pickley allows to install and keep up-to-date standalone pip-installable python CLIs such as tox, hatch, etc.

It is similar to pipx, main difference being installed CLIs automatically self-upgrade as you use them.

It can work out of the box, without any configuration:

• pickley is portable, it will run and install other CLIs in the same folder it's running from (drop it in ~/.local/bin or /usr/local/bin for example)

• All pypi packages with console_scripts entry point(s) can be immediately installed

• Latest non-prerelease pypi version will be installed by default

• Any specification acceptable to pip install can be stated, for example:

  pickley install tox  # track latest version
  
  pickley install 'tox>0a0'  # track pre-releases as well
  
  pickley install 'tox<4'  # track latest version that is strictly less than v4
  
  pickley install tox==3.24.3  # pin to a specific version
  
  pickley install tox~=3.28  # track version range
  
  pickley install git+https://...@some-branch  # track a git branch
  

With some configuration, the following becomes possible:

• You can pin what version to install, what python to use etc, per pypi package
• You can define bundle-s: names that install several pypi packages at once, for example: you could define a bundle:dev to install tox pipenv pre-commit
• You can use a custom pypi server index (pip's default is respected by default)
• You can use the symlink delivery method, which will use symlinks instead of self-upgrading wrapper

Once you have pickley, you can get other python CLIs and use them as standalone programs, for example:

# One-liner to grab pickley, and drop it in ~/.local/bin
$ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/codrsquad/pickley/main/src/pickley/bstrap.py | /usr/bin/python3 -

# Double-check you do have ~/.local/bin in your PATH
$ which -a pickley
~/.local/bin/pickley

$ pickley base
~/.local/bin

$ pickley install install tox 'hatch<2'
Installed tox v4.21.2 in 1 second 4 ms
Installed hatch v1.12.0 in 1 second 791 ms

$ which tox
~/.local/bin/tox

$ tox --version
4.21.2 from .../.pk/tox-4.21.2/...

$ pickley list
| Package | Version | PM | Python           |
----------|---------|----|-------------------
| hatch   | 1.12.0  | uv | /usr/bin/python3 |
| tox     | 4.21.2  | uv | /usr/bin/python3 |
| uv      | 0.4.20  | uv | /usr/bin/python3 |

$ pickley list -v
| Package | Version | PM | Python           | Delivery | Track   |
----------|---------|----|------------------|----------|----------
| hatch   | 1.12.0  | uv | /usr/bin/python3 | wrap     | hatch<2 |
| tox     | 4.21.2  | uv | /usr/bin/python3 | wrap     | tox     |
| uv      | 0.4.20  | uv | /usr/bin/python3 | wrap     | uv      |

See config

• Any pypi package that has console_scripts entry point can be installed and kept up-to-date

• Aims to work with zero configuration (but configuration is possible):

  • entirely portable, installations are performed in the same folder where pickley resides, drop it in ~/.local/bin and all the stuff you install with it will also be there
  • latest non pre-release version from pypi is used

• install: Install specified package(s)
• uninstall: Uninstall specified package(s)
• upgrade: Upgrade specified package(s)
• check: Exit with code 0 if specified package(s) are up-to-date
• list: List installed packages via pickley, in folder where it resides (not globally)
• base: Print the base folder where pickley resides
• config: Show current configuration
• describe: Describe a package spec (version and entrypoints)
• diagnostics: Show diagnostics info
• run: Run a python CLI (auto-install it if needed)
• bootstrap: Install pickley itself in target base folder

If you have uv, you can use it to bootstrap pickley, for example in ~/.local/bin:

$ uvx pickley bootstrap ~/.local/bin

Handy one-line using bash:

$ /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/codrsquad/pickley/main/get-pickley)"

Handy one-liner using python (see --help, the script accepts a few options):

$ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/codrsquad/pickley/main/src/pickley/bstrap.py | /usr/bin/python3 - --help

If you happen to have uv already installed (anywhere), you can run:

$ uvx pickley bootstrap ~/.local/bin

Run (you will need tox):

git clone https://github.com/codrsquad/pickley.git
cd pickley
uv venv
uv pip install -r requirements.txt -r tests/requirements.txt -e .
.venv/bin/pickley --help