nvm-auto

nvm-auto is an plugin for the venerable oh-my-zsh.

It aims to alleviate needing to type nvm use as much as possible, especially if you often switch between versions of node.js and use .nvmrc files in your project to manage what version of node your project needs.

The Problem

Let's say for example that you have the following directory structure with 2 projects in it:

~
+-- Project1
|   +--- .nvmrc
|
+-- Project2   
    +--- .nvmrc

Let's say Project1's .nvmrc file states we need node v4.2.4. Project2's, on the other hand, states a need for v5.8.0.

To move between projects you will need to do something like:

cd Project1
nvm use

// do some stuff in project one

cd Project2
nvm use

//do some other stuff

If you are like me, you often forget to execute the nvm use commands after each cd. This can lead to problems ranging from the simple scripts not running to more problematic ones like global npm installs against the wrong node version, or bad module builds for the local repo.

How nvm-auto helps

If you use oh-my-zsh, then this plugin helps by auto-executing the nvm use command when you switch contexts (for example from Project1 to Project2).

No more bad installs, no more cluttering up the global node area with unneeded modules.

Installation

For the impatient:

cd ~/.oh-my-zsh/custom/plugins
git clone https://github.com/dijitalmunky/nvm-auto.git
sed -e 's/^plugins=(\(.*\))/plugins=(\1 nvm-auto)/' -i .pre-nvm-auto ~/.zshrc
echo 'nvm_auto_switch' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

For the less impatient:

1. Ensure you have nvm >=0.30 installed properly.

2. Make sure you have set the default alias for nvm - e.g.: nvm set default 5.9.0

3. Have oh-my-zsh installed (D'uh!)

4. Open a terminal and navigate to your ~/.oh-my-zsh/custom/plugins folder.

5. Clone this repository to that folder.

6. Add nvm-auto to your plugins variable in ~/.zshrc.

7. Add a call to the nvm_auto_switch function after NVM is initialized in your .zshrc file.

8. Source .zshrc in your current shell or restart your shell.