IO.js, node-forward: should/will NVM support more than node?

[stelcheck]

Notice

There are no need for additional +1 or pretty pleases. @ljharb is already working on it, and all you are doing by +1'ing is spamming a whole bunch of people.

Further more, it has been mentioned that no contributions are required at this time for the implementation of this feature.

So let's all keep quiet for a while, and give a chance to @ljharb to finish his work :)

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I know it is very early to start the conversation on this matter, but with a potential first release by IO.js coming up in little over a month, I thought it might be an interesting conversation to have.

At this point, NVM manages, well, Node.js versions. However, nodejs/node#28 already started to discuss ideas like aliasing node and so on. I would be against that idea in general, but in the context of NVM, it might just make sense: after all, you explicitly pick a node version, and are told about the one you will want to use.

Anyway, the core idea is: if we are to see node forks, how about managing them too?

nvm install node/v0.10.33
nvm install iojs/v1.0.0-alpha
nvm install hypotheticalnode/v1.2.3

Doing so - and again, perhaps auto-alias commands? - could make it very nice for developers; keep the same old habits, just change your node version.

TBH I am not sure if it's that good of an idea in the first place, but it's probably one that ought to be interesting to discuss.

[ronkorving]

It's that, or perhaps fork it to ivm (io.js version manager)?

[creationix]

FWIW I was about to propose the same thing here. I think renaming to ivm is a little premature since most people still think of the project in terms of "node". Heck I still think of MariaDB as that MySQL thing and LibreOffice as OpenOffice.

[ljharb]

It's way way too early. No further discussion is required at this time.

This project will keep its name for the foreseeable future, whether it adds support for an arbitrary fork of node.js or not.

If the community starts moving in a major way towards any given fork of node, and if that fork provides the same installation methods that node does (binaries and source), then this project should be able to easily support it, and I'd intend to do so. However, the mere existence of a node fork with high-profile committers should in no way change the direction of an established project such as this one.

[Starefossen]

Yes, an IO.js install option would be great!

[JJ]

👍

[waxzce]

+1

[Nicolab]

+1

[qfox]

+1 Let's wait Fedor's birthday. Happy new year, guys! 🎄

[danielb2]

👍 for supporting both node and io.js

[snostorm]

👍