In this article, I'll explain how you can install NVM, or Node Version Manager, on Windows, Linux, and Mac.
What is NVM?
Node Version Manager (NVM), as the name implies, is a tool for managing Node versions on your device.
Different projects on your device may be using different versions of Node. Using only one version (the one installed by npm) for these different projects may not give you accurate execution results.
For example, if you use a Node version of 10.0.0 for a project that uses 12.0.0, you may get some errors. And if you update the Node version to 12.0.0 with npm, and you use it for a project that uses 10.0.0, you may not get the expected experience.
In fact, you would most likely get a warning that says:
This project requires Node version X
Instead of using npm to install and uninstall Node versions for your different projects, you can use nvm, which helps you effectively manage your node versions for each project.
NVM allows you to install different versions of Node, and switch between these versions depending on the project that you're working on via the command line.
In the next sections, I'll show you how to install NVM on your Windows, Linux, or Mac device.
Before proceeding, I also recommend that you uninstall Node.js if you have it installed already so that you do not have any conflicts with Node.js and nvm.
How to Install NVM on Windows
NVM is mostly supported on Linux and Mac. It doesn't have support for Windows. But there's a similar tool created by coreybutler to provide an nvm experience in Windows called nvm-windows.
nvm-windows provides a management utility for managing Node.js versions in Windows. Here's how to install it:
1. Click on "Download Now"
In the nvm-windows repository Readme, click on "Download Now!":
This will open a page showing different NVM releases.
2. Install the .exe file of the latest release
In the latest release (which as of the time of writing this is 1.1.9), you'll find different assets. Click on the nvm-setup.exe asset which is the installation file for the tool:
3. Complete the Installation Wizard
Open the file that you have downloaded, and complete the installation wizard.
When done, you can confirm that nvm has been installed by running:
nvm -v
If nvm was installed correctly, this command will show you the nvm version installed.
How to Install NVM on Linux and Mac
Since Linux and Mac have some similarities (they are both UNIX-based OSes), you can install nvm on them in similar ways.
1. Run the nvm installer
In your terminal, run the nvm installer like this:
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash
# or
wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash
You can use curl or bash depending on the command available on your device.
These commands will clone the nvm repository to a ~/.nvm directory on your device.
2. Update your profile configuration
The installation process from step 1 should also automatically add the nvm configuration to your profile. If you're using zsh, that would be ~/.zshrc. If you're using bash, that would be ~/.bash_profile...or some other profile.
If it doesn't automatically add nvm configuration, you can add it yourself to your profile file:
export NVM_DIR="$([ -z "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME-}" ] && printf %s "${HOME}/.nvm" || printf %s "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/nvm")"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
This command above loads nvm for use.
3. Reload the shell configuration
With your profile configuration updated, now you will reload the configuration for your terminal to use:
source ~/.bashrc
With this command executed, nvm is ready for you to use. You can confirm that nvm is installed correctly by running:
nvm -v
This should show the version of nvm installed.
Wrapping up
With nvm installed, you can now install, uninstall, and switch between different Node versions in your Windows, Linux, or Mac device.
You can install Node versions like this:
nvm install latest
This command will install the last version of Node:
nvm install vX.Y.Z
This will install the X.Y.Z Node version.
You can also make a version your default by running:
nvm alias default vX.Y.Z
And if you want to use a specific version at any point, you can run the following in your terminal:
nvm use vA.B.C
NVM makes it easier to manage multiple versions of Node.js across different projects that require different versions.