just

Just is a high-performance, command-line runner implemented in Rust, designed to facilitate project-specific task execution without the esoteric syntax and behavioral legacy of GNU Make. By 2026, it has become the industry standard for AI orchestration pipelines, where complex sequences of model training, evaluation, and deployment scripts require a reliable, cross-platform entry point. Unlike Make, Just is not a build system; it does not track file modification times for dependency resolution, which makes it significantly more predictable for non-compilation tasks like container orchestration, data preprocessing, and API testing. Its architecture allows for recipe-specific shells, environment variable injection via .env files, and sophisticated parameter passing. In the 2026 market, Just is frequently integrated into AI Agent workflows, providing a structured interface for autonomous agents to execute local system commands securely. Its widespread adoption is driven by its zero-dependency binary, making it ideal for minimal container environments and ephemeral CI/CD runners where speed and footprint are critical factors.