A simple, powerful shell-based tool that makes upgrading npm CLI packages as easy as using Homebrew.

Problem: NPM package names are often complex and hard to remember:

• To upgrade codex, you need npm install -g @openai/codex@latest
• To upgrade claude, you need npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest

Solution: Use the simple command name you actually type:

• upgrade codex - automatically finds and upgrades @openai/codex
• upgrade claude - automatically finds and upgrades @anthropic-ai/claude-code

• 🔍 Version checking without installing
• 🚀 Simple syntax like Homebrew
• 🎯 Specific version support for pinning/downgrading
• 📦 Dynamic package discovery - works with any npm CLI
• ✅ Version validation and error handling
• 🔄 Automatic rollback instructions
• 📈 Clean update summaries showing old → new versions

# Clone this repo
git clone https://github.com/DonMecca/universal-npm-upgrade.git
cd universal-npm-upgrade

# Run the installer
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh

# Restart your terminal or:
source ~/.zshrc  # (or ~/.bashrc)

# Check what version you have vs latest
upgrade check codex

# Upgrade to latest version
upgrade codex

# Install specific version
upgrade codex 0.35.0

# Check all packages for updates
upgrade check

# Update everything
upgrade

$ upgrade check codex
📦 Package: @openai/codex
📌 Current version: 0.35.0
🚀 Latest version: 0.36.0
📈 Update available: 0.35.0 → 0.36.0
💡 To upgrade: upgrade codex

$ upgrade eslint
📦 Found package: eslint
📌 Current version: 9.34.0
🚀 Installing latest version...
⏳ Installing eslint@latest...
✅ Successfully installed eslint@9.35.0
📈 Updated: 9.34.0 → 9.35.0
💡 To rollback: upgrade eslint 9.34.0

1. Package Discovery: Uses which to find the command location
2. Path Analysis: Traces symlinks to find the actual npm package
3. Name Extraction: Parses the node_modules path to get package name
4. Version Management: Uses npm commands for installation and validation

Works with any npm-installed CLI tool, including:

• @openai/codex → codex
• @anthropic-ai/claude-code → claude
• eslint, typescript, prettier, etc.
• Any scoped (@org/package) or regular packages

• Shell: bash or zsh
• NPM: Node.js and npm installed
• OS: macOS or Linux (Windows via WSL)

• ✅ Backup creation before any changes
• ✅ Version validation before installation
• ✅ Current version display before upgrades
• ✅ Rollback instructions if something breaks
• ✅ Interactive confirmation for questionable versions

# Clean removal
./uninstall.sh

This removes all traces from your shell configuration and creates a backup.

universal-npm-upgrade/
├── README.md              # This file
├── install.sh            # Installation script
├── uninstall.sh          # Clean removal
├── upgrade-functions.sh   # Core shell functions
└── examples.md           # More usage examples

• v1.0: Initial version with basic upgrade functionality
• v1.1: Added version checking (upgrade check)
• v1.2: Added specific version support and validation
• v1.3: Added clean version parsing (removed npm "deduped" output)

This is a personal backup repo, but feel free to fork and adapt for your own use!

MIT License - Use freely for personal or commercial projects.

Made with ❤️ by Don Mecca - AI tools and SaaS app reviews

For developers who forget npm package names