# `n` – Interactively Manage Your Node.js Versions [![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/dt/n.svg?style=flat-square)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/n) [![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/dm/n.svg?style=flat-square)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/n) [![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/n.svg?style=flat-square)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/n) [![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/l/n.svg?style=flat-square)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/n) Node.js version management: no subshells, no profile setup, no convoluted API, just **simple**. ![](http://nimit.io/images/n/n.gif) (Unfortunately `n` is not supported on Windows.) - [`n` – Interactively Manage Your Node.js Versions](#n-%E2%80%93-interactively-manage-your-nodejs-versions) - [Installation](#installation) - [Third Party Installers](#third-party-installers) - [Installing/Activating Node Versions](#installingactivating-node-versions) - [Removing Versions](#removing-versions) - [Binary Usage](#binary-usage) - [Usage](#usage) - [Custom source](#custom-source) - [Custom architecture](#custom-architecture) - [Additional Details](#additional-details) - [License](#license) ## Installation Since you probably already have `node`, the easiest way to install `n` is through `npm`: $ npm install -g n Alternatively, you can clone this repo and $ make install to install `n` to `bin/n` of the directory specified in the environment variable `$PREFIX`, which defaults to `/usr/local` (note that you will likely need to use `sudo`). To install `n` in a custom location (such as `$CUSTOM_LOCATION/bin/n`), run `PREFIX=$CUSTOM_LOCATION make install`. Once installed, `n` installs `node` versions to subdirectory `n/versions` of the directory specified in environment variable `N_PREFIX`, which defaults to `/usr/local`; the _active_ `node`/`iojs` version is installed directly in `N_PREFIX`. To change the default to, say, `$HOME`, prefix later calls to `n` with `N_PREFIX=$HOME ` or add `export N_PREFIX=$HOME` to your shell initialization file. ### Third Party Installers On macOS with [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) you can install the [`n` formula](https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core/blob/master/Formula/n.rb). brew install n On Linux and macOS, [n-install](https://github.com/mklement0/n-install) allows installation directly from GitHub; for instance: curl -L https://git.io/n-install | bash n-install sets both `PREFIX` and `N_PREFIX` to `$HOME/n`, installs `n` to `$HOME/n/bin`, modifies the initialization files of supported shells to export `N_PREFIX` and add `$HOME/n/bin` to the `PATH`, and installs the latest stable `node` version. As a result, both `n` itself and all `node` versions it manages are hosted inside a single, optionally configurable directory, which you can later remove with the included `n-uninstall` script. `n-update` updates `n` itself to the latest version. See the [n-install repo](https://github.com/mklement0/n-install) for more details. ## Installing/Activating Node Versions Simply execute `n ` to install a version of `node`. If `` has already been installed (via `n`), `n` will activate that version. A leading v is optional, and a partial version number installs the newest matching version. $ n 4.9.1 $ n 10 $ n v8.11.3 Execute `n` on its own to view your currently installed versions. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate and press enter to select. Use `q` or ^C (control + C) to exit the selection screen. If you like vim key bindings during the selection of node versions, you can use `j` and `k` to navigate up or down without using arrows. $ n node/4.9.1 ο node/8.11.3 node/10.15.0 Use or install the latest official release: $ n latest Use or install the latest LTS official release: $ n lts ## Removing Versions Remove some versions: $ n rm 0.9.4 v0.10.0 Alternatively, you can use `-` in lieu of `rm`: $ n - 0.9.4 Removing all versions except the current version: ```bash $ n prune ``` ## Binary Usage When running multiple versions of `node`, we can target them directly by asking `n` for the binary path: $ n bin 0.9.4 /usr/local/n/versions/0.9.4/bin/node Or by using a specific version through `n`'s `use` sub-command: $ n use 0.9.4 some.js Flags also work here: $ n as 0.9.4 --debug some.js ## Usage Output can also be obtained from `n --help`. Usage: n [options/env] [COMMAND] [args] Environments: n [COMMAND] [args] Uses default env (node) Commands: n Output versions installed n latest Install or activate the latest node release n -a x86 latest As above but force 32 bit architecture n lts Install or activate the latest LTS node release n Install node n use [args ...] Execute node with [args ...] n bin Output bin path for n rm Remove the given version(s) n prune Remove all versions except the current version n --latest Output the latest node version available n --lts Output the latest LTS node version available n ls Output the versions of node available Options: -V, --version Output current version of n -h, --help Display help information -q, --quiet Disable curl output (if available) -d, --download Download only -a, --arch Override system architecture Aliases: which bin use as list ls - rm stable lts ## Custom source If you would like to use a project other than the official Node.js project, you can use the special `n project [command]` which allows you to control the behavior of `n` using environment variables. For example, to grab the latest io.js version: PROJECT_NAME="iojs" PROJECT_URL="https://iojs.org/dist/" n project latest Required Variables: * `PROJECT_NAME`: The name the project will be stored under * `PROJECT_URL`: The location to download the project from. Note, this must follow the same format as the Node.js repos Optional Variables: * `HTTP_USER`: The username if the `PROJECT_URL` is protected by basic authentication * `HTTP_PASSWORD`: The password if the `PROJECT_URL` is protected by basic authentication * `PROJECT_VERSION_CHECK`: Many custom projects keep the same version number as the Node.js release they are based on, and maintain their own separate version in process. This allows you to define a JavaScript variable that will be used to check for the version of the process, for example: `process.versions.node` ## Custom architecture By default `n` picks the binaries matching your system architecture, e.g. `n` will download 64 bit binaries for a 64 bit system. You can override this by using the `-a` or `--arch` option. Download and use latest 32 bit version of `node`: $ n --arch x86 latest Download and use 64 bit LTS version of `node` for older Mac Intel Core 2 Duo systems (x86 image is no longer available but x64 runs fine): $ n --arch x64 lts ## Additional Details `n` installs versions to `/usr/local/n/versions` by default. Here, it can see what versions are currently installed and activate previously installed versions accordingly when `n ` is invoked again. Activated versions are then installed to the prefix `/usr/local`, which may be altered via the __`N_PREFIX`__ environment variable. To alter where `n` operates, simply `export N_PREFIX`. If you are searching for the latest version of `n` below 2.x.x, check out the branch `1.x.x`. ## License (The MIT License) Copyright (c) 2014 TJ Holowaychuk <tj@vision-media.ca> Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.