asdf ➡ mise

Switching from asdf to mise wasn’t just a fleeting developer whim - it’s the result of years of wrangling with version managers, misplaced shims, and dubious bash scripts. Mise, written in Rust, simply runs faster, feels smoother, and doesn’t make my shell configuration look like a post-apocalyptic cargo cult.

Why Change at All?

asdf had been the trusty sidekick for managing tool versions: Node, Python, Terraform, even that one VHDL project that only seemed to make sense very late at night years ago. It's polyglot, versatile, and compatible with nearly everything... except, apparently, my desire to not wait several seconds for basic operations. But as projects grew more sprawling, asdf’s reliance on shims and a sprawling ecosystem of shell-script plugins (some better maintained than others) started to wear thin. Mise sidesteps shims and instead hooks directly into the shell, updating the PATH with ruthless efficiency.

The Big Upsides

• Speed: Mise eels punchy and modern.
• Security: Instead of running unloved bash scripts from parts unknown, mise uses signed releases and curated registries.
• Compatibility: Still supports the familiar .tool-versions file, so migration is painless. And if required, asdf plugins are a fallback, but only as a last resort.
• DX (Developer Experience): Commands are simpler, and feel more natural and memorable. The UX feels like modern software, and less like an IRC bot.
• Environment Setups: Injects environment variables with ease - it will set up env vars magically for you, I'm still on the fence with this, but I can see it's appeal.

The Trade-Offs

Mise won’t magically reuse your old asdf install directory, expect to reinstall some tool versions when switching. And while compatibility is high, the stated goal isn’t “100% asdf clone”, the focus is speed and security, not maintaining the entire asdf legacy ecosystem in amber.

Final Thoughts

The moment mise shaved a few precious seconds off my shell startup, I knew the time had come. It’s a classic story: Old friend asdf retires to a beach somewhere; mise takes over the shop, runs a tighter ship, and politely asks bash scripts not to track sand into the workspace. For polyglot projects and developers who value velocity and an ecosystem that’s alive and kicking, it’s a switch worth making.