Fresh Command

The buddy fresh command performs a clean reinstallation of all npm dependencies, removing existing node_modules and lock files before installing fresh copies.

Basic Usage

buddy fresh

Command Syntax

buddy fresh [options]

Options

Option	Description
`-p, --project [project]`	Target a specific project
`--verbose`	Enable verbose output

What Happens

The fresh command performs these steps in order:

Removes all node_modules directories
Removes lock files (bun.lockb, etc.)
Clears package manager caches
Installs all dependencies fresh

Interactive Confirmation

By default, fresh asks for confirmation:

$ buddy fresh

? This will remove and reinstall all dependencies. Continue? (y/N)

Skip Confirmation

buddy fresh --force
# or
buddy fresh --no-interaction

Examples

Fresh Install with Verbose Output

buddy fresh --verbose

Fresh Install for Specific Project

buddy fresh -p my-project

CI/CD Usage

buddy fresh --no-interaction

Use Cases

Resolving Dependency Conflicts

When you encounter dependency resolution issues:

buddy fresh

After Merging Branches

After merging a branch with significant dependency changes:

git pull origin main
buddy fresh

Updating Lock Files

To regenerate lock files with the latest compatible versions:

buddy fresh

Clearing Corrupted Caches

When experiencing strange behavior from cached packages:

buddy fresh --verbose

After Changing Bun/Node Version

When you've upgraded your JavaScript runtime:

buddy fresh

Comparison with Clean

Command	Removes Dependencies	Reinstalls
`buddy clean`	Yes	No
`buddy fresh`	Yes	Yes

Performance

The fresh command may take several minutes depending on:

Number of dependencies
Network speed
Package manager cache state

For faster subsequent installs, Bun caches packages locally.

Troubleshooting

Installation Fails After Clean

If installation fails after cleaning:

# Check for sufficient disk space
df -h

# Verify network connectivity
ping registry.npmjs.org

# Try with verbose output
buddy fresh --verbose

Permission Errors

# Fix ownership
sudo chown -R $(whoami) .

# Retry
buddy fresh

Specific Package Fails

If a specific package fails to install:

# Try installing dependencies manually
bun install

# Check the package's repository for known issues

Lock File Conflicts

If you have conflicts in lock files:

# Remove conflicting lock files
rm bun.lockb package-lock.json yarn.lock pnpm-lock.yaml

# Fresh install
buddy fresh

Best Practices

When to Use Fresh

After major dependency updates
When experiencing unexplained build errors
After merging branches with dependency changes
When switching between branches with different dependencies

When NOT to Use Fresh

For routine development (use buddy install instead)
When you need to preserve exact lock file versions
In production deployments (use buddy install with lock file)

buddy clean - Remove dependencies without reinstalling
buddy install - Install dependencies
buddy upgrade - Upgrade dependencies