nvm Global Packages

Manage global npm packages across Node version switches to avoid losing tools like eslint, typescript, or pm2.

Workflow

1. Migrate global packages when installing a new version:

   # Install Node 20 and copy global packages from Node 18
   nvm install 20 --reinstall-packages-from=18
   
   # Verify packages migrated
   npm list -g --depth=0
   

2. Configure default-packages for automatic installation on every new version:

   # Create the default-packages file
   cat > "$NVM_DIR/default-packages" << 'EOF'
   typescript
   eslint
   pm2
   nodemon
   EOF
   
   # New installs will auto-install these packages
   nvm install 22  # typescript, eslint, pm2, nodemon installed automatically
   

3. Verify and validate global packages:

   npm list -g --depth=0
   

Warning: Global packages are version-specific. Switching versions without --reinstall-packages-from means previously installed globals will not be available.

Example file map

• examples/migrate-global-packages.md - Migration between versions
• examples/default-global-packages.md - Default packages file setup

Keywords

global packages, default-packages, reinstall-packages-from, npm global, consistency