Introduction
As a front-end development engineer, we usually install Node.js by downloading the binary installation package from the official website. However, in actual development, it is inevitable that due to some compatibility issues, we need to install and switch to different versions of Node.js. If we still use this method, then It is undoubtedly very inconvenient to have to uninstall the existing version before installing the new version.
Today we will introduce a tool to install and manage multiple Node.js versions through visual interface operation: nvm-desktop (full name: Node Version Manager Desktop). Supports Windows and macOS, the code is completely open source and can be used with confidence.
Supports setting up and switching different versions of Node separately for different projects.
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nvm-desktop
Node Version Manager Desktop - A desktop application to manage multiple active node.js versions.
nvm-desktop
A cross-platform Node.js version manager with both:
-
GUI app (
nvm-desktop) for visual management -
CLI tool (
nvmd) for terminal workflows
Supports macOS, Windows, and Linux.
English | 简体中文
Screenshot
Why use it
- Install and uninstall Node.js versions quickly
- Switch global Node.js version with one command/click
- Pin Node.js versions per project
- Keep environments isolated across Node.js versions
- Use GUI or CLI based on your workflow
Install
Download from releases:
After installation, ensure these are available in terminal:
nvmd -V
node -v
npm -v
Core usage (CLI-first)
1) Install a Node.js version
nvmd install 20.18.0
2) List installed versions
nvmd ls
3) Switch global version
nvmd use 20.18.0
node -v
4) Set version for current project
nvmd use 18.20.4 --project
node -v
5) Check current version
nvmd current
6) Uninstall a version
nvmd uninstall 16.20.2
7) Find executable path
nvmd which node
nvmd…Screenshot
Download and Install
Download
Download link: nvmd-desktop Download Page (GitHub release)
Depending on the platform, download the latest version.
Install
After downloading the binary installer for the corresponding platform, double-click to install it.
Because the program is currently not signed with a certificate through an Apple developer account, a security prompt will appear when running on macOS:
"File/App is damaged and cannot be opened. You should move it to Trash."
"File/App is damaged and cannot be opened. You should move it to Trash." is a Mac error that can occur to various macOS versions, such as macOS Ventura/Monterey/Big Sur/Catalina, especially on M1 Macs. It usually happens on apps or files downloaded from the web, but it can also arise when opening apps downloaded from App Store.
You can check the nvm-desktop documentation or this article (Fix 'File/App is damaged and cannot be opened' on Mac) to allow the program to run.
On the Windows platform, you need to trust this software in the firewall.
Because the project code is completely open source, please feel free to run it. Or you can clone the code to local compile and install according to the tutorial in the documentation.
Start Using
Take the macOS platform as an example:
According to the wizard, the following commands need to be added to the system's ~/.bashrc, ~/.profile or ~/.zshrc files:
export NVMD_DIR="$HOME/.nvmd"
export PATH="$NVMD_DIR/bin:$PATH"
Under Windows, no additional operations are required. After installation and operation, directly search for the specified Node.js version and click to download and install it.
Enter the main page:
Node.js supports the arm64 architecture of macOS starting from v16.0.0:
Set different Node.js versions for different projects:
Find the version you need to download and install:
You can check the download progress in real time or cancel the download.
After installation, click the Apply button to set it to the current Node.js version:
Check if it works by typing node --version & npm --version in the terminal.
Other Features
Command Tool
The nvmd allows you to quickly manage different versions of Node.js through the command line (nvmd does not provide the download and installation function of Node.js. If you need to download and install a new version of Node.js, please open the nvm-desktop application):
$ nvmd use 18.17.1
Now using node v18.17.1
$ node -v
v18.17.1
$ nvmd use v20.5.1 --project
Now using node v20.5.1
$ node -v
v20.5.1
$ nvmd ls
v20.6.1
v20.5.1 (currently)
v18.17.1
$ nvmd current
v20.5.1
nvmd --help：
nvmd (2.6.0)
command tools for nvm-desktop
Usage: nvmd [COMMAND]
Commands:
current Get the currently used version
list List the all installed versions of Node.js
ls List the all installed versions of Node.js
use Use the installed version of Node.js (default is global)
which Get the path to the executable to where Node.js was installed
help Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)
Options:
-h, --help Print help
-V, --version Print version
Please download new version of Node.js in nvm-desktop.
After you switch the Node.js version through the nvmd use command line, please click the refresh button to let nvm-desktop synchronize the latest data.
See this documentation for more details: command-tools-intro.
Set Node versions individually for projects
It does not rely on the functions and shell of the operating system, and perfectly supports switching different Node.js versions for the project, and there is no need to restart the terminal after switching.
Click the Add Project button, select the project directory, and then select the required version of Node.js (already installed) for the project.
After selecting a version, a .nvmdrc file will be added to the root directory of your project, containing the selected version number. nvm-desktop sets the version of Node.js for the terminal through this file. Open your terminal and go to the project directory, and run node --version to see if it works.
The globally set Node.js version is v20.6.1:
Set the v20.5.0 version for the project:
Check in the root directory of the project in the terminal:
Quickly manage Node.js versions through the system tray menu
Avoid frequently opening interface windows and quickly switch Node.js versions through menu bar options.
macOS:
Windows:
Synchronize the latest released Node.js version
Because all Node.js version information data will be cached by default, if you want to view the latest released Node.js version, click the Remote Refresh button to synchronize the latest data (You can view it through the official link:https://nodejs.org/dist/index.json):
Custom download mirror address
The default download mirror address is https://nodejs.org/dist. If the download speed is slow in your area, then you can change the download address that suits you to download quickly.
Change the installation path of Node.js
The default installation path is: $HOME/.nvmd/versions:
Multi-Language and Multi-Theme
Multi-language currently supports English and Simplified Chinese:
The theme currently supports three modes: follow system, light and dark:
Installed Interface
Quickly find the installed and currently used version of Node.js on the installed interface for easy management.
View the Node.js release log
By clicking the version number of Node.js on the main interface, you can jump to the officially released Changelog interface of the corresponding version (keep track of the trends of the new version at any time):
At Last
Hope you enjoy this project I shared. Thank you. 😃
Github link：
Download link：
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