Environment

vp env manages the complete JavaScript environment: one Node.js runtime and one selected package manager. npm, pnpm, Yarn, and Bun are peer package-manager families.

Overview

Managed mode is on by default, so Node.js and configured package-manager shims resolve through Vite+ and pick the right versions for the current project. Fresh installers record managed mode for npm, pnpm, Yarn, and Bun after the user enables environment management.

When an upgrade adds a package-manager shim that has no recorded mode, its first interactive invocation asks what to do only when the corresponding system binary is already on PATH. The current family defaults to managed mode; choosing a system tool or applying a choice to every family remains explicit. Non-interactive invocations use managed mode without recording a choice.

Most commands operate on both components when no selector is given. Add node, pm, npm, pnpm, yarn, or bun to narrow the command. pm means all four families for listing and cleanup, but the single selected package manager for project operations.

Unqualified versions remain Node.js versions for compatibility:

vp env pin 22.0.0               # Node.js only
vp env pin pnpm@10.18.0         # pnpm only
vp env pin node@24 pnpm@12      # Both components
vp env pin 22.0.0 pnpm@10.18.0  # Also both components

Vite+ checks the current directory first, then walks up through its parents. The nearest directory with a supported declaration wins. Within each directory, sources are checked in this order:

1. .node-version file
2. devEngines.runtime in package.json (the devEngines standard)
3. engines.node in package.json
4. .nvmrc file

If no directory declares a version, Vite+ uses the global default (vp env default) and then the latest LTS.

devEngines.runtime ranks above engines.node because it declares the development-environment requirement, while engines.node is a consumer-facing support range. vp env doctor warns when declared sources conflict.

Package-manager selection uses this priority:

1. Explicit command override
2. VP_PACKAGE_MANAGER or the shell-session override
3. Top-level packageManager
4. devEngines.packageManager
5. Lockfile or manager-specific configuration
6. The named package manager's global default version
7. The named shim's latest release

A selected manager controls only its named shims. For example, pnpm controls pnpm and pnpx; invoking npm still resolves npm independently. Alias pairs are npm/npx, pnpm/pnpx, yarn/yarnpkg, and bun/bunx. Without a matching project selection, a named shim uses its configured default version and otherwise uses the latest release without prompting. The resolved version is cached for one hour and an expired cache remains available when the registry cannot be reached. The directly invoked npm shim keeps its Node-bundled fallback, while an explicit vp env ... npm family scope uses standalone npm's latest release.

A fresh install uses the split platform layout by default. On Unix, Vite+ stores managed runtimes and related files in ~/.local/share/vite-plus. It stores executables in the Vite+-owned ~/.local/share/vite-plus/bin directory. On Windows, Vite+ uses %LOCALAPPDATA%\vite-plus\data for data and %LOCALAPPDATA%\vite-plus\bin for executables. Vite+ does not move an existing ~/.vite-plus install. VP_HOME puts all categories under one custom root.

If you want to keep that behavior, run:

vp env on

This enables managed mode for both components. Their modes can also be changed independently, including one package-manager family:

vp env on node
vp env off pm
vp env off pnpm
vp env on bun

If you do not want Vite+ to manage Node.js first, run:

vp env off

This switches both components to system-first mode. Vite+ prefers system tools and falls back to managed installations. Mixed configurations compose: a system package-manager launcher receives the Node.js selected by the Node mode.

Using pm records the selected mode for all currently supported package managers and replaces their individual choices. An unscoped on or off does the same while also changing Node.js. A family without a recorded mode remains undecided until its shim is first used or an on / off command configures it.

Commands

Setup

• vp env setup creates or updates the node, npm, npx, pnpm, pnpx, yarn, yarnpkg, bun, bunx, vpx, and vpr shims in the resolved bin directory. It writes shell setup scripts in the config directory.
• vp env on / vp env off changes both modes; append node, pm, npm, pnpm, yarn, or bun to narrow the change
• vp env print prints PATH setup for both components; append a selector to print one

PowerShell needs to dot-source the generated setup script in the current shell before vp env use can affect only that shell session:

. "$env:APPDATA\vite-plus\env.ps1"

If an older Vite+ install uses %USERPROFILE%\.vite-plus, source the env.ps1 file in that directory instead.

Add that line to the end of your PowerShell $PROFILE to apply it automatically in new shells. It does not require elevated privileges.

Create the profile file if it does not already exist:

if (-not (Test-Path $PROFILE)) { New-Item $PROFILE -Force }

Open the profile file for editing:

Invoke-Item $PROFILE

Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) cannot define the wrapper function needed for vp env use to update the current shell session. Use the generated vp-use.cmd command instead:

vp-use 20
node --version
vp-use --unset

Only vp env use needs this alternate command. Other vp env commands work normally in Command Prompt. vp env setup creates vp-use.cmd in the bin directory on Windows.

In CI, vp env use can run without shell initialization. It writes a temporary Node.js or package-manager session file in the resolved state directory. Later shim calls in the same job use these files to resolve the same environment.

