nvm-desktop

nvm-desktop

A cross-platform Node.js version manager with both:

• GUI app (nvm-desktop) for visual management
• CLI tool (nvmd) for terminal workflows

Supports macOS, Windows, and Linux.

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Screenshot

Why use it

• Install and uninstall Node.js versions quickly
• Switch global Node.js version with one command/click
• Pin Node.js versions per project
• Keep environments isolated across Node.js versions
• Use GUI or CLI based on your workflow

Install

Download from releases:

• GitHub Releases

After installation, ensure these are available in terminal:

nvmd -V
node -v
npm -v

Core usage (CLI-first)

1) Install a Node.js version

nvmd install 20.18.0

2) List installed versions

nvmd ls

3) Switch global version

nvmd use 20.18.0
node -v

4) Set version for current project

nvmd use 18.20.4 --project
node -v

5) Check current version

nvmd current

6) Uninstall a version

nvmd uninstall 16.20.2

7) Find executable path

nvmd which node
nvmd which npm

Recommended project workflow

For each project:

1. Open project root
2. Choose Node.js version with nvmd use <version> --project
3. Run node -v to confirm
4. Install dependencies and develop as usual

This helps keep dependency/toolchain behavior consistent per repo.

GUI usage

In nvm-desktop, you can:

• browse available Node.js versions
• install/uninstall versions
• switch global default version
• bind Node.js versions to projects
• manage settings such as mirror and language

If you prefer clicking over commands, most common operations are available in GUI.

Data location

nvm-desktop stores data in:

• macOS / Linux: ~/.nvmd
• Windows: %HOMEPATH%\.nvmd

Typical contents:

• bin/ shims (node, npm, npx, nvmd, corepack)
• versions/ installed Node.js runtimes
• default global default version
• projects.json per-project version bindings
• setting.json app settings

FAQ

Are global npm packages shared between Node.js versions?

By default, no (environments are isolated).

To share global packages, set a common prefix:

npm config set prefix "/path/to/shared-global"

GUI or CLI: which one should I use?

• Use GUI for discovery and visual management
• Use CLI (nvmd) for automation, scripts, and terminal-first work

Develop locally

Prerequisites:

• Rust
• Node.js
• pnpm

Run:

pnpm check
pnpm install
pnpm dev

Build package:

pnpm build

Artifacts:

• ./src-tauri/target/release/bundle

License

MIT