[tool_alias] conflicts with installs/.mise-installs.toml

[powerman]

Global file ~/.local/share/mise/installs/.mise-installs.toml contain tool's backend after first successful install, and this breaks another backend set using [tool_alias] later.

$ docker run -i -t --rm --entrypoint=/bin/bash jdxcode/mise:2026.2.17
root@780182773e15:/mise$ mise use -g neovim@latest
mise Downloading https://github.com/neovim/neovim/releases/download/v0.11.6/nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
mise Verifying "/mise/downloads/neovim-0.11.6/nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz" checksum
mise Extracting "/mise/downloads/neovim-0.11.6/nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz" to "/mise/installs/neovim/0.11.6"
neovim@0.11.6   install                                                                            ✔
mise /mise/config.toml tools: neovim@0.11.6
root@780182773e15:/mise# cat installs/.mise-installs.toml 
[neovim]
short = "neovim"
full = "vfox:mise-plugins/vfox-neovim"
explicit_backend = false

[node]
short = "node"
full = "core:node"
explicit_backend = true

[python]
short = "python"
full = "core:python"
root@780182773e15:/mise# mise use -g neovim@0.9   
neovim@0.9.5    install                                                                            ◠
mise ERROR Failed to install vfox:mise-plugins/vfox-neovim@0.9: runtime error: crates/vfox/src/lua_mod/hooks.rs:53:78: Could not find asset nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz for release v0.9.5
stack traceback:
	[C]: in function 'error'
	crates/vfox/src/lua_mod/hooks.rs:53:78: in function 'PLUGIN.PreInstall'
	(...tail calls...)
mise ERROR Run with --verbose or MISE_VERBOSE=1 for more information

root@780182773e15:/mise# cat >>config.toml 
[tool_alias]
neovim = 'aqua:neovim/neovim'

root@780182773e15:/mise# mise use -g neovim@0.9
neovim@0.9.5    install                                                                            ◠
mise ERROR Failed to install aqua:neovim/neovim@0.9: runtime error: crates/vfox/src/lua_mod/hooks.rs:53:78: Could not find asset nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz for release v0.9.5
stack traceback:
	[C]: in function 'error'
	crates/vfox/src/lua_mod/hooks.rs:53:78: in function 'PLUGIN.PreInstall'
	(...tail calls...)
mise ERROR Run with --verbose or MISE_VERBOSE=1 for more information

root@780182773e15:/mise# rm installs/.mise-installs.toml 

root@780182773e15:/mise# mise use -g neovim@0.9
neovim@0.9.5    extract nvim-linux64.tar.gz                                                        ✔
mise /mise/config.toml tools: neovim@0.9.5
root@780182773e15:/mise#

The problem is clear in the line "mise ERROR Failed to install aqua:neovim/neovim@0.9: runtime error: crates/vfox/src/lua_mod/hooks.rs:53:78: …" - it resolved tool_alias and tries to install using aqua backend but still uses vfox backend.

[jylenhof]

Why not simply do mise use aqua:neovim/neovim if you want to use aqua backend for vim instead of using tool_alias ?

[powerman]

Well, the idea was to make minimal change in mise config and keep all other references to neovim as is. Because this is supposed to be temporary replacement, until mise-plugins/vfox-neovim#2 will be fixed and neovim:0.9 will became installable using default backend.

Sure, right now I'm using aqua:neovim/neovim everywhere, because of this issue.