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232 lines
9.5 KiB
Markdown
232 lines
9.5 KiB
Markdown
# `n` – Interactively Manage Your Node.js Versions
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[](https://gitter.im/tj/n)
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[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/n)
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[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/n)
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[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/n)
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[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/n)
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Node.js version management: no subshells, no profile setup, no convoluted API, just **simple**.
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(Unfortunately `n` is not supported on Windows yet. If you're able to make it work, send in a pull request!)
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## Installation
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Since you probably already have `node`, the easiest way to install `n` is through `npm`:
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$ npm install -g n
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Alternatively, you can clone this repo and
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$ make install
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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=$CUSTOM_LOCATION make install`.
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Once installed, `n` installs `node` versions to subdirectory `n/versions` of the directory specified in environment variable `N_PREFIX`, which defaults to `/usr/local`; the _active_ `node`/`iojs` version is installed directly in `N_PREFIX`.
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To change the default to, say, `$HOME`, prefix later calls to `n` with `N_PREFIX=$HOME ` or add `export N_PREFIX=$HOME` to your shell initialization file.
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Additionally, consider third-party installer [n-install](https://github.com/mklement0/n-install), which allows installation directly from GitHub; for instance,
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curl -L http://git.io/n-install | bash
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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 `$HOME/n/bin` to the `PATH`, and installs the latest stable `node` version.
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As a result, both `n` itself and all `node` versions it manages are hosted inside a single, optionally configurable directory, which you can later remove with the included `n-uninstall` script. `n-update` updates `n` itself to the latest version. See the [n-install repo](https://github.com/mklement0/n-install) for more details.
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### Installing/Activating Versions
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Simply execute `n <version>` to install a version of `node`. If `<version` has already been installed (via `n`), `n` will activate that version.
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$ n 0.8.14
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$ n 0.8.17
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$ n 0.9.6
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Execute `n` on its own to view your currently installed versions. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate and press enter or the right arrow key to select. Use ^C (control + C) to exit the selection screen.
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$ n
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0.8.14
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ο 0.8.17
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0.9.6
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Use or install the latest official release:
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$ n latest
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Use or install the stable official release:
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$ n stable
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Use or install the latest LTS official release:
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$ n lts
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### Removing Versions
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Remove some versions:
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$ n rm 0.9.4 v0.10.0
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Alternatively, you can use `-` in lieu of `rm`:
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$ n - 0.9.4
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### Binary Usage
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When running multiple versions of `node`, we can target
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them directly by asking `n` for the binary path:
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$ n bin 0.9.4
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/usr/local/n/versions/0.9.4/bin/node
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Or by using a specific version through `n`'s `use` sub-command:
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$ n use 0.9.4 some.js
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Flags also work here:
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$ n as 0.9.4 --debug some.js
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### Working with `npm`
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After switching Node.js versions using `n`, `npm` may not work properly. This should fix it (thanks [@mikemoser](https://github.com/mikemoser)!):
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```sh
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$ curl -0 -L http://npmjs.org/install.sh | sudo sh
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```
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`sudo` may not be required depending on your system configuration.
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## Usage
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Output can also be obtained from `n --help`.
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Usage: n [options/env] [COMMAND] [args]
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Environments:
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n [COMMAND] [args] Uses default env (node)
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n io [COMMAND] Sets env as io
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Commands:
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n Output versions installed
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n latest Install or activate the latest node release
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n -a x86 latest As above but force 32 bit architecture
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n stable Install or activate the latest stable node release
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n lts Install or activate the latest LTS node release
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n <version> Install node <version>
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n use <version> [args ...] Execute node <version> with [args ...]
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n bin <version> Output bin path for <version>
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n rm <version ...> Remove the given version(s)
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n --latest Output the latest node version available
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n --stable Output the latest stable node version available
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n --lts Output the latest LTS node version available
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n ls Output the versions of node available
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(iojs):
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n io latest Install or activate the latest iojs release
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n io -a x86 latest As above but force 32 bit architecture
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n io <version> Install iojs <version>
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n io use <version> [args ...] Execute iojs <version> with [args ...]
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n io bin <version> Output bin path for <version>
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n io rm <version ...> Remove the given version(s)
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n io --latest Output the latest iojs version available
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n io ls Output the versions of iojs available
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Options:
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-V, --version Output current version of n
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-h, --help Display help information
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-q, --quiet Disable curl output (if available)
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-d, --download Download only
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-a, --arch Override system architecture
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Aliases:
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which bin
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use as
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list ls
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- rm
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## Custom source
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If you would like to use a project other than the official Node.js or io.js projects, you can use the special `n project [command]` which allows you to control the behavior of `n` using environment variables.
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For example, to grab the latest io.js version but name it "foo" instead,
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PROJECT_NAME="foo" PROJECT_URL="https://iojs.org/dist/" n project latest
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Required Variables:
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* `PROJECT_NAME`: The name the project will be stored under
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* `PROJECT_URL`: The location to download the project from. Note, this must follow the same format as the io.js/Node.js repos
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Optional Variables:
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* `HTTP_USER`: The username if the `PROJECT_URL` is protected by basic authentication
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* `HTTP_PASSWORD`: The password if the `PROJECT_URL` is protected by basic authentication
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* `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`
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## Custom architecture
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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.
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Download and use latest 32 bit version of `node`:
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$ n --arch x86 latest
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Download and use latest 32 bit version of `iojs`:
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$ n io --arch x86 latest
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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):
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$ n --arch x64 lts
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## Additional Details
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`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 <version>` is invoked again.
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Activated versions are then installed to the prefix `/usr/local`, which may be altered via the __`N_PREFIX`__ environment variable.
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To alter where `n` operates, simply `export N_PREFIX`.
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`n` does not work on Windows at the moment. Pull Requests are appreciated.
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If you are searching for the latest version of `n` below 2.x.x, check out the branch `1.x.x`.
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## Core Team
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* Nimit Kalra – [@qw3rtman](https://github.com/qw3rtman)
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* Ted Gaydos – [@tedgaydos](https://github.com/tedgaydos)
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* Travis Webb – [@tjwebb](https://github.com/tjwebb)
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## License
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(The MIT License)
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Copyright (c) 2014 TJ Holowaychuk <tj@vision-media.ca>
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Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
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a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
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'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
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without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
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distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
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permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
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the following conditions:
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The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
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included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
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THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
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EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
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MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
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IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
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CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
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TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
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SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
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