vfox-elixir plugin

Futuristic Elixir Version Management

Manage multiple Elixir versions across Linux, macOS, and Windows with the power of vfox

github.com/version-fox/vfox-elixir

🚀 Feature Highlights

• Multi-platform support: Linux, macOS, and Windows
• Source code compilation for maximum compatibility
• Integration with vfox plugin system
• Pre-built versions from hex.pm for faster installation
• Compatibility with mise development tool manager
• Automatic dependency management with Erlang/OTP
• Cyberpunk-themed terminal experience

🧩 Installation Guide

vfox add elixir

# Search for available versions
vfox search elixir

# Install specific version
vfox install elixir@1.16.2

📋 Before Installing Elixir

vfox-elixir compiles Elixir from source, requiring specific utilities:

Dependencies

• Erlang/OTP (managed with vfox-erlang)
• Build tools for source compilation
• Compatible Elixir/Erlang versions (compatibility matrix)

See next slides for platform-specific installation instructions.

🐧 Linux Installation (Ubuntu 20.04/22.04)

# Install build utilities
sudo apt-get -y install build-essential autoconf m4 libncurses5-dev \
  libwxgtk3.0-gtk3-dev libwxgtk-webview3.0-gtk3-dev libgl1-mesa-dev \
  libglu1-mesa-dev libpng-dev libssh-dev unixodbc-dev xsltproc fop \
  libxml2-utils libncurses-dev openjdk-11-jdk

# Install Erlang/OTP
vfox add erlang
vfox install erlang@26.2.3
vfox use -g erlang@26.2.3

# Install Elixir
vfox add elixir
vfox install elixir@1.16.2
vfox use -g elixir@1.16.2

🍎 macOS Installation (MacOS 13)

# Install build utilities
brew install autoconf libxslt fop wxwidgets openssl

# Install Erlang/OTP
vfox add erlang
vfox install erlang@26.2.3
vfox use -g erlang@26.2.3

# Install Elixir
vfox add elixir
vfox install elixir@1.16.2
vfox use -g elixir@1.16.2

🪟 Windows Installation

Requires vfox 0.5.3+ for Windows support

# Ensure Erlang/OTP is installed
vfox use -g erlang@26.2.3

# Get available versions
vfox search elixir

# Install specific version (only v1.15+ supported)
vfox install elixir@1.16.2-elixir-otp-26

Note: For Elixir versions before v1.15, use the deprecated Online Elixir Installer

📦 Install Pre-built Versions from hex.pm

Faster installation with pre-built binaries from hex.pm

# Search for pre-built versions
VFOX_ELIXIR_MIRROR=hex vfox search elixir

# Install a pre-built version
VFOX_ELIXIR_MIRROR=hex vfox install elixir@main-otp-26

Available Pre-built Versions

• vmain (pre-built from hex.pm)
• vmain-otp-22 to vmain-otp-28
• vmaster (pre-built from hex.pm)

🔧 Usage with mise

Integration with mise development tool manager

# Install Erlang/OTP first
mise install vfox:version-fox/vfox-erlang@26.2.3
mise use -g vfox:version-fox/vfox-erlang@26.2.3

# Install Elixir
mise install vfox:version-fox/vfox-elixir@1.16.2

⚡ Advanced Features

• Version Compatibility Management: Automatic checking of Elixir/Erlang compatibility
• Global and Local Version Switching: vfox use -g for global, per-project versions
• Multiple Installation Sources: Source compilation or pre-built binaries
• Cross-platform Consistency: Identical commands across all supported platforms
• Automated Dependency Resolution: Seamless Erlang/OTP integration
• Performance Optimization: Cached builds and optimized compilation

🏆 Best Practices

• Always install Erlang/OTP before Elixir
• Check version compatibility before installation
• Use global installation for system-wide availability
• Use local/project-specific versions for reproducible builds
• Prefer pre-built versions for faster setup in development environments
• Regularly update to supported Elixir/Erlang versions
• Use mise for enhanced development environment management

🌟 Thank You!

Get Started Today

vfox add elixir
vfox install elixir@1.16.2