Data

Tools

Indexes

Applications

Experiments

Awesome

An open API service indexing awesome lists of open source software.

https://github.com/ukoloff/nvms

Node Version Manager for M$ Windows
https://github.com/ukoloff/nvms

appveyor coffeescript command-line javascript junction-point nvm windows

Last synced: about 1 month ago
JSON representation

Node Version Manager for M$ Windows

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          
# nvm$



[![Build status](https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/6o64oaxelmvrs25k/branch/master?svg=true)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/ukoloff/nvms/branch/master)

[![build status](https://gitlab.com/ukoloff/nvms/badges/master/build.svg)](https://gitlab.com/ukoloff/nvms/pipelines)



Node Version Manager for M$ Windows.



Inspired by [nvmw][]

and [nvm-windows][]

(and of course [nvm][] itself),

but totally rewritten using

[Microsoft Scripting Host][Windows Script Host].



## Advantages



- Written in JavaScript itself (well, JScript)

- Contains both:

    * Command line utility `nvm$`

    * Full featured GUI for all operations (uses MSIE)

- Adds single entry to PATH environment variable

- Creates additional utilities:

    * `node.exe` for iojs distributions (along with `iojs.exe`)

    * Console-less Node.js binary (`nodew.exe`)

    * Restricted version of `npx` script

    * Can optionally install OpenSSL binary

- Detects availability of new versions of Node.js and itself

- One (or more) Node.js versions can be incorporated into installation package



## Installation



If you have `git` installed:



  * git clone https://github.com/ukoloff/nvms.git -b dist

  * nvms/setup



If you have got no `git`

or don't like to use command prompt:



- Download [upgrade.bat][up.gitlab] ([mirror][up.appveyor])

- Save it to any folder

- Run it

- It will download full distro, unpack and start installation



In case your browser won't agree to download

batch files or run them afterwards,

you can do the job of `upgrade.bat` yourself:



- Download [nvm$.zip][dist.gitlab.pages] ([mirror][dist.appveyor])

- Start downloaded `nvms$.zip` (in Explorer)

- Click `setup.bat`

- Windows will prompt to extract all files

- Agree

- Click `setup.bat` again



Finally, you can download `nvm$` package

with Node.js incorporated

([x64][sfx64] or [x86][sfx32])

and install everything

requiring no Internet access.



After any installation you should close command prompt (if any)

and open new one to use `nvm$`.



## Update



For new version of `nvm$` to install

just repeat installation steps above.



This can be done with `nvm$ upgrade self` command.



`nvm$` will periodically check its repo

to see whether new version exists

and prompt to update in that case.



To disable that check,

find file `%UserProfile%\.nvm$\that\.v`

and insert into beginning some character

like `#` or `;` or even `-`.



## How it works



Fiddling environment variables may be tricky especially on Windows.

So, `nvm$` adds itself to PATH during setup

and then simply switch folder referred to by PATH.



Therefore all the processes of current user immediately see this change.

There is the only Node.js version active at any moment of time

(unlike `nvm`).



`nvm$` is always installed to a user,

it cannot be installed system-wide.



If Node.js is also normally installed

(for all users),

`nvm$` works,

but is in fact unusable

(system `node.exe` is always preferred),

so don't install them both.



Technically, for switching Node.js version

[NTFS junction point][] is used.

As there is no standard ActiveX control

for junction point manipulations,

command line utility `linkd`

from

Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools

is used.



## Specifying Node.js version



Due to using JavaScript for processing,

it appeared possible

(and even easy)

to do exhaustive command line parsing.



For most commands,

where Node.js version should be specified,

it is possible to select

(in any set and order):



- Distribution (`node` or `iojs`)

- Platform (`x86` or `x64`)

- Version (`7` or `4.9` or may be `0.10.27`)

- LTS flag (`lts` only)



Any parameter can be abbreviated, eg `nvm$ i i`

is equivalent to `nvm$ install iojs`

(that is `nvm$ i 3`)

and `nvm$ o x8` means

`nvm$ openssl x86`.



Commands `nvm$ install` and `nvm$ use` select latest

(maximal)

of all possible versions,

while `nvm$ remove` deletes oldest

(minimal) one.



Therefore to install freshest Node.js

with default platform just type `nvm$ i`,

while `nvm$ i x6` installs

latest 64-bit version.



## Commands



### ls



List installed Node.js versions.

Filters apply, as mentioned earlier,

so `nvm$ l x8` will list only x86

installations.



### ls remote



List Node.js (and io.js) versions available

(fetches their lists from respective sites).

`nvm$ l r 4` will list all 4.\*.\* versions available.



### install



Install latest of specified Node.js versions.

One can select platform (`x86` or `x64`)

or default will be used.



If specified version is installed,

it will be [used](#use),

so it is safe to run `nvm$ i`

to ensure the latest version in installed.



To force reinstallation, add `.`

to the end of command,

eg `nvm$ i .` will reinstall

latest version unconditionally.



### use



Switch to latest of installed versions

(filters apply).

Eg `nvm$ use` means switch to latest of all,

while `nvm$ use i` to latest of iojs.



Run `nvm$ use none` to temporarily make node.exe

unavailable,

you can switch back at any moment later.



### which



Shows path to active version,

or path to Junction point

in case `nvm$ use none` was fired.



