nvm-rs

A fast, feature-rich Node.js version manager written in Rust — a Rust-native reimagining of nvm. Delivered as a single static binary with sub-millisecond startup, bilingual UI, and 15 features nvm and fnm don't offer: GPG-verified downloads, resumable transfers, source builds, offline installs, and built-in yarn/pnpm/corepack integration. Built for modern workflows.

Features

Install, uninstall, switch between multiple Node.js versions
Support for fuzzy version numbers (20 → latest v20.x.x)
Special aliases: node, stable, unstable, lts, lts/<codename>, system, default
LTS code-name aliases: lts/argon, lts/boron, lts/carbon, lts/dubnium, lts/erbium, lts/fermium, lts/gallium, lts/hydrogen, lts/iron, lts/jod
io.js support — install and manage historical io.js versions (nvm install iojs)
.nvmrc and .node-version auto-switch support
User-defined aliases
Mirror source configuration (npmmirror, official, custom URL)
SHA256 checksum verification on download
Multi-architecture support: x64, arm64 (Apple Silicon, ARM Linux)
Cross-platform: Linux, macOS, Windows
Resume from NVM_DIR environment variable
Shell integration: nvm use takes effect in current shell (via nvm.sh)
Migrate global npm packages between versions (reinstall-packages)
Upgrade npm to latest for a specific version (install-latest-npm)
Cache management — nvm cache dir / list / clear
Offline install — nvm install --offline (install from cache only)
Source compile — nvm install -s (compile from source tarball)
Compound install flags — --latest-npm and --reinstall-packages-from=<ver>
LTS uninstall — nvm uninstall --lts
i18n — nvm language <en|cn> (English / 中文)
Proxy management — nvm proxy on/off (leverages system proxy env vars)
Shell completions — nvm completion <bash|zsh|fish|powershell>
Corepack support — nvm corepack <enable|disable|status>
Recursive .nvmrc search — auto-switch searches parent directories
package.json engines.node — reads Node.js version requirement from package.json
Multi-shell support — bash, zsh, Fish, PowerShell with auto-switch

