nvm-windows Documentation

Technical Documentation: coreybutler/nvm-windows

ℹ️ Provenance: Multi-Tier Ingestion · CodeWiki Reference

Overview (`README.md`) Copy Section

NVM for Windows

The Microsoft/Google recommended Node.js version manager for millions of Windows developers.

[!IMPORTANT]
You may already have NVM for Windows. Microsoft Zenith preconfigures NVM, starting with AMD Ryzen AI Halo devices. More devices from OEM and silicon partners will be available in the coming months.

NVM for Windows is not the same thing as nvm! (expand for details)

The original nvm is a completely separate project for Mac/Linux only. This project uses an entirely different philosophy and is not just a clone of nvm.

| 🚀 Version 2 is available
NVM for Windows has been fully rewritten for modern workflows.
Explore what’s new → |

| --- |
| 🏢 Introducing Certified Builds
Deploy NVM for Windows in controlled environments with commercial Certified Builds and optional add-ons:

**IT-managed deployment** with MSI and Intune
    **Centralized policy enforcement**
    **Auditable operations** with advanced logging
    **Supply-chain confidence** with verifiable trust artifacts
  
  **[Explore Certified Builds →](https://nvm-windows.com/certified)** |

Resources Copy Chapter

• Official Website
• Documentation
• Announcements
• Why We Rewrote NVM for Windows

Features Copy Chapter

[!IMPORTANT]
Community Edition installers are now code-signed as of v2.0.0-hotfix.2.

Certified Builds Copy Section

Commercial Certified Builds are now available for controlled environments. Learn more.

Not sure which edition is right for you? See Choosing a Build.

⭐ = Add-on package

:pray: Thanks Copy Chapter

Thanks to everyone who has submitted issues on and off GitHub, made suggestions, and generally helped make this a better project. Special thanks and the full contributor list is available here.

Overview (`build/README.md`) Copy Section

Community build

Authenticode-signed Inno Setup pipeline for NVM for Windows (core / community). No COSE worker signing, no SBOM, no SLSA, no ADMX, no MSI/Intune.

Produces nvm.exe, ETW event provider assets (NVMWindows.Events.man + NVMWindows.Events.dll), shims (node / proxy / reshim), sync.exe, and one Inno Setup .exe. Sync worker DLLs come from the certified release CDN (assets.nvm-windows.com) — this build does not compile them (CDN workers are already COSE Sign1'd by the certified pipeline).

NVMWindows.Events.dll is a wevtutil message/resource DLL (/NOENTRY). It is Authenticode-signed with product .exe/.msi artifacts (same Artifact Signing account). It is not COSE-signed (COSE is for sync workers only).

The sync Git submodule is private. Maintainers/CI compile it from source. Public from-source builds use -DownloadSync to fetch the matching release asset.

Local Copy Chapter

Requires: Go (see cli/src/go.mod), qgo, Zig (shim/.zigversion), Inno Setup 6.7.1+, go-winres.

# Maintainer / CI (sync submodule present)
.\build\main.ps1
.\build\main.ps1 -Architecture amd64
.\build\main.ps1 -Architecture arm64 -SkipInstaller
.\build\main.ps1 -Component Cli
.\build\main.ps1 -Hotfix beta.1
.\build\main.ps1 -Hotfix 2
.\build\main.ps1 -Version 2.0.1-hotfix.2

# Public clone (no sync source): download prebuilt sync.exe from the GitHub Release
.\build\main.ps1 -DownloadSync
.\build\main.ps1 -DownloadSync -SyncReleaseTag v2.0.0
.\build\main.ps1 -Component Sync -DownloadSync

.\build.ps1 still forwards to .\build\main.ps1.

Output:

• Executables → bin\
• Event provider → bin\NVMWindows.Events.man, bin\NVMWindows.Events.dll (shipped next to nvm.exe in the installer)
• Installer → .dist\nvm-<version>-<x64|arm64>-setup.exe (-Architecture amd64 writes x64)
• Staged sync release asset → .dist\nvm-<version>-<x64|arm64>-sync.exe

Requires Windows SDK (mc.exe / rc.exe) and Visual Studio link.exe for the event resource DLL.

GHA Copy Chapter

Workflow: Release Community Build (workflow_dispatch).

GitHub Release assets per architecture:

• nvm-<version>-x64-setup.exe and nvm-<version>-arm64-setup.exe — Inno Setup installers
• nvm-<version>-x64-sync.exe and nvm-<version>-arm64-sync.exe — prebuilt sync for -DownloadSync

Tag = v + effective version. General uses cli/src/manifest.json (2.0.2). alpha, beta, and rc use that manifest plus the kind and the next unused number (2.0.2-beta.3 already published means the next beta is 2.0.2-beta.4). hotfix uses the Hotfix Mainline plus the next -hotfix.N (2.0.1-hotfix.2 already published means the next hotfix of 2.0.1 is 2.0.1-hotfix.3), not the current manifest. The runner patches the manifest before the CLI and Inno build so the embedded version and AppVersion match. Inno VersionInfoVersion maps the trailing -word.N to the fourth numeric field (2.0.1-hotfix.1 → 2.0.1.1). Any x.y.z-* release is marked GitHub --prerelease.

WinGet Copy Section

Workflow: Publish to WinGet (workflow_dispatch).

Use it only after a public GitHub Release has both x64 and arm64 setup assets. It:

1. Downloads release installers.
2. Generates AuthorSoftware.NVMWindows manifests and SHA256 values.
3. Verifies anonymous public release URLs produce matching hashes.
4. Runs winget validate.
5. By default, runs a silent install smoke test from the downloaded x64 setup asset, runs nvm --version, then uninstalls.
6. Uploads the generated manifests as a workflow artifact.
7. When dry_run is false, opens a pull request from nvm-windows/winget-pkgs that adds AuthorSoftware.NVMWindows. The first submission is a new package. Later runs add a version. This does not update CoreyButler.NVMforWindows.

dry_run defaults to true (validate only). Live submit needs secret WINGET_CREATE_GITHUB_TOKEN (classic PAT with public_repo and workflow for a user who can push nvm-windows/winget-pkgs). The workflow scope is required because syncing that fork fast-forwards Microsoft's Actions workflow changes.

Inputs:

Secrets Copy Section

App install on nvm-windows must include nvm, cli, common, shim, sync (or all repos), Contents: Read. Inno Setup lives in-repo at installer/ (not a submodule). Release publish uses github.token (contents: write).

Immutable releases: published tag locks forever. Bump manifest version, or turn immutable off and set override_existing_release.

Overview (`installer/README.md`) Copy Section

Installer

The installer requires InnoSetup 6.7.1 or above.

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• Canonical Reference: https://codewiki.google/github.com/coreybutler/nvm-windows