I'd like to be able to use something as a universal scripting language. I'd much prefer javascript to something like bash or batch files. Recall the “Joel test

I'd like to be able to use something as a universal scripting language. I'd much prefer javascript to something like bash or batch files. Recall the “Joel test”. http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000043.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000043.html In particular, item two: 2. Can you make a build in one step? I take that one pretty seriously. If I have piece of software I'd like people to be able to use, I'd like to be able to tell them to do the following: * git clone <url> * ./local_clone/bootstrap_script.js Ok, that's two steps but the point stands. Hopefully they already have git and a javascript runtime included with a fresh install of their operating system (assume they just brought the computer home from the store), and the script included in the project takes care of everything else from there. What I definitely don't want to have to say is “Set up this whole massive toolchain for language X [and Y [and Z]] before you can run the project.” Can this be done today on the latest releases of, say, Windows, OSX, and the most popular two or three Linux distributions? If not, are we close?