Comparison with fnm and nvm-sh

Feature	nvm-rust (this project)	fnm	nvm-sh
Implementation language	Rust	Rust	Bash
Startup overhead	Low (native binary)	Low (native binary)	High (shell parsing)
Single binary, no runtime deps	✅	✅	❌ (needs bash)
Linux x86_64 (glibc)	✅	✅	✅ (shell)
Linux aarch64 (glibc)	✅	✅	✅ (shell)
Linux x86_64 (musl/Alpine static)	✅	✅	❌ (needs bash+coreutils)
macOS x86_64 / aarch64	✅	✅	✅
Windows native	❌	✅	❌ (use nvm-windows)
bash integration	✅	✅	✅
zsh integration	✅	✅	✅
fish integration	✅	✅	✅
PowerShell integration	✅	✅	❌
Install specific version `install 20`	✅	✅	✅
Install LTS `install --lts`	✅	✅	✅
Install latest `install --latest`	✅	✅	✅
Install LTS only if missing `--lts-newer`	✅	❌	❌
Fuzzy version `20` → latest 20.x	✅	✅	✅
*`lts/`, `lts/iron` codename resolution**	✅	✅	✅
Compile from source `--source`	✅	❌	❌
Offline install `--offline` (cache only)	✅	❌	❌
io.js install	✅	❌	✅
Uninstall `uninstall` / `--lts` / `--latest`	✅	✅	✅ (version only)
Progress bar download	✅ (indicatif)	✅	✅ (curl/wget)
Resumable download	✅ (HTTP Range + .part)	❌	❌
Mirror switching `mirror`	✅ (taobao/official/custom)	❌ (via env)	✅ (`NVM_NODEJS_ORG_MIRROR`)
Local cache reuse	✅	✅	❌
Cache dir/list/clear	✅	❌	❌
SHA-256 verification	✅	✅	✅
GPG signature verification `SHASUMS256.txt.sig`	✅ (auto key import)	❌	✅
Skip verification `--no-gpg-verify`	✅	—	❌
Auto-skip verification when offline	✅	—	❌
Upgrade npm after install `--latest-npm`	✅	❌	❌
Install yarn after install `--latest-yarn`	✅	❌	❌
Install pnpm after install `--latest-pnpm`	✅	❌	❌
Standalone `install-latest-npm/yarn/pnpm`	✅	❌	❌
Global package migration `reinstall-packages`	✅	❌	✅
Cross-tool migration `migrate` (from nvm-sh/nvm-windows)	✅	❌	❌
corepack enable/disable/status	✅	❌	❌
`use <ver>` switch	✅	✅	✅
`use` reads `.nvmrc`/`.node-version`/`package.json#engines`	✅	✅ (`.nvmrc`/`.node-version`)	✅ (`.nvmrc`)
`use --install-if-missing`	✅	✅	✅ (auto via `nvm install`)
`use --save` persist as default	✅	❌	✅ (`nvm alias default`)
`use --use-on-cd` install cd hook	✅	❌ (via shell integration)	❌
`run <ver> <script>`	✅	❌	✅
`exec <ver> <cmd>`	✅	❌	✅
`which [ver]`	✅	✅	✅
`current` active version	✅	✅	✅
`deactivate` restore PATH	✅	❌	✅
`unload` remove shell config	✅	❌	✅
`alias <name> <ver>`	✅	✅ (`default`/aliases)	✅
`unalias`	✅	✅	✅
Built-in `node`/`stable`/`unstable`	✅	❌	✅
Built-in `lts`/`lts/<codename>`	✅	✅	✅
Built-in `system`/`default`	✅	✅	✅
`auto` switch via `.nvmrc`	✅	✅ (`--use-on-cd`)	✅ (shell function)
`auto --silent`	✅	❌	❌
`remote`/`ls-remote` list remote versions	✅	✅	✅
`--lts` LTS only	✅	✅	✅
`--lts-old` LTS ≤18 only	✅	❌	❌
`--filter <pattern>`	✅	❌	❌
`--sort desc/asc`	✅	❌	✅ (default desc)
`--page <n>` pagination	✅	❌	❌
Pretty table output (border/align/CJK width)	✅	❌	❌
`proxy on/off/status` command	✅	❌	❌
Auto-detect system proxy	✅	❌	❌
Connectivity test (google/baidu)	✅	❌	❌
Custom HTTP client	✅ (reqwest)	✅	❌ (curl/wget)
Bilingual EN/CN `language en/cn`	✅	❌	❌
Colored output	✅ (colored)	✅	❌
i18n help text	✅	❌	❌
Shell completion generation `completion`	✅ (bash/zsh/fish/powershell)	✅	❌
Unified `dir` path display	✅	❌	✅ (`NVM_DIR`)
GitHub Actions multi-platform build	✅ (6 targets)	✅	❌ (manual/script)
Release auto-generation + sha256sums	✅	✅	❌
Homebrew formula	✅	✅	❌ (tap install script)
Concurrency safety	✅	✅	⚠️ (shell-dependent)
Large version list render speed	Fast	Fast	Slow
nvm-sh ecosystem maturity	—	—	✅ (largest community, most docs)

Installation

One-liner install (macOS / Linux)

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mose-x/nvm-rust/main/install.sh | bash

China mirror acceleration (script itself also goes through mirror):

curl -fsSL https://ghproxy.com/https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mose-x/nvm-rust/main/install.sh | GITHUB_MIRROR=ghproxy bash

Windows (PowerShell)

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mose-x/nvm-rust/main/install.ps1 | iex

China mirror acceleration (script itself also goes through mirror):

$env:GITHUB_MIRROR = 'ghproxy'
irm https://ghproxy.com/https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mose-x/nvm-rust/main/install.ps1 | iex

Homebrew (macOS)

brew tap mose-x/tap
brew install nvm-rust

Build from source

git clone https://github.com/mose-x/nvm-rust.git
cd nvm-rust
cargo build --release
sudo cp target/release/nvm /usr/local/bin/

Download manually

Download the latest binary from the Releases page and add it to your PATH.

