nvm
allows you to quickly install and use different versions of node via the command line.
Example:
$ nvm use 16
Now using node v16.9.1 (npm v7.21.1)
$ node -v
v16.9.1
$ nvm use 14
Now using node v14.18.0 (npm v6.14.15)
$ node -v
v14.18.0
$ nvm install 12
Now using node v12.22.6 (npm v6.14.5)
$ node -v
v12.22.6
Simple as that!
To download, compile, and install the latest release of node, do this:
nvm install node # "node" is an alias for the latest version
To install a specific version of node:
nvm install 14.7.0 # or 16.3.0, 12.22.1, etc
The first version installed becomes the default. New shells will start with the default version of node (e.g., nvm alias default
).
You can list available versions using ls-remote
:
nvm ls-remote
And then in any new shell just use the installed version:
nvm use node
Or you can just run it:
nvm run node --version
Or, you can run any arbitrary command in a subshell with the desired version of node:
nvm exec 4.2 node --version