NOTE: This post predates this project’s rename to Volta.

Notion is a JavaScript toolchain manager, making sure you always get the right version of Node, package managers like npm and Yarn, and JS command-line tools. Best of all, Notion makes tool requirements declarative and reproducible by using package.json to remember and launch the right versions of a project’s required tools, so developers and users always see their projects build and run in a consistent environment.

What’s new?

Lots of good stuff is happening—I can feel the momentum picking up!

• Michael Stewart is making great progress on notion install <package>
• Chuck Pierce is getting us started on hooks and error message quality
• Chris Krycho and I have been working on the web site

What’s next?

Some of the big things I think we need to tackle next are:

• Get the work I mentioned done, of course!
• Take another pass at the Unix installation scripts and make them more robust for all shells.
• Get the Windows installer working.
• Make the shims more robust (signal handling, shim name detection logic).
• Easier self-update workflow.
• Get lots of user input and address whatever issues come up!