### remove



Remove oldest of installed versions

considering command line filter.



For security reasons,

`.` must occur at the end of

this command,

or else it will refuse to proceed.



Eg, `nvm$ d .` (`drop` is alias for [remove](#remove))

will remove one (minimal) version.

`nvm$ d all i .` will remove all iojs versions.



Actual removing of files

can take much time,

so it is performed in background.

Don't logoff or turn off your computer

a minute or two after this command finished.



### Additional commands



#### openssl



Node.js versions 0.\*.\* contains `openssl` binary.

`nvm$` can download it and install

into its PATH.



Like `install` command,

platform can be specified.

Other filters (version number for instance)

are meaningless hence ignored.



#### abbrev



Helps to find comman abbreviation(s).

Eg, run `nvm$ a w` to see all commands,

starting with `w` and their alternatives.



Plain `nvm$ a` shows *all* abbreviations.



#### upgrade



Upgrades `nvm$` itself and/or Node.js

(current or LTS).



Self upgrade is `nvm$ upgrade self`.



For upgrading Node.js specify `node` or `lts`

and (optionally) platform

(`x86` or `x64`).

These arguments will be

passed to regular

[install](#install) command.



#### www



Opens `nvm$` repository in default browser.



#### bye



Fully uninstall `nvm$` itself along with

all Node.js versions.



Like [remove](#remove) command,

requires `.` to proceed

and take some (*more*) time

for actual files removal

(may be 10 minutes or so).



## Extra binaries



`nvm$` creates two additional binaries

and places them into it's `PATH`.



### nodew



This is regular `node.exe` that has no console window

(black flash),

analogous to `perlw`, `rubyw`, `pythonw` etc.



### npx



This is a poor man's variation of great [npx][] console utility.

It is created only for old distros

missing regular `npx`.



This limited edition can only run locally installed scripts.

It never installs anything

neither permanently nor temporarily.



## Caveats



Complex batch files are considered a threat nowadays

by most antivirus software.

Surprisingly, the most suspicious activity is unpacking MSI-file that

contains official distro of Node.js.



So, temporarily disabling antivirus software

just before `nvm$ install` is recommended.



In case you forgot it,

causing installation to fail,

immediately disable antivirus

and repeat installation.

`nvm$` will skip downloading

and proceed to unpacking again.



## Building SFX package



To build SFX package

(containing `nvm$` itself

and some Node.js versions),

full repository is needed.

It works only on Windows so far.



Command to build package is `node webpack\dist [filter]`,

where `filter` is regular filtering

expression (just like [ls](#ls) command).



If no filter set,

active installed version will be packed,

unless `nvm$ use none` was issued.

In latter case, latest of installed

will go into SFX.



When filter is specified,

all versions, matching it

will be packed into SFX,

allowing many (or none)

Node.js versions available

after installation.

So, say `node webpack\dist all`

to add all versions installed.



You can add some global npm packages

to SFX package, by simple installing them

(`npm install -g`) into Node.js to package.



## Credits



  * [Node.js][]

  * [io.js][]

  * [Windows Script Host][]

  * [nvm][]

  * [nvmw][]

  * [nvm-windows][]

  * [Windows Sysinternals][]

  * [webpack][]

  * [cmdizer][]

  * [AppVeyor][]

  * [GitLab][]



[Node.js]: http://nodejs.org/

[io.js]: https://iojs.org/

[npx]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/npx

[Windows Script Host]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Script_Host

[nvm]: https://github.com/creationix/nvm

[nvmw]: https://github.com/hakobera/nvmw

[nvm-windows]: https://github.com/coreybutler/nvm-windows

[Windows Sysinternals]: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/en-en/nternals/

[webpack]: http://webpack.github.io/

[cmdizer]: http://www.dostips.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=37780#p37780

[NTFS junction point]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS_junction_point

[AppVeyor]: http://www.appveyor.com/

[GitLab]: https://gitlab.com/



[distro]: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/ukoloff/nvms/artifacts/nvm$.zip?branch=master

[dev-distro]: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/ukoloff/nvms/artifacts/nvm$dev.zip?branch=master

[sfx32]: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/ukoloff/nvms/artifacts/nvm$86.exe?branch=master

[sfx64]: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/ukoloff/nvms/artifacts/nvm$64.exe?branch=master



[dist.github]: https://github.com/ukoloff/nvms/archive/dist.zip

[dist.appveyor]: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/ukoloff/nvms/artifacts/nvm$.zip?branch=master

[dist.gitlab]: https://gitlab.com/ukoloff/nvms/-/archive/dist/nvms-dist.zip

[dist.gitlab.pages]: https://ukoloff.gitlab.io/nvms/nvm$.zip



[v.github]: https://api.github.com/repos/ukoloff/nvms/tags

[v.appveyor]: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/ukoloff/nvms/artifacts/version?branch=master

[v.gitlab]: https://ukoloff.gitlab.io/nvms/version



[up.appveyor]: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/ukoloff/nvms/artifacts/upgrade.bat?branch=master

[up.gitlab]: https://ukoloff.gitlab.io/nvms/upgrade.bat



[repo.github]: git@github.com:ukoloff/nvms.git

[repo.gitlab]: git@gitlab.com:ukoloff/nvms.git