> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://flox.dev/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Layering multiple environments

> Using more than one environment at a time

This guide walks you through layering a [`default`](/tutorials/default-environment) environment
with a project's environment.

## Create your default `$HOME` environment

First, create your `default` environment by following
[`default` environment tutorial](/tutorials/default-environment).

## Install packages

Now let's [`flox install`](/man/flox-install) **tools that will be useful on any
system** regardless of the project.
Here we are installing `curl`, `gitFull`, `gnupg`, `inetutils`, `tree`, and
`vim`.

```console theme={null}
$ flox install curl gitFull gnupg inetutils tree vim
✔ 'curl' installed to environment default at /Users/youruser
✔ 'gitFull' installed to environment default at /Users/youruser
✔ 'gnupg' installed to environment default at /Users/youruser
✔ 'inetutils' installed to environment default at /Users/youruser
✔ 'tree' installed to environment default at /Users/youruser
✔ 'vim' installed to environment default at /Users/youruser
```

Let's inspect the contents of the environment with [`flox list`](/man/flox-list):

```console theme={null}
$ flox list
curl: curl (8.4.0)
gitFull: gitFull (2.42.0)
gnupg: gnupg (2.4.1)
inetutils: inetutils (2.5)
tree: tree (2.1.1)
vim: vim (9.0.2116)
```

We can test the environment is working properly with
[`flox activate`](/man/flox-activate).

```console theme={null}
$ flox activate
flox [default] $ which git
/Users/youruser/.flox/run/aarch64-darwin.default/bin/git
flox [default] $ git --version
git version 2.42.0
```

Everything is working!

## Layering a project environment

Now that we have our tools in the `default` environment we can layer on a new
environment that brings in project-specific dependencies.
For this example we will use a publicly accessible Node project called
`material-ui`.

Let's clone the example project to our home directory and enter the project's
directory:

```console theme={null}
flox [default] $ git clone https://github.com/mui/material-ui.git
Cloning into ...
flox [default] $ cd material-ui
```

Use [`flox init`](/man/flox-init) from the `material-ui` directory that we are in.

```console theme={null}
flox [default] $ flox init
⚡︎ Created environment material-ui (aarch64-darwin)

Next:
  $ flox search <package>    <- Search for a package
  $ flox install <package>   <- Install a package into an environment
  $ flox activate            <- Enter the environment
```

This project only requires `yarn` so let's install it with
[`flox install`](/man/flox-install).

```console theme={null}
flox [default] $ flox install yarn
✔ 'yarn' installed to environment material-ui at /Users/youruser/material-ui
```

Now we're ready to do development on this project!
Let's activate the `material-ui` Flox environment and start `material-ui`'s
development server.

```console theme={null}
flox [default] $ flox activate
flox [material-ui default] $ yarn start
...
```

We now have access to both the dependency this project needs (`yarn`) and the
tools we need to do development on any project (`vim`, `git`, etc)!
You can layer as many environments as you want.
If two environments contain the same package,
Flox will use the package from the last environment activated.

You can use `flox envs` to see the environments you have activated.

```console theme={null}
$ flox envs
⚡︎ Active environments:
  material-ui  /home/youruser/material-ui
  default      /home/youruser

Inactive environments:
```

## Where to next

* [Sharing environments](/tutorials/sharing-environments)

* [Customizing the shell hook](/tutorials/customizing-environments)

* [Designing multiple architecture environments](/tutorials/multi-arch-environments)