Supported platforms:

Linux: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu, aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
macOS: x86_64-apple-darwin, aarch64-apple-darwin
Windows: x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

Shell Integration

After installation, source the appropriate script for your shell:

Bash / Zsh

source ~/.nvm.rust/shell/nvm.sh

Fish Shell

source ~/.nvm.rust/shell/nvm.fish

Or add to ~/.config/fish/config.fish:

set -gx PATH ~/.nvm.rust/bin $PATH
source ~/.nvm.rust/shell/nvm.fish

PowerShell

Add to your PowerShell profile ($PROFILE):

Import-Module "$env:USERPROFILE\.nvm.rust\shell\nvm.psm1"

Auto-switch

When an .nvmrc file is present, nvm-rs will automatically switch to the specified Node.js version when you enter that directory.

Quick Start

nvm install 20        # Install Node.js 20
nvm use 20           # Switch to Node.js 20
nvm ls               # List installed versions
nvm ls --lts         # List LTS versions
nvm auto             # Auto-switch via .nvmrc

Shell integration (optional)

source /path/to/nvm.sh

This makes nvm use change the current shell's PATH immediately, and adds a cd hook for auto-switching via .nvmrc / .node-version.

Usage

Install a Node.js version

nvm install 20                    # latest v20.x.x
nvm install 20.11.0               # exact version
nvm install v18.19.0              # with v prefix
nvm install --lts                 # latest LTS
nvm install --latest              # latest release
nvm install lts/iron              # specific LTS line
nvm install node                  # alias for "latest"
nvm install stable
nvm install unstable

Use an installed version

nvm use 20
nvm use v18.19.0
nvm use lts/iron
nvm use lts                       # any installed LTS
nvm use system                    # use the system-wide node

If you have sourced nvm.sh, this takes effect in the current shell immediately.

List versions

nvm list            # local
nvm ls              # alias
nvm list            # local
nvm remote          # remote (download index)
nvm remote --lts    # only LTS
nvm current         # show current version

Uninstall

nvm uninstall 18
nvm remove 18        # alias for uninstall

NVM directories

nvm dir              # Show NVM installation and .nvm.rust paths

Aliases

nvm alias work 18           # create alias
nvm alias work              # show alias
nvm alias                   # list all aliases
nvm unalias work            # delete alias

Mirror source

nvm mirror                       # show current
nvm mirror taobao                # use npmmirror
nvm mirror official              # back to nodejs.org
nvm mirror https://example.com   # custom URL

Project version files

Create .nvmrc or .node-version in your project:

20.11.0

Then nvm auto (or cd into the directory when nvm.sh is sourced) will switch to that version automatically.

Run with a specific version

nvm run 20 app.js
nvm exec 20 npm install

Migrate global packages

nvm use 20
nvm reinstall-packages 18         # install all global packages from 18 into 20

Upgrade npm

nvm install-latest-npm            # upgrade npm of the current version
nvm install-latest-npm 20

io.js

Install and manage historical io.js versions, just like Node.js:

nvm install iojs                  # install latest io.js
nvm install iojs-3.3.1            # specific version
nvm install io.js-v2.5.0          # with dot prefix
nvm use iojs-v3.3.1               # switch to io.js
nvm ls                            # io.js shows with "io.js" type tag

Cache management

Downloaded archives are automatically cached.

nvm cache dir                     # show cache directory
nvm cache list                    # list cached files with sizes
nvm cache clear                   # clear all cached files

Offline install

Install from cache without network access:

nvm install 20 --offline          # use cached tarball only

If the version isn't cached, an error is shown with instructions.

Source compile

Compile and install from source (useful for ARM / platforms without prebuilt binaries):

nvm install 20 -s                 # compile from source
nvm install 20 --source

Requires Python 3, a C++ compiler (GCC/Clang), and make.

Compound install actions

Upgrade npm or migrate packages right after install:

nvm install 22 --latest-npm       # upgrade npm after install
nvm install 22 --reinstall-packages-from=20  # migrate global packages from 20
nvm install 22 --latest-npm --reinstall-packages-from=20  # both

Language

Switch display language between English and Chinese:

nvm language                      # show current language
nvm language cn                   # switch to Chinese
nvm lang en                       # switch to English (alias)

Proxy

Manage proxy settings (uses system proxy environment variables like HTTPS_PROXY, HTTP_PROXY):

nvm proxy                         # show proxy status
nvm proxy on                      # enable proxy (tests connectivity)
nvm proxy off                     # disable proxy

When nvm proxy on is run, it tests connectivity to both baidu.com and google.com and reports results.

