I’m working with nvm to manage multiple Node.js versions on my system and it’s been great for switching between different Node releases. Each time I install a new Node version through nvm, it comes bundled with its own npm version in the respective bin directory.
The problem I’m facing is that I can’t figure out how to change which npm version gets used. It seems like nvm handles Node switching perfectly but doesn’t provide an obvious way to manage npm versions separately.
Right now I’m stuck with whatever npm version came with my initial Node installation. I thought about manually removing the default npm executable and replacing it with a newer one, but that feels like a hack.
Is there a proper method to update or switch npm versions when using nvm? What’s the recommended approach for this situation?
you can upgrade npm separately from nvm! just run npm install -g npm@latest to update npm for your current node version. each node version has its own npm, so u won’t mess up other setups.
npm version switching is inherently tied to the Node installation, as each Node version has its own npm binary included. When you install a specific Node version using nvm, it automatically comes with the npm version it was released with. To check which npm version you have after switching, run npm --version. If you need a different npm version, you can simply execute npm install -g npm@desired-version to update npm for that particular Node version. This approach allows for separate installations of global packages across different Node setups, preventing conflicts but requiring you to reinstall tools when changing Node versions.
Yeah, that’s how nvm works - each Node.js version has its own npm installed with it. When you run nvm use, you’re switching to a completely different Node installation that has its own npm binary.
If you want a specific npm version with a particular Node version, you’ve got to install it after switching. Say you want npm 8.19.2 with Node 16 - just run nvm use 16 then npm install -g [email protected]. That npm version only gets installed for Node 16.
Each Node version keeps its own global packages directory, so npm upgrades don’t affect other versions. It’s actually pretty handy since different projects might need different Node/npm combos without conflicts.