Skip to main content
Version: 8.3

Using nvm

What is nvm?​

nvm is a Node Version Manager. It's perfect for running multiple versions of Node.js on the same machine.

Installing nvm​

warning

If you've already installed Node.js on your machine, uninstall Node.js before installing nvm. This will prevent any conflicts between the Node.js and nvm.

If you're on a Mac​

You can uninstall by running the following command in your terminal:

brew uninstall --force node

Once that's finished, run the following command to remove unused folders and dependencies:

brew cleanup

If you're on Windows​

  • Go to the start menu, search and go to Settings
  • Click on the Apps section
  • In the search box under Apps & Features section, search for Nodejs
  • Click on Nodejs and click on Uninstall
  • We recommend restarting your machine, even if you're not prompted to do so

If you're on a Mac​

You can install nvm using Homebrew:

brew install nvm

If you're on Windows​

Reference the nvm-windows repo.

  • Download the latest installer (nvm-setup.zip)
  • Locate your zip file (should be in your downloads or wherever you've configured your downloads to be saved) and unzip/extract its contents
  • Now, you should have a file called nvm-setup.exe. Double click on it to run the installer.
  • Follow the instructions in the installer
info

We have a specific doc for Windows Development Setup.

How to use nvm​

To confirm that nvm was installed correctly, run the following command in your terminal:

nvm --version

You should see the version number of nvm printed to your terminal.

To install the latest version of Node.js​

nvm install latest

To install a specific version of Node.js​

nvm install <version number>

To see all the versions of Node that you can install, run the following command:

nvm ls-remote
warning

You'll need to install yarn for each version of Node that you install.

Corepack is included with all Node.js >=16.10 installs, but you must opt-in. To enable it, run the following command:

corepack enable

We also have a doc specifically for working with yarn.

To use a specific version of Node.js​

nvm use <version number>
info

Remember: Redwood has specific Node.js version requirements.

To see all the versions of Node.js that you have installed​

nvm ls

To set the default version of Node.js​

nvm alias default <<version number>>

To uninstall a specific version of Node.js​

nvm uninstall <<version number>>