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previously used node version is not removed from the PATH variable #3561
Description
Operating system and version:
macOS
nvm debug output:
nvm --version: v0.40.2
$TERM_PROGRAM: vscode
$SHELL: /bin/zsh
$SHLVL: 1
whoami: 'user'
${HOME}: /Users/user
${NVM_DIR}: '${HOME}/.nvm'
${PATH}: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v20.19.0/bin:${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v22.14.0/bin:${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v22.14.0/bin:${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v20.19.0/bin:${HOME}/.pixi/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/opt/homebrew/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/System/Cryptexes/App/usr/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/local/bin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/bin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/appleinternal/bin:/opt/X11/bin:/Library/Apple/usr/bin:/usr/local/share/dotnet:~/.dotnet/tools:${HOME}/.pixi/bin:${HOME}/Library/pnpm:${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v18.20.6/bin:${HOME}/.cargo/bin:${HOME}/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/Toolbox/scripts:${HOME}/.spicetify:${HOME}/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/Toolbox/scripts:${HOME}/.spicetify
$PREFIX: ''
${NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX}: ''
$NVM_NODEJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
$NVM_IOJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
shell version: 'zsh 5.9 (arm64-apple-darwin24.0)'
uname -a: 'Darwin 24.3.0 Darwin Kernel Version 24.3.0: Thu Jan 2 20:24:24 PST 2025; root:xnu-11215.81.4~3/RELEASE_ARM64_T6030 arm64'
checksum binary: 'sha256sum'
OS version: macOS 15.3.2 24D81
awk: /usr/bin/awk, awk version 20200816
curl: /usr/bin/curl, curl 8.7.1 (x86_64-apple-darwin24.0) libcurl/8.7.1 (SecureTransport) LibreSSL/3.3.6 zlib/1.2.12 nghttp2/1.63.0
wget: /opt/homebrew/bin/wget, GNU Wget 1.25.0 built on darwin24.1.0.
sed: /usr/bin/sed
cut: /usr/bin/cut
basename: /usr/bin/basename
rm: /bin/rm
mkdir: /bin/mkdir
xargs: /usr/bin/xargs
git: /usr/bin/git, git version 2.39.5 (Apple Git-154)
grep: /usr/bin/grep, grep (BSD grep, GNU compatible) 2.6.0-FreeBSD
nvm current: v20.19.0
which node: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v20.19.0/bin/node
which iojs: iojs not found
which npm: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v20.19.0/bin/npm
npm config get prefix: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v20.19.0
npm root -g: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v20.19.0/lib/node_modulesnvm ls output:
Details
-> v20.19.0
v22.14.0
default -> 20 (-> v20.19.0)
iojs -> N/A (default)
unstable -> N/A (default)
node -> stable (-> v22.14.0) (default)
stable -> 22.14 (-> v22.14.0) (default)
lts/* -> lts/jod (-> v22.14.0)
lts/argon -> v4.9.1 (-> N/A)
lts/boron -> v6.17.1 (-> N/A)
lts/carbon -> v8.17.0 (-> N/A)
lts/dubnium -> v10.24.1 (-> N/A)
lts/erbium -> v12.22.12 (-> N/A)
lts/fermium -> v14.21.3 (-> N/A)
lts/gallium -> v16.20.2 (-> N/A)
lts/hydrogen -> v18.20.8 (-> N/A)
lts/iron -> v20.19.0
lts/jod -> v22.14.0How did you install nvm?
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.2/install.sh | bash
What steps did you perform?
nvm install 20
nvm install 22
nvm use 20
What happened?
PATH variable is polluted with bin paths of the previously used node.
What did you expect to happen?
PATH to only contain selected node
Is there anything in any of your profile files that modifies the PATH?
no
Activity
ljharb commentedon Apr 8, 2025
Interesting - there's explicit code in nvm to purge the PATH of nvm entries before using a new version. What happens if you manually clear out the nvm stuff from the PATH, and then
nvm use 20?0xorial commentedon Apr 8, 2025
then it's added once. I also noticed that it only happens in vscode terminal, but not in the system terminal
ljharb commentedon Apr 8, 2025
oh interesting. so you can't reproduce the problem in a real terminal, but you can consistently reproduce it in vscode's terminal?
0xorial commentedon Apr 8, 2025
exactly!
xianghongai commentedon Apr 28, 2025
nvm alias default v22.15.0nvm use defaultAfter restarting the terminal: v16.20.2
ljharb commentedon Apr 28, 2025
@xianghongai same problem for you? works on the real terminal, not on vscode's?
ljharb commentedon Apr 28, 2025
Sounds like it's vscode-specific behavior, then, that nvm wouldn't be able to fix.
atox996 commentedon Apr 30, 2025
I have the same problem
mattyforth commentedon May 12, 2025
Just chiming in, I can also reproduce this issue on a real terminal, not VSCode (Ghosstty terminal to be exact).
Steps:
nvm use default(set to lts/* - 22.14.0)node --version= 22.14.0nvm debugNote the path still contains reference to v16.20.2 node, which is what was set before using
nvm use default.Also as @xianghongai described, new terminals aren't respecting the
defaultalias that I have set. All terminals start with v16.20.2 by default. Oncenvm use defaultis ran,node --versioncorrectly returns v22, but only in that terminal session.SQDR2 commentedon Jun 9, 2025
and new a terminal run node -v
So I failed to switch the node version using nvm, only the current terminal switched successfully
xianghongai commentedon Dec 10, 2025
real terminal + vscode terminal
gitenstuff commentedon Jan 22, 2026
same problem. i noticed that if after gnome login, the first thing that i do is nvm alias default then makes default current. but if the first thing i do after login is nvm use some other version, then that version is sticky across sessions, and terminals.
[Fix] `nvm use`: do not pile up `PATH` entries in nested sessions