Manage

• vp env default shows the global Node.js default and each configured package-manager version. Bare versions set Node.js; qualified specs such as pnpm@10.18.0 set that package manager's shim default without replacing the defaults for Bun, Yarn, or npm. --unset clears all defaults unless scoped.
• vp env pin shows or writes project pins. Existing .node-version and top-level packageManager fields keep being updated for compatibility; otherwise Vite+ writes the matching devEngines entry. Use --target node-version, --target dev-engines, or --target package-manager to choose explicitly.
• vp env unpin removes both effective pins by default; append a selector to remove one. Lower-priority declarations are not deleted.
• vp env use activates the complete project environment. Explicit specs override selected components; --unset clears both unless scoped.
• vp env install installs the complete resolved environment, a selected component, or explicit specs.
• vp env uninstall removes explicit exact Node.js or qualified package-manager versions.
• vp env clean removes unused installs. Use clean node, clean pm, or a concrete manager. Current and configured-default versions are preserved.
• vp env exec runs a command in the resolved environment. Use --node and --package-manager; --npm is an alias for --package-manager npm@….
• vp node uses the resolved Node.js runtime and exposes the selected package-manager path to child processes.

Inspect

• vp env current shows the current resolved environment
• vp env doctor runs environment diagnostics
• vp env which shows which tool path will be used
• vp env list shows separate Node.js, npm, pnpm, Yarn, and Bun sections; selectors narrow output
• vp env list-remote fetches Node.js and all four PM registries concurrently; selectors narrow network work. --lts implicitly selects Node.js.

Project Setup

• Pin a project version with vp env pin
• Use vp install, vp dev, and vp build normally
• Let Vite+ pick the right runtime for the project

Examples

# Setup
vp env setup                  # Create Node.js and package-manager shims
vp env on                     # Manage Node.js and package managers
vp env off pm                 # Prefer system package managers only
vp env off pnpm               # Prefer system pnpm only
vp env print                  # Print PATH setup for both components

# Manage
vp env pin lts pnpm@10        # Pin both project components to exact versions
vp env install                # Install the complete resolved environment
vp env default node@24        # Set the global Node.js default
vp env default pnpm@10        # Set pnpm's global default version
vp env use 20 pnpm@10         # Override both components for this shell
vp env use --unset pm         # Remove only the PM session override
vp env clean                  # Remove unused managed Node.js and package manager versions

# Inspect
vp env current                # Show current resolved environment
vp env current --json         # JSON output for automation
vp env which node             # Show which node binary will be used
vp env which npx              # Show pinned package-manager alias when packageManager matches
vp env list                   # Show every locally installed component
vp env list node              # Show only Node.js installations
vp env list-remote --lts      # List only Node.js LTS versions

# Execute
vp env exec --node lts --package-manager pnpm@10 pnpm install
vp env exec node -v           # Use shim mode with automatic version resolution
vp node script.js             # Shorthand: run a Node.js script with the resolved version
vp node -e "console.log(1+1)" # Shorthand: forward any node flag or argument

JSON output

The JSON output for current, list, and list-remote is organized by component. current --json returns sibling node and package_manager objects:

{
  "node": {
    "version": "22.0.0",
    "source": "devEngines.runtime",
    "source_path": "/project/package.json",
    "project_root": "/project",
    "bin_path": "/home/.vite-plus/js_runtime/node/22.0.0/bin/node",
    "installed": true,
    "mode": "managed"
  },
  "package_manager": {
    "name": "pnpm",
    "version": "10.18.0",
    "source": "packageManager",
    "source_path": "/project/package.json",
    "project_root": "/project",
    "bin_paths": {
      "pnpm": "/home/.vite-plus/package_manager/pnpm/10.18.0/pnpm/bin/pnpm",
      "pnpx": "/home/.vite-plus/package_manager/pnpm/10.18.0/pnpm/bin/pnpx"
    },
    "installed": true,
    "mode": "managed"
  }
}

list --json and list-remote --json group the component arrays:

{
  "node": [],
  "package_managers": {
    "npm": [],
    "pnpm": [],
    "yarn": [],
    "bun": []
  }
}

Selectors omit unselected top-level fields or PM families. Registry listing is all-or-error: Vite+ prints no partial human or JSON result when any selected registry request fails.

Custom Node.js Mirror

By default, Vite+ downloads Node.js from https://nodejs.org/dist. If you're behind a corporate proxy or need to use an internal mirror (e.g., Artifactory), set the VP_NODE_DIST_MIRROR environment variable:

# Install a specific version from your custom mirror
VP_NODE_DIST_MIRROR=https://my-mirror.example.com/nodejs/dist vp env install 22

# Set the global default version using a custom mirror
VP_NODE_DIST_MIRROR=https://my-mirror.example.com/nodejs/dist vp env default lts

# Set it permanently in your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.)
echo 'export VP_NODE_DIST_MIRROR=https://my-mirror.example.com/nodejs/dist' >> ~/.zshrc

Node.js Signature Verification

When installing Node.js from the official nodejs.org distribution, Vite+ downloads the PGP-signed SHASUMS256.txt.asc and verifies it against the bundled Node.js release keys before trusting any checksum. This protects against a tampered SHASUMS256.txt paired with a matching malicious archive. The SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded archive is always verified afterward.

Custom mirrors (VP_NODE_DIST_MIRROR) that publish only the plain SHASUMS256.txt fall back to checksum-only verification. A mirror that does publish a .asc still has its signature verified, and an invalid signature is a hard error.

If a future keyring or certificate issue blocks downloads, set VP_NODE_SKIP_SIGNATURE_VERIFY to temporarily bypass PGP verification. The SHA-256 checksum is still verified, and Vite+ prints a warning when the signature check is skipped:

VP_NODE_SKIP_SIGNATURE_VERIFY=1 vp env install 22