Bug: Node's default_packages_file does not expand ~ (tilde)

[masutaka]

mise version: v2026.3.9

Description

When I set default_packages_file for Node with a tilde path in ~/.config/mise/config.toml, mise silently skips installing default packages. It seems ~ is never expanded to $HOME, so the file is never found.

The same setting works fine for Ruby.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Add the following to ~/.config/mise/config.toml:

[settings.node]
default_packages_file = "~/.config/mise/default-npm-packages"

2. Create ~/.config/mise/default-npm-packages with at least one package listed.

3. Run mise install node.

Expected: default npm packages are installed after Node installation.

Actual: default packages are silently skipped — no error, no install.

Suspected Cause

Looking at the source, the two plugins seem to handle the path differently.

src/plugins/core/ruby.rs:225 passes the path through file::replace_path, which expands ~/ to $HOME:

let default_gems_file = file::replace_path(&settings.ruby.default_packages_file);

src/plugins/core/node.rs:342 calls default_packages_file() and uses the result directly, without going through file::replace_path:

let default_packages_file = settings.node.default_packages_file();

I'm not deeply familiar with the Rust internals, but this looks like the reason ~ stays unexpanded for Node.

Workaround

Use an absolute path for the Node setting:

[settings.node]
# ~ is not expanded — use an absolute path as a workaround
default_packages_file = "/home/yourname/.config/mise/default-npm-packages"

[settings.ruby]
# ~ works correctly here
default_packages_file = "~/.config/mise/default-gems"

[masutaka]

thx!

• fix(node): expand tilde in default_packages_file path #8709