nvm use: produce warning if local database is stale

[fulldecent]

Operating system and version:

nvm debug output:

Details

Last login: Tue Dec  9 11:43:04 on ttys031

~
❯ nvm debug
nvm --version: v0.40.3
$TERM_PROGRAM: Apple_Terminal
$SHELL: /bin/zsh
$SHLVL: 1
whoami: 'williamentriken'
${HOME}: /Users/williamentriken
${NVM_DIR}: '${HOME}/.nvm'
${PATH}: ${HOME}/.gem/ruby/3.1.0/bin:${HOME}/.gem/ruby/3.1.0/bin:${HOME}/.gem/ruby/3.1.0/bin:${HOME}/.rd/bin:${HOME}/.gem/ruby/3.1.3/bin:${HOME}/.rubies/ruby-3.1.3/lib/ruby/gems/3.1.0/bin:${HOME}/.rubies/ruby-3.1.3/bin:${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v24.11.1/bin:${HOME}/.rbenv/shims:/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/pmk/env/global/bin:/Library/Apple/usr/bin:/usr/local/MacGPG2/bin:/Applications/Little Snitch.app/Contents/Components:/opt/homebrew/bin
$PREFIX: ''
${NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX}: ''
$NVM_NODEJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
$NVM_IOJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
shell version: 'zsh 5.9 (arm64-apple-darwin25.0)'
uname -a: 'Darwin 25.1.0 Darwin Kernel Version 25.1.0: Mon Oct 20 19:34:05 PDT 2025; root:xnu-12377.41.6~2/RELEASE_ARM64_T6041 arm64'
checksum binary: 'sha256sum'
OS version: macOS 26.1 25B78
awk: /usr/bin/awk, awk version 20200816
curl: /usr/bin/curl, curl 8.7.1 (x86_64-apple-darwin25.0) libcurl/8.7.1 (SecureTransport) LibreSSL/3.3.6 zlib/1.2.12 nghttp2/1.67.1
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 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)
ls: grep:: No such file or directory
grep: grep: aliased to grep --color=auto --exclude-dir={.bzr,CVS,.git,.hg,.svn,.idea,.tox} (grep --color=auto --exclude-dir={.bzr,CVS,.git,.hg,.svn,.idea,.tox}), grep (BSD grep, GNU compatible) 2.6.0-FreeBSD
nvm current: v24.11.1
which node: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v24.11.1/bin/node
which iojs: iojs not found
which npm: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v24.11.1/bin/npm
npm config get prefix: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v24.11.1
npm root -g: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v24.11.1/lib/node_modules

~
❯ 

nvm ls output:

Details

nvm ls
       v22.20.0
->     v24.11.1
         system
default -> lts/* (-> v24.11.1)
iojs -> N/A (default)
unstable -> N/A (default)
node -> stable (-> v24.11.1) (default)
stable -> 24.11 (-> v24.11.1) (default)
lts/* -> lts/krypton (-> v24.11.1)
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 -> v20.19.6 (-> N/A)
lts/jod -> v22.21.1 (-> N/A)
lts/krypton -> v24.11.1

How did you install nvm?

What steps did you perform?

1. Wake up in 2024
2. nvm use (.nvmrc has lts/*, it installs node 22)
3. Sleep under a rock for a year
4. nvm use

What happened?

Still using node 22.

What did you expect to happen?

(This should only happen if you are resolving a non-absolute version number and if you have not updated the local database in 30+ days.)

ℹ️  Your nvm version database has not been updated in 30+ days. To update it, run:
nvm xxxxxxx

Discussion

lts/* should automatically know and get the latest major versions.

[ljharb]

How can it possibly know if it's stale without access to the internet?

A hardcoded assumption that there will have been a release in the last N days is not a viable option.

[ljharb]

Also, it would be a breaking change to blindly upgrade from 22 to 24, which is why putting lts/* or node in nvmrc isn't a great idea :-)

[fulldecent]

It is not the release that is stale. What is stale is that there has been no pull from the internet in 30+ days.

---

As to whether lts/* is a good idea or not, the numbers can speak for themselves.

[ljharb]

the numbers can speak for themselves

What numbers?

there has been no pull from the internet in 30+ days

I'm not sure why that's nvm's job to warn you - you can put nvm ls-remote in a cron if you like, and it'll take care of things for you?

[kellyerinmontgomery426-ui]

Getting VERY tired of Apple phone s missing aswell telenafea dropping in my Pages for quite some time I don't use Apple iPhone products

[fulldecent]

I don't have any numbers to say how many people use lts/*. But it is a supported feature so it ought to work well.

---

It is nvm's job to warn me if the database more than 30 days old (only if resolving a reference such as lts/*) because that is the least surprising thing to do.

Here are a few other package managers and they all warn about things that are outdated.

oh-my-zsh

npm

pip

brew

[ljharb]

Those are something notifying you about a new version of itself. nvm should definitely do that at some point.

None of those are a piece of software notifying you that a different piece of software has an available update.