wtf is hexpm-cli?

Hex.pm is a package registry where developers publish and share code libraries, similar to how app stores work but for programming building blocks. hexpm-cli is a command-line tool that lets you publish a project to that registry directly from your terminal. Normally, publishing to Hex.pm is handled through a plugin designed for a specific build tool called Rebar3, but this tool exists for developers whose projects use a different build system called Erlang.mk, which that plugin doesn't natively support. At a high level, the tool wraps the existing Rebar3 Hex plugin and makes it work outside its usual environment. You run simple terminal commands like hexpm publish to push your package live, or hexpm user register to set up your account. Under the hood, it bundles together the core Rebar3 engine and the Hex plugin, then tweaks a few internal files so the plugin reads project metadata from the generated .app file rather than a .app.src file that may not exist in an Erlang.mk project. This is for Erlang developers who have built a project using Erlang.mk and want to share it on Hex.pm without switching their entire build setup to Rebar3. For example, if someone has written a useful messaging library or a data-parsing tool and wants other Erlang developers to discover and download it as a dependency, this tool gives them a straightforward path to do that. The project makes a practical tradeoff: instead of rewriting all the publishing logic from scratch, it reuses the existing, well-tested Hex plugin and patches the specific pieces that break compatibility with Erlang.mk projects. It also overrides some configuration handling so the tool doesn't accidentally pick up the developer's global Rebar3 settings, keeping each publish action isolated and predictable.