nvm: `nvm install --lts -b` fails in zsh

Operating system and version:

`nvm debug` output:

nvm --version: v0.39.2
$SHELL: /usr/bin/zsh
$SHLVL: 1
whoami: 'nicholas'
${HOME}: /home/nicholas
${NVM_DIR}: '${HOME}/.nvm'
${PATH}: ${HOME}/.local/bin:${HOME}/bin:${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v18.12.1/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games:/usr/lib/wsl/lib:/mnt/c/Windows/system32:/mnt/c/Windows:/mnt/c/Windows/System32/Wbem:/mnt/c/Windows/System32/WindowsPowerShell/v1.0/:/mnt/c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/:/mnt/c/Program Files/Microsoft VS Code/bin:/mnt/c/Program Files (x86)/NVIDIA Corporation/PhysX/Common:/mnt/c/Program Files/NVIDIA Corporation/NVIDIA NvDLISR:/mnt/c/Program Files/Docker/Docker/resources/bin:/mnt/c/Users/Nicholas/AppData/Local/Microsoft/WindowsApps
$PREFIX: ''
${NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX}: ''
$NVM_NODEJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
$NVM_IOJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
shell version: 'zsh 5.8 (x86_64-ubuntu-linux-gnu)'
uname -a: 'Linux 5.15.74.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2 #1 SMP Wed Nov 2 19:50:29 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux'
checksum binary: 'sha256sum'
OS version: Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS
curl: /usr/bin/curl, curl 7.68.0 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu) libcurl/7.68.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1f zlib/1.2.11 brotli/1.0.7 libidn2/2.2.0 libpsl/0.21.0 (+libidn2/2.2.0) libssh/0.9.3/openssl/zlib nghttp2/1.40.0 librtmp/2.3
wget: /usr/bin/wget, GNU Wget 1.20.3 built on linux-gnu.
git: /usr/bin/git, git version 2.25.1
ls: cannot access 'grep:': No such file or directory
grep: grep: aliased to grep --color (grep --color), grep (GNU grep) 3.4
awk: /usr/bin/awk, GNU Awk 5.0.1, API: 2.0 (GNU MPFR 4.0.2, GNU MP 6.2.0)
sed: /usr/bin/sed, sed (GNU sed) 4.7
cut: /usr/bin/cut, cut (GNU coreutils) 8.30
basename: /usr/bin/basename, basename (GNU coreutils) 8.30
ls: cannot access 'rm:': No such file or directory
rm: rm: aliased to rm -i (rm -i), rm (GNU coreutils) 8.30
mkdir: /usr/bin/mkdir, mkdir (GNU coreutils) 8.30
xargs: /usr/bin/xargs, xargs (GNU findutils) 4.7.0
nvm current: v18.12.1
which node: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v18.12.1/bin/node
which iojs: iojs not found
which npm: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v18.12.1/bin/npm
npm config get prefix: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v18.12.1
npm root -g: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v18.12.1/lib/node_modules

`nvm ls` output:

->     v18.12.1
        v19.2.0
default -> lts/* (-> v18.12.1)
iojs -> N/A (default)
unstable -> N/A (default)
node -> stable (-> v19.2.0) (default)
stable -> 19.2 (-> v19.2.0) (default)
lts/* -> lts/hydrogen (-> v18.12.1)
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 -> v14.21.1 (-> N/A)
lts/gallium -> v16.18.1 (-> N/A)
lts/hydrogen -> v18.12.1

How did you install `nvm`?

install script in readme

What steps did you perform?

nvm install --lts -b

What happened?

ZSH install fails:

awk: cmd. line:1: ^ unterminated string error
awk: cmd. line:1: ^ syntax error error
mkdir: cannot create directory … File name too long error

