commit updated README
      run: |
        git config --global user.name "GitHub Actions"
        git config --global user.email "actions@github.com"
        git add README.md
        git commit -m "Updated README with setup instructions"
        git push

Boom – no more "which Node version?" debates. Clean, simple, and saves hours of frustration. 💡

Struggling with Your Productivity Stack? Here’s My $0 Solution!

Randy Kipkurui — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 16:49:18 +0000

Over the last few months, I kept bouncing between Notion, Trello, and half a dozen other "productivity suites." None of them stuck.

Turns out, I was overcomplicating it. Here’s how I simplified my productivity stack (and kept it under $0):

Created a simple Kanban board using GitHub Projects.
Used Markdown + VS Code for my notes (no more cluttered apps).
Integrated everything into one README dashboard.

If you feel overwhelmed by tools, try this. It might just save your sanity.

Having said that, my techy side loves an automation.
🔥 Your co-devs will swear you’ve unlocked a 36-hour day…

If you’re like me—techy, busy, and a sucker for smooth workflows—then you’ll love this little time-saver.

I built this GitHub Issues → Trello Cards automation to cut out the mindless task of manually copying tasks between platforms. It's a small thing that adds up big when you’re juggling projects.

Here’s the kicker:
You can literally copy this JSON code, drop it in VS Code, import it into Make.com, connect GitHub & Trello, and boom—like magic, every new issue shows up as a Trello card ready to roll.

Here’s the template:

{
    "name": "Create Trello Card from GitHub Issues",
    "flow": [
        {
            "id": 5,
            "module": "github:watchNewIssue",
            "version": 4,
            "metadata": {
                "designer": {
                    "x": 0,
                    "y": 0,
                    "messages": [
                        {
                            "category": "setup",
                            "severity": "error",
                            "message": "Value must not be empty."
                        }
                    ]
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "id": 3,
            "module": "trello:createCard",
            "version": 4,
            "parameters": {},
            "mapper": {
                "dueComplete": false,
                "list_id_select_or_manual": "select"
            },
            "metadata": {
                "designer": {
                    "x": 300,
                    "y": 0,
                    "messages": [
                        {
                            "category": "setup",
                            "severity": "error",
                            "message": "Value must not be empty."
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "restore": {
                    "position": {
                        "mode": "chose",
                        "label": ""
                    },
                    "labels_id": {
                        "mode": "chose",
                        "items": []
                    },
                    "members_id": {
                        "mode": "chose",
                        "items": []
                    },
                    "dueComplete": {
                        "mode": "chose"
                    },
                    "select_or_manual_cardID": {
                        "label": ""
                    },
                    "list_id_select_or_manual": {
                        "label": "Select"
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "__IMTCONN__",
                        "type": "account",
                        "label": "Connection",
                        "required": true
                    }
                ],
                "expect": [
                    {
                        "name": "list_id_select_or_manual",
                        "type": "select",
                        "label": "Enter a List ID",
                        "required": true,
                        "validate": {
                            "enum": [
                                "manual",
                                "select"
                            ]
                        }
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "name",
                        "type": "text",
                        "label": "Name",
                        "required": true
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "description",
                        "type": "text",
                        "label": "Description"
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "labels_id",
                        "spec": {
                            "type": "text",
                            "label": "Label ID"
                        },
                        "type": "array",
                        "label": "Labels"
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "position",
                        "type": "select",
                        "label": "Position",
                        "validate": {
                            "enum": [
                                "top",
                                "bottom"
                            ]
                        }
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "due_date",
                        "time": false,
                        "type": "date",
                        "label": "Due date"
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "dueComplete",
                        "type": "boolean",
                        "label": "Due complete",
                        "required": true
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "members_id",
                        "spec": {
                            "type": "text",
                            "label": "Member ID"
                        },
                        "type": "array",
                        "label": "Members"
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "urlSource",
                        "type": "url",
                        "label": "File URL"
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "select_or_manual_cardID",
                        "type": "select",
                        "label": "Copy card",
                        "validate": {
                            "enum": [
                                "manually",
                                "select"
                            ]
                        }
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "board_id",
                        "type": "select",
                        "label": "Board",
                        "required": true
                    },
                    {
                        "name": "list_id",
                        "type": "select",
                        "label": "List",
                        "required": true
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "metadata": {
        "instant": false,
        "version": 1,
        "scenario": {
            "roundtrips": 1,
            "maxErrors": 3,
            "autoCommit": true,
            "autoCommitTriggerLast": true,
            "sequential": false,
            "slots": null,
            "confidential": false,
            "dataloss": false,
            "dlq": false,
            "freshVariables": false
        },
        "designer": {
            "orphans": []
        },
        "zone": "eu2.make.com",
        "notes": []
    }
}

And a quick peek at what it looks like in action::

Question for the community:
What’s one tiny automation you’ve added recently that saved you HOURS (or sanity)?
I’m always hunting for simple wins like this — drop yours below 👇

P.S. It’s Friday evening where I’m at — Happy Weekend Coding, folks! 🚀

DEV Community: Randy Kipkurui

Tired of Running Into "Dependency Hell"? Here's a Shortcut 🩳🍰✂️

Struggling with Your Productivity Stack? Here’s My $0 Solution!