nvm use with nvmrc as node node v.0.0 (64-bit) is not installed.

[ctsstc]

My Environment

• Windows 10

I'm using NVM4W version:

• 1.1.7

I have already...

• read the README to be aware of npm gotchas & antivirus issues.
• reviewed the wiki to make sure my issue hasn't already been resolved.
• verified I'm using an account with administrative privileges.
• searched the issues (open and closed) to make sure this isn't a duplicate.
• made sure this isn't a question about how to use NVM for Windows, since gitter is used for questions and comments.

My issue is related to (check only those which apply):

• settings.txt
• proxy support (Have you tried version 1.1.0+?)
• 32 or 64 bit support (Have you tried version 1.1.3+?)
• Character escaping (Have you tried version 1.1.6+?)
• A standard shell environment (terminal/powershell)
• A non-standard shell environment (Cmder, Hyper, Cygwin, git)

Expected Behavior

Running nvm use with an .nvmrc with node in it should use the latest version of node

Actual Behavior

I see this instead

> nvm use
.0.0
node v.0.0 (64-bit) is not installed

Steps to reproduce the problem:

.nvmrc contents

node

run nvm use

[ctsstc]

I tried to throw in a standard version into the .nvmrc like 10.9.0 and it still has the same error, so now I'm wondering if this is due to my project directory containing a space in it... hmm.

[coreybutler]

.nvmrc is not supported. That's an nvm (for Linux) convention. NVM4W is not a mirror of nvm and has no intention of doing so. You can see the different use cases handled by each VM at nodejs/version-management#4.

[paulgwinters]

FYI, I created a workaround for this functionality by using the following commands in powershell:
type .\.nvmrc | %{$_ -replace "v",""} | %{nvm install $_}
type .\.nvmrc | %{$_ -replace "v",""} | %{nvm use $_}

[basickarl]

.nvmrc is not supported. That's an nvm (for Linux) convention. NVM4W is not a mirror of nvm and has no intention of doing so. You can see the different use cases handled by each VM at nodejs/version-management#4.

Any reason why this file isn't being used in Windows? It's super useful!

[coreybutler]

The .nvmrc file is designed for per-project/shell Node versioning. This is not how Node natively works (i.e. without a version manager). The .nvmrc file depends on a shim, i.e. a an executable file called "node" that redirects commands to the appropriate node executable. In other words, it is a wrapper. In Windows environments, this can create problems executing scripts (the script runs under a different context). This is why NVM4W doesn't use a shim... it's an extra artifact. NVM4W uses symlinks, so calling node.exe directly runs Node (no middleware). The shimming concept is also something some antivirus applications detect, i.e. identifying shimmed applications as a virus.

From a programming perspective, a shim is a nice theory to work with. Commands can be intercepted before the executable is called, making it possible to redirect commands to a different physical executable. Shims read the .nvmrc file to determine which executable commands should be redirected to.

I've not added this to NVM4W mostly because it is symlink-based instead of shim-based. There is no preprocessing of node commands with a direct symlink. Furthermore, these tools are supposed to be node version managers, not developer environment managers.

I do recognize the convenience of an nvmrc/node-version file, but I do not find the shim concept to be a truly viable option for all Windows users - especially those in stricter environments like corporate networks. The alternative is a hooks system. I opened this issue documenting the idea of using hooks. Hooks could achieve the same thing an .nvmrc file offers (plus more). However; I never had time to implement this.

As the JavaScript ecosystem has evolved, I still feel the core tenants of this project are viable for version management. However; I also feel there are better ways to manage JS runtimes (lessons learned from running this project since inception). I feel there are enough advances that it would be better to create a different project. So, I have no intention of adding this to NVM4W, but I do intend to address the need/desires in a different project. See the discussion where I discuss rt (runtime), the successor project I've been working on.

[samraskul]

first you should install node:
nvm use 16.14.2
and then use node:
nvm use 18