Introducing the Developer Tools Virtual Environment Manager!

#go #cli #python #node

If you've ever tried to manage multiple versions of Python, Node.js, or Ruby on Windows, you know the pain. Tools like nvm, pyenv, and rbenv work great on macOS and Linux, but Windows support ranges from "hacky workarounds" to "just use WSL." And even on Unix systems, you're juggling three different tools with three different configurations.

So I built something better.

Introducing dtvem

dtvem (Developer Tools Virtual Environment Manager) is a unified, cross-platform runtime version manager written in Go. One tool to manage Python, Node.js, and Ruby — and it works identically on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

No shell hooks. No .bashrc modifications. No WSL required. Just install it and go.

Why Another Version Manager?

The existing tools are great, but they all have the same problem: Windows is an afterthought. And if you work across multiple runtimes, you're maintaining separate tools with separate configurations.

dtvem takes a different approach:

Windows is a first-class citizen — not an afterthought or "community port"
Shim-based architecture — works in cmd.exe, PowerShell, bash, zsh, fish, whatever
One tool for multiple runtimes — Python, Node.js, and Ruby today, with Go, Rust, and Java on the roadmap
Project-local versions — drop a config file in your project and the right versions activate automatically

How It Works

dtvem uses shims instead of shell integration. When you run python or node, it intercepts the command and routes it to the correct version based on your configuration.

The resolution order is simple:

Local config — .dtvem/runtimes.json in your project (or any parent directory)
Global config — ~/.dtvem/config/runtimes.json for system-wide defaults
System PATH — falls back to whatever's installed on your system

No magic. No shell hooks. It just works.

Getting Started

Installation is a one-liner.

Windows (PowerShell):

irm dtvem.io/install.ps1 | iex

macOS / Linux:

curl -fsSL dtvem.io/install.sh | bash

Once installed, the workflow is straightforward:

# Install a runtime version
dtvem install python 3.12.0
dtvem install node 22.0.0

# Set global defaults
dtvem global python 3.12.0
dtvem global node 22.0.0

# Set project-specific versions
cd my-project
dtvem local python 3.10.0
dtvem local node 18.20.0

# Check what's active
dtvem current

That's it. Navigate into my-project and Python 3.10.0 and Node 18.20.0 are automatically active. Navigate out and your global versions take over.

Migrating from Existing Tools

Already using nvm, pyenv, or rbenv? dtvem can import your existing installations:

dtvem migrate node # Import from nvm or fnm
dtvem migrate python # Import from pyenv
dtvem migrate ruby # Import from rbenv, rvm, chruby, or uru

It detects your existing version managers, copies the installed versions, preserves your globally installed packages, and optionally cleans up the old installations. You can run both tools side-by-side during the transition if you want a gradual migration.

The Website

All the details live at dtvem.io. You'll find:

Getting Started guide — installation and basic workflow
Command reference — all 18 commands documented
Runtime guides — specifics for Python, Node.js, and Ruby
Migration guide — step-by-step for switching from other tools
Comparison page — how dtvem stacks up against nvm, pyenv, rbenv, asdf, and mise

The install scripts are served directly from the domain, so the one-liner installations just work.