Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, you misunderstood. I meant that if you're going to document a block of command-line instructions, you should first make sure those commands work as-is in a clean system. A very easy way to do this (for me anyways) is using a Docker container. I use this method to test all of my documented commands. But there are other ways, of course, like using a clean VM. Regardless, just test the commands without assuming the…
You're telling me that people who want to replace a command-line utility are the same people who can't install a toolchain (or just download a binary and put it in their path)?
Yet I got confused the first time ever some README told me to run "npm install blah". WTF is NPM? I didn't care, really, I just wanted to use blah. Conversely, later I worked with Node devs who would not know where to even start if I asked them to install a C++ toolchain.
The point is don't assume too much about the background of the people reading your instructions. They don't have in their heads the same stuff you take for granted.