>> nvm install --lts -b                                                                                                                                                                                  

Installing latest LTS version.
Downloading and installing node v18.12.1...
awk: cmd. line:1: { if ("node-v18.12.1-linux-integer 10 readonly '!'=252
awk: cmd. line:1:       ^ unterminated string
awk: cmd. line:1: { if ("node-v18.12.1-linux-integer 10 readonly '!'=252
awk: cmd. line:1:       ^ syntax error
(23) Failed writing body
mkdir: cannot create directory ‘/home/nicholas/.nvm/.cache/bin/node-v18.12.1-linux-integer 10 readonly '!'=252\ninteger 10 readonly '#'=0\ninteger 10 readonly '$'=10\narray readonly '*'=(  )\nreadonly -=569JNRXghikls\n0=nvm_get_arch\ninteger 10 readonly '?'=0\narray readonly @=(  )\nlocal ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS=''\nlocal ALIAS=''\ninteger 10 readonly ARGC=0\nassociation BG\ntied cdpath CDPATH=''\ninteger 10 COLUMNS=252\nlocal COMMAND=install\nCPUTYPE=x86_64\nlocal DEFAULT_IFS=$' \\t\\n'\nDISPLAY=:0\nEDITOR=code\ninteger 10 EGID=1000\nfloat readonly EPOCHREALTIME\ninteger readonly EPOCHSECONDS\ninteger 10 EUID=1000\nlocal EXIT_CODE=''\nassociation FG\ntied fignore FIGNORE=''\nlocal FLAVOR=node\ntied fpath FPATH=’: File name too long
creating directory /home/nicholas/.nvm/.cache/bin/node-v18.12.1-linux-integer 10 readonly '!'=252
integer 10 readonly '#'=0
integer 10 readonly '$'=10
array readonly '*'=(  )
readonly -=569JNRXghikls
0=nvm_get_arch
integer 10 readonly '?'=0
array readonly @=(  )
local ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS=''
local ALIAS=''
integer 10 readonly ARGC=0
association BG
tied cdpath CDPATH=''
integer 10 COLUMNS=252
local COMMAND=install
CPUTYPE=x86_64
local DEFAULT_IFS=$' \t\n'
DISPLAY=:0
EDITOR=code
integer 10 EGID=1000
float readonly EPOCHREALTIME
integer readonly EPOCHSECONDS
integer 10 EUID=1000
local EXIT_CODE=''
association FG
tied fignore FIGNORE=''
local FLAVOR=node
tied fpath FPATH=/home/nicholas/.oh-my-zsh/plugins/extract:/home/nicholas/.oh-my-zsh/custom/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions:/home/nicholas/.oh-my-zsh/custom/plugins/alias-tips:/home/nicholas/.oh-my-zsh/plugins/common-aliases:/home/nicholas/.oh-my-zsh/plugins/git:/home/nicholas/.oh-my-zsh/functions:/home/nicholas/.oh-my-zsh/completions:/home/nicholas/.oh-my-zsh/cache/completions:/usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions:/usr/share/zsh/vendor-functions:/usr/share/zsh/vendor-completions:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Calendar:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Chpwd:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/AIX:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/BSD:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/Base:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/Cygwin:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/Darwin:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/Debian:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/Linux:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/Mandriva:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/Redhat:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/Solaris:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/Unix:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/X:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/Zsh:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion/openSUSE:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Exceptions:/usr/share/zsh/functions/MIME:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Math:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Misc:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Newuser:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Prompts:/usr/share/zsh/functions/TCP:/usr/share/zsh/functions/VCS_Info:/usr/share/zsh/functions/VCS_Info/Backends:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Zftp:/usr/share/zsh/functions/Zle
integer 10 FUNCNEST=500
association FX
integer 10 GID=1000
HISTCHARS='!^#'
integer 10 readonly HISTCMD=193
HISTFILE=/home/nicholas/.zsh_history
integer 10 HISTSIZE=50000
HIST_STAMPS=yyyy-mm-dd
HOME=/home/nicholas
HOST=blue
HOSTTYPE=x86_64
local HOST_ARCH=x86_64
IFS=$' \t\n'
KEYBOARD_HACK=''
integer KEYTIMEOUT=40
local KIND=binary
LANG=C.UTF-8
LESS=-R
integer 10 readonly LINENO=32
integer 10 LINES=67
integer LISTMAX=100
integer LOGCHECK=60
LOGNAME=nicholas
LSCOLORS=Gxfxcxdxbxegedabagacad

What did you expect to happen?

Successful install.

Switching to BASH works:

>> nvm install --lts -b
Installing latest LTS version.
Downloading and installing node v18.12.1...
Downloading https://nodejs.org/dist/v18.12.1/node-v18.12.1-linux-x64.tar.xz...
##################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################### 100.0%
Computing checksum with sha256sum
Checksums matched!
Now using node v18.12.1 (npm v8.19.2)
Creating default alias: default -> lts/* (-> v18.12.1)

About this issue

Original URL
State: closed
Created 2 years ago
Comments: 15 (6 by maintainers)

Commits related to this issue

Rename the variable in nvm_get_arch to avoid collision with aliases in zsh Address #2963 — committed to jignaasu/nvm by jignaasu 2 years ago

Most upvoted comments

I think this is going to be fixed when #3012 ships, which removes the local variable (local L) entirely.

shadowspawn on Feb 9, 2023

Looks like #3012 indeed will fix this specific issue.

ljharb on Mar 22, 2023

This is still a issue, can also confirm that disabling the common aliases plugin on zsh fixes the problem. This wasn’t happening some time ago, was it a change in nvm or in the zsh plugin that caused this?

Anyway the worst part of it in my opinion is the very weird behavior of nvm when things go wrong, instead of just throwing the error it starts trying to compile npm from source and then dumps my terminal hundreds of lines which are (at least for me) total nonsense.

Would be happy to provide more help to debug and fix this issue. I believe changing the local variable usage in nvm is the easiest way to quickly fix this.

DoodlesEpic on Feb 9, 2023

@jignaasu Do you want to try this approach instead of the variable rename in your PR?

The local_options makes the change revert when the enclosing function exits, so this can be called early in the nvm() function.

nvm_is_zsh && setopt local_options no_aliases

shadowspawn on Dec 17, 2022

@ljharb

I am not a shell script expert here. Here is what I think. L is an alias and is already available when the terminal first opens the session and .zshrc or .zsh_profile is sourced. And overriding or shadowing happens only for other variables, not aliases or functions.

I use single-letter aliases quite commonly. For ex: l for ls and ll for ls -ltr, T for the piped tail and t for the tail. This is just me. In this case, my preference is to fix the variable name instead of the alias. The other reason is changing the aliases has a bigger impact on the users compared to the variable name change where the impact will not be felt by the users.

Shell scripting is tricky and you know it better than me. Maybe we could use Coding guidelines and the usual PR reviews to avoid similar issues in future. I am not aware of any friendly linters we could integrate into the workflow, otherwise, that could also help.

I have created the PR. As this is a variable name change, no extra tests would be required.

That is my 2 cents and thanks for building and maintaining such a wonderful tool. This has made my life so much easier.

jignaasu on Dec 4, 2022