altimate-dbt binary missing from npm package.json bin — not exposed on PATH after 'npm install -g altimate-code'

Start by inspecting package.json's bin map and the existing bin/altimate-dbt entry point. Install the package globally in a clean environment and verify npm exposes altimate-dbt on PATH alongside the two existing commands; confirm the dbt-* skills can invoke it. The Node <=20 extension issue is a separate compatibility concern noted in the report.

Summary

After npm install -g altimate-code@0.8.10, the companion CLI altimate-dbt (which every built-in dbt-* skill depends on — dbt-develop, dbt-schema-verify, dbt-test, dbt-troubleshoot, dbt-docs, dbt-analyze, dbt-unit-tests, sql-review) is not accessible on PATH. The binary is present in the installed package, but package.json's bin field only exposes altimate and altimate-code, so npm never creates the symlink.

Reproduction

npm install -g altimate-code   # v0.8.10, on Node 25.9.0, macOS
which altimate-dbt             # -> not found
which altimate altimate-code   # -> both resolved

The binary itself exists and works — it's just not linked:

$ ls /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/altimate-code/bin/
altimate  altimate-code  altimate-dbt      # <-- altimate-dbt is here

$ ls /opt/homebrew/bin/altimate*
altimate       -> ../lib/node_modules/altimate-code/bin/altimate
altimate-code  -> ../lib/node_modules/altimate-code/bin/altimate-code
# altimate-dbt symlink missing

Inspecting package.json:

"bin": {
  "altimate": "./bin/altimate",
  "altimate-code": "./bin/altimate-code"
}

Confirmed: no altimate-dbt entry.

Impact

All auto-loaded dbt-* skills fail silently or with confusing errors, because they shell out to altimate-dbt. The skill guidance (e.g. dbt-develop, dbt-schema-verify) explicitly says "never call raw dbt directly — always use altimate-dbt", but the tool isn't on PATH after the documented install.

The README also states: "The npm install exposes both altimate and altimate-code on PATH" — but altimate-dbt is described elsewhere as required for the dbt tools. This appears to be an oversight, not a policy.

Workaround

Manual symlink after install:

ln -s /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/altimate-code/bin/altimate-dbt \
      /opt/homebrew/bin/altimate-dbt

Suggested fix

Add altimate-dbt to the bin map in package.json:

"bin": {
  "altimate": "./bin/altimate",
  "altimate-code": "./bin/altimate-code",
  "altimate-dbt": "./bin/altimate-dbt"
}

Related quirk

The altimate-dbt entry point (/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/altimate-code/dbt-tools/bin/altimate-dbt) is extensionless with "type": "module" in its dbt-tools/package.json. On Node ≤ 20 this throws ERR_UNKNOWN_FILE_EXTENSION. Node explicitly hints the fix — rename to altimate-dbt.js and update the shebang, or add "exports" metadata. Consider bumping the engines constraint or renaming for pre-22 compatibility.

Environment

• macOS (darwin, arm64)
• altimate-code@0.8.10 (npm global)
• Standalone altimate binary at ~/.altimate/bin/altimate was also installed via curl … | bash — as expected, that install exposes only altimate (per README) and doesn't ship altimate-dbt at all. This issue is specifically about the npm install path.