As a developer, I don't quite get who this is for. I know these technologies and how to use them and install them. Installing node.js and stuff is also pretty much a couple of one liners.
I guess I don't see why others find much pain in installing node or rails... I already have Ruby/Node and other stuff installed and each new project I create differs in file structures and stuff like that based on the needs of the project. Different projects require different stacks.
Hi - I'm a developer too, full time, and I'm the one who made this so I guess I should be the one explaining it. Roots is for front-end devs or devs who do front-end work. It makes doing front-end work blazing fast and much less repetitive.
As for your comment on making it yourself, I would urge you to go check out the github repo (https://github.com/jenius/roots). I can assure you that replicating this environment is not something that can be done with a couple lines of npm install xxx - there is a lot of code under the hood. I've spent more than a year on and off working on this. The command line client is fast, simple, and intuitive. The css library is extensive and extremely powerful. I built this tool for developers to make life quicker and easier when it comes to front-end dev.
Give it a shot, and if you still think it would be more convenient to roll your own, email me and maybe I can take a few tips from you on how to continue improving roots to make it more useful for developers : )
I guess I don't see why others find much pain in installing node or rails... I already have Ruby/Node and other stuff installed and each new project I create differs in file structures and stuff like that based on the needs of the project. Different projects require different stacks.