Nodenv CheatSheet

Here is a quick reference guide to the Nodenv CLI tool.

⚡ Note: Swap out specify_abc with the specific abc variable for the listed commands.

• Example: swap specify_version with 14.5.0 to install Node.js version 14.5.0.

Table of Contents

• Common Nodenv Commands
• What is Nodenv?
• Install & Setup Nodenv
• Usage - Install & Setup a Node.js version
  • Which Node.js version should I use?
• Nodenv Plugins
  • Install Nodenv Plugins - Example: nodenv-nvmrc

Common Nodenv Commands

Action	Command
List all available Node.js versions	nodenv install --list
List installed Node.js versions	nodenv versions
Install a specific Node.js version	nodenv install specify_version
Set a global Node.js version	nodenv global specify_version
Set a local (folder-specific) Node.js version	nodenv local specify_version
Uninstall a specific Node.js version	nodenv uninstall specify_version
Switch to a specific Node.js version	nodenv shell specify_version

What is Nodenv?

Since Node.js is notorious for breaking changes, it is important to be able to manage multiple Node.js versions on your machine.

That is where Nodenv comes in. It is a tool that allows you to install and switch between multiple Node.js versions seamlessly.

Install & Setup Nodenv

⚠️ Warning: Remove any existing installations of Node.js before installing nodenv! Having different Node.js installations can lead to conflict issues.

1. Install nodenv with Homebrew
2. Set up nodenv shell integration
3. Implement the changes by restarting the Terminal window
4. Verify that nodenv is set up correctly using the nodenv-doctor script.

# Update Homebrew
brew update && brew upgrade

# Install nodenv
brew install nodenv

# Initialization command
nodenv init

# Append the following line into the shell's rc/profile
eval "$(nodenv init -)"

# ----

# For Zsh users
echo 'eval "$(nodenv init -)"' >> ~/.zshrc
cat < ~/.zshrc

# For Bash users
echo 'eval "$(nodenv init -)"' >> ~/.bash_profile
cat < ~/.bash_profile

⚡ Now, close & open a new Terminal window for the changes to take place.

💪 Debug: Verify that Nodenv is properly set up by running the nodenv-doctor script:

curl -fsSL https://github.com/nodenv/nodenv-installer/raw/master/bin/nodenv-doctor | bash

Usage - Install & Setup a Node.js version

Now you're ready to install specific Node.js versions!

Inside project folder, install Node.js version 14.5.0:

cd project/

nodenv install 14.5.0

nodenv local 14.5.0

Alright! Your Mac is now armed with Node.js!

Which Node.js version should I use?

Use the latest LTS (long-term support) Node.js version when in doubt.

Find it here: Node.js

If you are going to use a framework like React, Vue, or Angular, you should check their documentation for the recommended Node.js version.

Nodenv Plugins

What are plugins? Plugins are additional features that you can add to nodenv to enhance its functionality. You can find a list of plugins here: Plugins · nodenv/nodenv Wiki

Action	Command
List available nodenv plugins	nodenv plugins
Set Nodenv Homebrew Tap	brew tap nodenv/nodenv
Install a nodenv plugin	brew install specify_plugin
Enable a nodenv plugin	nodenv specify_plugin specify_command

Install Nodenv Plugins - Example: nodenv-nvmrc

brew tap nodenv/nodenv
brew install nodenv-nvmrc

Comments

[Kyle Ridolfo]

How do you handle minor npm version updates with this? Let's say my project node is at 20.10.0 but my global node is a running 18.x. When I use npm in my project folder it says I can update from npm 10.2.3 to 10.3.0. Will running npm install -g npm@10.3.0 put my global npm out of sync with my global node? Hope that makes sense.

[ahandsel]

Hello @kyleridolfo ,

I believe you can run npm install -g npm@10.3.0 as long as you have node v20.11.0 set globally.

In terms of steps:

1. nodenv install 20.11.0
2. nodenv global 20.11.0
3. Restart terminal
4. npm install -g npm@10.3.0

I hope this helps