nvm in Docker and CI/CD

Configure nvm for containerized and CI/CD environments where shells run non-interactively.

Workflow

1. Install nvm in a Dockerfile:

   ENV NVM_DIR=/usr/local/nvm
   ENV NODE_VERSION=20.11.0
   RUN mkdir -p $NVM_DIR \
     && curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash \
     && . $NVM_DIR/nvm.sh \
     && nvm install $NODE_VERSION \
     && nvm alias default $NODE_VERSION
   
   # Make nvm available in non-interactive shells
   ENV BASH_ENV="$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
   

2. Load nvm in CI/CD jobs (e.g., GitHub Actions):

   steps:
     - run: |
         export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
         [ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && . "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
         nvm install 20
         nvm use 20
         node -v
   

3. Validate nvm availability in the container or pipeline:

   docker run --rm my-image bash -c "nvm --version && node -v"
   

Note: Base installation steps are in nvm-install. This skill targets container and CI usage only.

Example file map

• examples/install-docker.md - Dockerfile nvm installation
• examples/install-docker-cicd.md - CI/CD pipeline configuration
• examples/docker-dev.md - Development container setup

Keywords

docker, ci, bash_env, entrypoint, non-interactive shell, nvm in container, GitHub Actions