Skip to main content

Installation Guide

System Requirements​

Before installing Presetter, ensure you have:

  • Node.js 20.0.0 or higher
  • Active Node.js LTS is recommended; v9 CI tracks active LTS lines and latest.
  • npm 7.0.0 or higher (npm 7+ required for automatic peer dependency installation)
  • Git (for version control integration)

Package Manager Support​

Presetter works seamlessly with all major JavaScript package managers:

npm install --save-dev presetter @presetter/preset-esm

pnpm​

pnpm add -D presetter @presetter/preset-esm

yarn​

yarn add --dev presetter @presetter/preset-esm

Installation Methods​

The fastest way to get started with a new project:

# Create new project directory
mkdir my-awesome-project
cd my-awesome-project

# Initialize package.json
npm init -y

# Install Presetter with a preset
npm install --save-dev presetter @presetter/preset-esm

# Create configuration file
echo "export { default } from '@presetter/preset-esm';" > presetter.config.ts

# Add bootstrap script
npm pkg set scripts.bootstrap="presetter bootstrap"

# Install and bootstrap
npm install

Method 2: Manual Setup​

For more control over the installation process:

  1. Install packages:

    npm install --save-dev presetter @presetter/preset-esm

  2. Create configuration file:

    // presetter.config.ts
    export { default } from '@presetter/preset-esm';

  3. Update package.json:

    {
      "scripts": {
        "bootstrap": "presetter bootstrap"
      }
    }

  4. Bootstrap the project:

    npm run bootstrap

Preset Selection​

Choose the right preset for your project type:

For Modern ES Modules​

npm install --save-dev presetter @presetter/preset-esm

Best for: Libraries, Node.js applications, modern web projects

For React Applications​

npm install --save-dev presetter @presetter/preset-react

Includes: React-specific linting, Storybook, testing utilities

For Dual CJS/ESM Libraries​

npm install --save-dev presetter @presetter/preset-hybrid

Best for: NPM packages that need to support both module systems

For Monorepos (v8+)​

npm install --save-dev presetter @presetter/preset-monorepo

Best for: Multi-package repositories with shared configurations, TypeScript project references, unified testing

For Legacy CommonJS​

npm install --save-dev presetter @presetter/preset-cjs

Best for: Existing CommonJS projects, legacy Node.js applications

Verification​

After installation, verify everything is working:

# Check Presetter CLI is available
npx presetter --help

# Verify configuration files were generated
ls -la tsconfig.json eslint.config.ts vitest.config.ts

# Run a test command
npm run test

Troubleshooting Installation​

Common Issues​

Node.js version too old:

# Check your Node.js version
node --version
# Upgrade if needed
nvm install --lts  # or use your preferred Node version manager

Permission errors:

# Use npx instead of global installation
npx presetter bootstrap

Peer dependency warnings: These are expected! With npm 7+, peer dependencies are automatically installed. Since v8.0.0, Presetter leverages npm's built-in peer dependency handling for a smoother experience.

TypeScript errors in config files: Ensure you have TypeScript installed:

npm install --save-dev typescript

Getting Help​

What's New in v9​

Presetter v9 is a major release that modernizes the toolchain and reorganizes the preset ecosystem:

📦 Scoped package namespace (breaking)​

  • Every preset now ships under the @presetter/* scope (for example, @presetter/preset-esm). The main presetter CLI package keeps its unscoped name.

🧰 TypeScript 6 + ES2024 (breaking)​

  • TypeScript 6 is now the required peer dependency.
  • The default compile target is ES2024.
  • noUncheckedIndexedAccess is enabled in the essentials preset for safer indexed access. The tsconfig templates were simplified to rely on TypeScript 6 defaults.
  • Repository typechecking now uses tsgo via @typescript/native-preview; published presets continue to use the TypeScript 6 peer baseline.

🆕 New presets​

  • @presetter/preset-node — defaults for Node.js applications.
  • @presetter/preset-bun — defaults for Bun projects.
  • @presetter/preset-storybook — standalone Storybook configuration.

✨ New features​

  • presetter bootstrap --projects now accepts package names, not just globs.
  • lint-staged pre-commit and pre-push hooks out of the box.
  • git-cliff powered changelog generation.
  • Monorepo sub-level Vitest configuration support.
  • Package info is shown during bootstrap.
  • Release publishing now uses provenance, and CI follows active Node LTS lines plus latest.
Upgrading from v8?

Follow the v8 to v9 Migration Guide for the namespace rename, TypeScript 6 upgrade, and script renames.

Read the v9 release post for the full announcement.

Next Steps​

Once installation is complete:

  1. Understand the concepts: Read Core Concepts
  2. Learn configuration: See Configuration Guide
  3. Start coding: Your development environment is ready!
  4. Explore presets: Browse the Preset Ecosystem
  5. Migrating from v7?: Check out the v7 to v8 Migration Guide