Shuru: A Simple Task Runner with Built-in Node Version Management

Alright, you’ve got projects to run, Node versions to switch between, and tasks to automate. You don’t want a bloated tool or to keep bouncing between nvm and npm scripts. Shuru is here to simplify all that: a task runner with a built-in node version manager. It’s lightweight, written in Rust, and gets out of your way while making sure your tasks run smoothly.

What’s Shuru?

Shuru does two things:

1. Manages Node.js versions per project.
2. Runs project-specific tasks defined in a simple config file.

That’s it. No fancy features you’ll never use. It’s focused on making your workflow simpler by handling the stuff that’s usually a pain when switching projects — like making sure you're on the right version of Node and running the same commands every time.

How to Install

Linux/macOS

Installation is super easy:

curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/harshdoesdev/shuru/main/install.sh | sh

Windows

1. Head over to the Shuru GitHub releases page.
2. Download the Windows executable.
3. Add it to your system's PATH for easy access.

That’s it. You’re set up.

Using Shuru

You define your tasks and node version in a shuru.toml file at the root of your project. Here’s a basic example:

[versions]
node = "v16.14.0"

[[task]]
name = "setup"
command = "npm install"

[[task]]
name = "dev"
command = "npm run dev"

[[task]]
name = "build"
command = "npm run build"

Shuru will make sure you’re using the specified Node.js version (v16.14.0 in this case) and run the tasks like npm install or npm run dev with a single command.

Running Tasks

Once your shuru.toml file is ready, you can run any task with:

shuru <task_name>

For example:

shuru setup

Shuru will switch to the correct Node.js version (if necessary) and run the command npm install. Want to check the Node version your project is using? Just add this to your shuru.toml:

[[task]]
name = "version"
command = "node --version"

Now, run:

shuru version

Shuru will switch to the right version of Node and give you the info in one go.

Real-World Example

Let’s say you’ve got a project that needs Node.js v18.5.0. You want to install dependencies, run tests, build the project, and start the dev server. Here’s what your shuru.toml might look like:

[versions]
node = "v18.5.0"

[[task]]
name = "setup"
command = "npm install"

[[task]]
name = "test"
command = "npm run test"

[[task]]
name = "build"
command = "npm run build"

[[task]]
name = "start"
command = "npm start"
default = true

Now, instead of manually running these commands or worrying about Node versions, you can just do:

shuru setup    # Installs dependencies
shuru test     # Runs tests
shuru build    # Builds the project
shuru          # Defaults to starting the server

Shuru ensures the right Node version is active for every command without you having to think about it.

Why Shuru?

Shuru is all about simplicity and focus. It doesn’t try to replace task runners like Gulp or npm scripts. Instead, it’s a lightweight tool that:

• Manages your Node versions.
• Automates running project-specific tasks.

Nothing more, nothing less. If you want something that just works, Shuru is for you. Check it out on GitHub and see if it fits your workflow.

Give it a shot, contribute if you want, and simplify the way you run tasks across projects.