Node Version Manager Adopted as the First OpenJS Foundation Incubation Project

The OpenJS Foundation is has accepted the first project to its incubation process, the Node Version Manager (nvm).

NVM is a handy bash script that allows you to manage multiple versions of Node.js, an open source, cross-platform, JavaScript run-time environment that executes JavaScript code outside of a browser on a single system. With NVM you are better capable of testing your in-house developed applications under different versions of the software.

“NVM is an important and widely used part of the Node.js and JavaScript ecosystem, and by joining as a hosted project, nvm is ensuring its growth and impact well into the future,” said Michael Dawsin, IBM Community lead for Node.js and the Node.js Board representative, in a statement.

According to the OpenJS Foundation, NVM is not only the most widely-used method of managing multiple versions of Node.js, it’s also “the most common and widely used method to install Node.js.” NVM offers a number of benefits to developers:

• The ability to easily switch between node versions per-shell, for easier testing of library backward compatibility and smoother node upgrades.
• Removes the need for sudo to install via npm.
• Simplifies numerous installations on systems that don’t include prebuilt binaries
• Provides the ease and convenience of a package manager (without having to first obtain node from an unofficial distribution channel). This can dramatically shorten delays before newly released node versions are installable.

By joining the OpenJS Foundation, NVM will have better support, via organization and infrastructure, which will help users (both current and future) to ensure the nvm.sh domain and associated GitHub repos are always available. Outside of enjoying the high availability of the foundation’s infrastructure, NVM will also benefit from the OpenJS Foundation governance and Code of Conduct enforcement. These improvements will help NVM to continue to be a stable project, should there be any personnel changes. And finally, NVM will be able to better (and more rapidly) grow and gain a much larger contributor base.

NVM’s project champions are Jory Burson and Jordan Harband.

OpenJS was launched in March, as a combination of two existing JavaScript-oriented foundations the Node.js Foundation and JavaScript Foundation. The organization’s goal is to drive broad adoption and ongoing development of JavaScript and related technologies. The goals of the OpenJS Foundation include:

• Facilitating the collaboration within the JavaScript dev community.
• Creating a center of gravity for open source projects.
• Offering the infrastructure to host JavaScript open source projects.
• Enabling (through the advancement of projects and partnerships) an open and accessible web.

OpenJS Foundation named Robin Ginn as its executive director in September.

Types of OpenJS Foundation Projects

There are four categories of OpenJS Foundation projects:

• Impact stage: for large, mature projects.
• Growth stage: for projects which are actively mentored and intend to graduate to Impact stage.
• At-Large stage: for new, stable projects with minimal needs
• Emeritus stage: for retired projects.

At the moment, NVM is considered an incubation project, which means it is in the process of being onboarded to the OpenJS Foundation. Once the onboarding has completed, it will move into the At-Large category. For more information on submitting a project to the OpenJS Foundation, check out the guidelines for submission.

Feature image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay.