Bun CLI

Bun is an all-in-one JavaScript/TypeScript runtime, package manager, bundler, and test runner. Bun runs TypeScript natively — bun file.ts directly, no compile step, no tsc, no ts-node. Always use bun instead of node, npm, npx, yarn, or pnpm in Bun projects.

Detecting Bun Projects

A project uses Bun if any of these are present:

bun.lock or bun.lockb in the project root
bunfig.toml in the project root
bun field in package.json (e.g., "bun": { "install": { ... } })
Package manager field: "packageManager": "bun@..."
[run] bun = true in bunfig.toml (forces Bun runtime for all scripts)

Critical Rule

In a Bun project, ALWAYS use bun for everything. Never fall back to node, npm, npx, yarn, or pnpm. This avoids compatibility issues, unnecessary retries, and cryptic errors from Node.js/npm not understanding Bun-specific features (workspace protocol, lockfile format, trustedDependencies, etc.).

Run files: bun file.ts (not node file.ts)
Run scripts: bun run dev (not npm run dev)
Execute binaries: bunx tool (not npx tool)
Install packages: bun add pkg (not npm install pkg)
Run tests: bun test (not npx jest or node --test)

Read-Only Commands (safe, no side effects)

Command	Purpose
`bun --version`	Runtime version
`bun info <pkg>`	Package metadata, available versions
`bun info <pkg> versions`	List all published versions
`bun pm ls`	List installed packages
`bun pm ls --all`	List all (including transitive)
`bun pm hash`	Print lockfile hash
`bun pm cache`	Show cache directory
`bun outdated`	Check for outdated dependencies
`bun audit`	Security vulnerability audit
`bun test`	Run test suite
`bun run lint`	Run linter (project-specific)
`bun run check-types`	Type checking (project-specific)

Reference: See references/allowlist.md for copy-paste Bash(command:*) patterns for Claude Code / OpenCode settings.

npm/npx/node to Bun Translation

npm/npx/node	Bun equivalent
`npm install`	`bun install`
`npm install pkg`	`bun add pkg`
`npm install -D pkg`	`bun add -d pkg`
`npm install -g pkg`	`bun add -g pkg`
`npm uninstall pkg`	`bun remove pkg`
`npm update`	`bun update`
`npm run script`	`bun run script`
`npx command`	`bunx command`
`node file.js`	`bun file.js`
`node --watch file.js`	`bun --watch file.js`
`npm test`	`bun test`
`npm pack`	`bun pm pack`
`npm publish`	`bun publish`
`npm info pkg`	`bun info pkg`
`npm outdated`	`bun outdated`
`npm audit`	`bun audit`
`npm link`	`bun link`

Key Behavioral Differences

No npm run prefix needed: bun run dev works, but so does bun dev (direct script execution)
--bun flag: Forces Bun runtime instead of Node.js for scripts that use node in their shebang. In bunfig.toml, set [run] bun = true to make this the default
Lockfile: Bun uses bun.lock (text-based, v1.2+) or bun.lockb (binary, legacy). Text lockfile is default for new projects
Workspace commands: Use --filter flag: bun --filter 'pkg-name' add dep
Lifecycle scripts: Bun ignores lifecycle scripts by default for security. Use trustedDependencies in package.json to allowlist packages that need postinstall etc.

Package Management

Installing Dependencies

bun install                    # Install all from package.json
bun install --frozen-lockfile  # CI mode: fail if lockfile needs update
bun install --no-save          # Install without updating package.json
bun install --production       # Skip devDependencies
bun install --dry-run          # Show what would be installed

Adding/Removing Packages

bun add pkg                    # Add to dependencies
bun add pkg@version            # Add specific version
bun add -d pkg                 # Add to devDependencies (--dev)
bun add -D pkg                 # Same as -d
bun add --optional pkg         # Add to optionalDependencies
bun add -g pkg                 # Install globally
bun add --exact pkg            # Pin exact version (no ^)
bun remove pkg                 # Remove package

Updating and Inspecting

bun update                     # Update all packages
bun update pkg                 # Update specific package
bun outdated                   # Show outdated packages
bun info pkg                   # Show package metadata
bun info pkg versions          # List all available versions
bun pm ls                      # List installed packages
bun pm ls --all                # List all (including transitive)
bun pm hash                    # Print lockfile hash
bun pm cache                   # Show cache directory
bun pm cache rm                # Clear cache

Linking and Patching

bun link                       # Register current package as linkable
bun link pkg-name              # Link a registered package
bun pm pack                    # Create tarball of package
bun patch pkg                  # Start patching a package
bun patch --commit pkg-dir     # Apply patch

Publishing

bun publish                    # Publish to npm
bun publish --dry-run          # Preview what would be published
bun publish --tag beta         # Publish with tag
bun publish --access public    # Set access level

Reference: See references/package-management.md for complete flag details.

Running Scripts and Files

Direct Execution

bun file.ts                    # Run TypeScript/JavaScript directly
bun run script-name            # Run package.json script
bun script-name                # Short form (if no conflict with bun commands)
bun --watch file.ts            # Re-run on file changes
bun --hot file.ts              # Hot reload (preserves state)
bun --env-file .env file.ts    # Load env file
bun --env-file .env.local --env-file .env file.ts  # Multiple env files

bunx (npx Replacement)

bunx command                   # Run package binary (auto-installs if needed)
bunx --bun command             # Force Bun runtime for the command
bunx command@version           # Run specific version

Workspace-Aware Execution

bun --filter 'pkg-name' run script    # Run in specific workspace
bun --filter '*' run script           # Run in all workspaces
bun --filter './apps/*' run build     # Run with glob pattern

Script Flags

bun run --smol file.ts         # Reduce memory usage (sacrifice throughput)
bun run --silent script        # Suppress script name echo
bun run --shell=bun script     # Use Bun's built-in shell (cross-platform, default on Windows)
bun run --shell=system script  # Use system shell (default on macOS/Linux)

Reference: See references/running-and-execution.md for complete details.

Testing

Bun includes a built-in test runner compatible with Jest-like syntax.

Running Tests

bun test                          # Run all test files
bun test file.test.ts             # Run specific file
bun test --filter "pattern"       # Filter by test name
bun test --timeout 10000         # Set timeout (ms)
bun test --bail                   # Stop on first failure
bun test --bail 5                 # Stop after 5 failures
bun test --rerun-each 3           # Run each test 3 times
bun test --only                   # Run only tests marked with .only
bun test --todo                   # Include .todo tests

Coverage

bun test --coverage               # Enable code coverage
bun test --coverage-reporter text # Coverage format: text, lcov, json
bun test --coverage-dir ./cov     # Output directory

Test File Patterns

By default, Bun finds files matching: *.test.{ts,tsx,js,jsx}, *_test.{ts,tsx,js,jsx}, *.spec.{ts,tsx,js,jsx}, *_spec.{ts,tsx,js,jsx}, and files in __tests__/ directories.

Snapshot Testing

bun test --update-snapshots       # Update snapshot files

Watch Mode

bun test --watch                  # Re-run on file changes

Reference: See references/testing.md for test API, mocking, lifecycle hooks, and coverage config.

Bundling and Compilation

Bundling

bun build ./src/index.ts --outdir ./dist           # Bundle to directory
bun build ./src/index.ts --outfile ./dist/out.js    # Bundle to single file
bun build ./src/index.ts --target browser           # Target: browser (default), bun, node
bun build ./src/index.ts --format esm               # Format: esm (default), cjs, iife
bun build ./src/index.ts --minify                   # Minify output
bun build ./src/index.ts --sourcemap external        # Sourcemaps: external, inline, linked, none
bun build ./src/index.ts --splitting                # Code splitting (ESM only)

Standalone Executables

bun build ./src/cli.ts --compile                    # Create self-contained executable
bun build ./src/cli.ts --compile --target bun-linux-x64    # Cross-compile
bun build ./src/cli.ts --compile --minify           # Minified executable

Available compilation targets: bun-linux-x64, bun-linux-arm64, bun-darwin-x64, bun-darwin-arm64, bun-windows-x64.

Build Options

bun build ... --external pkg        # Exclude from bundle
bun build ... --define 'KEY=VALUE'  # Define compile-time constants
bun build ... --loader .ext=type    # Custom loaders (js, jsx, ts, tsx, json, css, text, file, base64, dataurl, binary)
bun build ... --entry-naming [dir]/[name].[ext]   # Output naming pattern
bun build ... --public-path /cdn/   # Public path prefix for assets

Reference: See references/bundling-and-compilation.md for complete options.

Project Initialization

bun init                       # Initialize new project (creates package.json, tsconfig.json, index.ts)
bun create template-name       # Create from template
bun create next-app my-app     # Example: create Next.js app

Configuration (bunfig.toml)

Key sections:

[run]
bun = true                     # Always use Bun runtime (not Node)

[install]
exact = true                   # Pin exact versions by default
peer = false                   # Don't auto-install peer deps
production = false             # Include devDeps
frozenLockfile = false         # Don't fail on lockfile mismatch
globalDir = "~/.bun/install/global"  # Global install location

[install.scopes]
"@myorg" = { token = "$NPM_TOKEN", url = "https://npm.pkg.github.com/" }

[test]
coverage = false               # Enable coverage by default
coverageReporter = ["text", "lcov"]
timeout = 5000                 # Default test timeout

[bundle]
entryPoints = ["./src/index.ts"]
outdir = "./dist"

Reference: See references/configuration.md for complete bunfig.toml reference.

Debugging and Profiling

bun --inspect file.ts              # Start debugger (WebSocket, connect via Chrome DevTools)
bun --inspect-wait file.ts         # Wait for debugger to attach before executing
bun --inspect-brk file.ts         # Break on first line
bun --cpu-prof file.ts             # Generate CPU profile
bun --heap-prof file.ts            # Generate heap profile
BUN_JSC_logJITCodeForPerf=1 bun file.ts  # Linux perf integration

Environment Variables

bun --env-file .env file.ts        # Load .env file
bun --env-file .env.local --env-file .env file.ts  # Load multiple (left takes precedence)

Bun auto-loads .env, .env.production, .env.local, .env.production.local by default based on NODE_ENV.

Built-in Features That Replace External Tools

Bun has many capabilities built in that eliminate the need for external packages or tooling:

Native TypeScript

Bun runs .ts, .tsx files directly — no tsc, ts-node, or tsx needed. The transpiler is built into the runtime. Use bun file.ts to run any TypeScript file immediately.

Workspace Catalogs

Bun supports catalog: protocol in package.json for centralized dependency version management across monorepo workspaces — no need for tools like syncpack or manypkg:

// Root package.json
{
  "workspaces": ["packages/*"],
  "catalog": {
    "react": "^19.0.0",
    "typescript": "^5.7.0"
  }
}

// packages/app/package.json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "react": "catalog:"
  }
}

Built-in Test Runner

bun test is a full Jest-compatible test runner with snapshot testing, mocking, coverage — no need for jest, vitest, or mocha.

Built-in Bundler

bun build replaces esbuild, webpack, rollup for many use cases. Supports code splitting, tree shaking, minification, and standalone executable compilation.

Built-in SQLite

import { Database } from 'bun:sqlite' — zero-dependency SQLite3 with prepared statements and transactions. No need for better-sqlite3 or sql.js.

Built-in Shell

Bun.$ tagged template — cross-platform shell execution with automatic escaping. Replaces execa, shelljs, zx.

Built-in File I/O

Bun.file() and Bun.write() — fast file operations without importing fs. Auto-detects MIME types.

Built-in Glob

new Bun.Glob(pattern) — fast glob matching and file scanning. Replaces glob, fast-glob, minimatch.

Built-in Password Hashing

Bun.password.hash() and .verify() with bcrypt and argon2id. Replaces bcrypt, argon2 packages.

Built-in Compression

Bun.gzipSync(), Bun.deflateSync(), Bun.zstdCompressSync() — no need for zlib wrapper packages.

Built-in Semver

Bun.semver.satisfies(), .order() — replaces semver package.

Key Gotchas

Always use bun not npm/node/npx in Bun projects
Lockfile format: bun.lock (text, v1.2+) is the default for new projects. Legacy bun.lockb is binary. Don't mix with package-lock.json
trustedDependencies: Lifecycle scripts (postinstall, etc.) only run for packages listed in trustedDependencies in package.json
--bun flag: Some tools (e.g., Next.js) use Node.js by default even when run with bun run. Use --bun or [run] bun = true in bunfig.toml to force Bun runtime
Workspace protocol: Use "workspace:*" in package.json to reference workspace packages
Global binaries: Installed with bun add -g, located in ~/.bun/bin/
Node.js compatibility: Bun implements most Node.js APIs but some edge cases differ. Check https://bun.sh/docs/runtime/nodejs-apis for compatibility
TypeScript: Bun runs TypeScript natively with no compilation step. Uses its own transpiler (not tsc)
Auto-install: Bun can auto-install missing packages on import (disabled by default, enable with [install] auto = true in bunfig.toml)
bun run vs bun: bun run script runs a package.json script; bun file.ts runs a file directly. bun script tries script first, then falls back to file

bun-cli