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wtf is tools-deps-native?

timokramer/tools-deps-native — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-18 · repo last pushed 2024-02-04

ClojureAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5DormantSetup · moderate

TL;DR

A native-compiled version of Clojure's tools.deps that resolves dependencies instantly by skipping the JVM startup delay entirely.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Resolves dependencies
      No JVM startup
      Native binary
    Tech stack
      Clojure
      GraalVM
      Maven
    Use cases
      Fast CI CD
      Babashka scripting
      Build pipelines
    Audience
      Clojure developers
      DevOps engineers

Code map

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Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Resolve and download Maven or Git-based Clojure dependencies instantly without waiting for the JVM to start.

REASON 2

Speed up CI/CD pipelines that repeatedly call dependency resolution during builds.

REASON 3

Power on-demand library downloads in Babashka scripts via the babashka.deps feature.

REASON 4

Replace the standard JVM-based tools.deps in workflows where startup delay adds up.

What's in the stack?

ClojureGraalVMMaven

How it stacks up

timokramer/tools-deps-nativebenfleis/throttlergardnervickers/local-meetups
LanguageClojureClojureClojure
Last pushed2024-02-042015-01-282016-02-04
MaintenanceDormantDormantDormant
Setup difficultymoderateeasyhard
Complexity3/52/54/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Still experimental, pre-built binaries exist for macOS and Linux, but the latest version requires compiling with GraalVM yourself.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to use this native tools.deps binary to resolve Clojure dependencies in a script.
Prompt 2
Explain how GraalVM compiles tools.deps into a native binary that skips JVM startup.
Prompt 3
Help me compile this project myself using GraalVM to get the latest version.
Prompt 4
Walk me through integrating this native binary into a CI/CD pipeline to speed up dependency resolution.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is tools-deps-native?

A native-compiled version of Clojure's tools.deps that resolves dependencies instantly by skipping the JVM startup delay entirely.

What language is tools-deps-native written in?

Mainly Clojure. The stack also includes Clojure, GraalVM, Maven.

Is tools-deps-native actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2024-02-04).

How hard is tools-deps-native to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is tools-deps-native for?

Mainly developer.

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