Shell Completions

Generate shell completions for better CLI experience:

nvm completion bash        # generate bash completions
nvm completion zsh        # generate zsh completions
nvm completion fish       # generate fish completions
nvm completion powershell  # generate PowerShell completions

Corepack

Enable or disable Corepack for package managers (pnpm, yarn):

nvm corepack status           # show corepack status
nvm corepack enable           # enable for current version
nvm corepack enable 20        # enable for specific version
nvm corepack disable          # disable for current version

Auto-switch with package.json

The nvm auto command now supports reading Node.js version from package.json:

{
  "engines": {
    "node": ">=18"
  }
}

If package.json exists with engines.node, nvm auto will use that version.

Also supports recursive .nvmrc and .node-version search — searches from current directory up to root.

Configuration

Variable	Default	Description
`NVM_DIR`	`~/.nvm.rust`	Where nvm stores versions

Config files inside NVM_DIR:

config.json — mirror, default version
alias.json — user-defined aliases
current — currently active version

Command Reference

Command	Description
`nvm install [ver] [--lts] [--latest]`	Install a Node.js version
`nvm install [ver] --offline`	Install from cache only
`nvm install [ver] -s / --source`	Compile and install from source
`nvm install [ver] --latest-npm`	Upgrade npm to latest after install
`nvm install [ver] --reinstall-packages-from=<ver>`	Migrate global packages after install
`nvm uninstall <ver>`	Remove an installed version
`nvm uninstall --lts`	Uninstall the latest LTS version
`nvm remove <ver>`	Alias for uninstall
`nvm dir`	Show NVM installation and .nvm.rust paths
`nvm use <ver>`	Switch to a version
`nvm use <ver> --install-if-missing`	Switch, install if not installed
`nvm list` / `ls`	List local versions
`nvm remote` / `ls-remote` [--lts]	List remote versions
`nvm remote --filter <pattern>`	Filter remote versions
`nvm remote --sort asc\|desc`	Sort order (default: desc)
`nvm current`	Show current version
`nvm which [ver]`	Path to the binary
`nvm run <ver> [args...]`	Run a script with a specific version
`nvm exec <ver> <cmd...>`	Run a command with a specific version
`nvm alias [name] [ver]`	Manage aliases
`nvm unalias <name>`	Remove an alias
`nvm mirror [url]`	Manage download mirror
`nvm cache dir`	Show cache directory
`nvm cache list`	List cached files
`nvm cache clear`	Clear all cached files
`nvm language / lang [en\|cn]`	Show or set display language
`nvm proxy [on\|off]`	Manage proxy settings
`nvm completion <shell>`	Generate shell completions
`nvm corepack <enable\|disable\|status>`	Corepack management
`nvm auto`	Auto-switch via .nvmrc/.node-version/package.json
`nvm deactivate`	Restore PATH (revert `nvm use`)
`nvm unload`	Remove nvm from shell config
`nvm install-latest-npm [ver]`	Upgrade npm to latest
`nvm reinstall-packages <ver>`	Migrate global packages
`nvm version`	Show current node/npm
`nvm version-remote`	Show recent remote versions

Supported Platforms

Linux x64 / arm64
macOS x64 (Intel) / arm64 (Apple Silicon)
Windows x64 (requires 7-Zip installed)

License

MIT

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 8 Commits
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
homebrew		homebrew
shell		shell
src		src
.gitignore		.gitignore
Cargo.toml		Cargo.toml
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.ZH_CN.md		README.ZH_CN.md
README.md		README.md
install.ps1		install.ps1
install.sh		install.sh
nvm.sh		nvm.sh

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nvm-rs

Features

Comparison with fnm and nvm-sh

Installation

One-liner install (macOS / Linux)

Windows (PowerShell)

Homebrew (macOS)

Build from source

Download manually

Shell Integration

Bash / Zsh

Fish Shell

PowerShell

Auto-switch

Quick Start

Shell integration (optional)

Usage

Install a Node.js version

Use an installed version

List versions

Uninstall

NVM directories

Aliases

Mirror source

Project version files

Run with a specific version

Migrate global packages

Upgrade npm

io.js

Cache management

Offline install

Source compile

Compound install actions

Language

Proxy

Shell Completions

Corepack

Auto-switch with package.json

Configuration

Command Reference

Supported Platforms

License

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