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nvm depends on nullglob but doesn't require nor set it #3727

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#3741
Open
nvm depends on nullglob but doesn't require nor set it#3727
#3741
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pull request wantedThis is a great way to contribute! Help us out :-Dshell: bash/sh

Description

@balupton
balupton
opened on Nov 27, 2025

Operating system and version:

nvm debug output:

Details 
nvm --version: v0.40.3
$TERM_PROGRAM: ghostty
$SHELL: /opt/homebrew/bin/bash
$SHLVL: 3
whoami: 'balupton'
${HOME}: /Users/balupton
${NVM_DIR}: '${HOME}/.nvm'
${PATH}: ${HOME}/.config/carapace/bin:${HOME}/.local/share/dorothy/user/commands.local:${HOME}/.local/share/dorothy/user/commands:${HOME}/.local/share/dorothy/commands.deprecated:${HOME}/.local/share/dorothy/commands.beta:${HOME}/.local/share/dorothy/commands:${HOME}/.local/bin:${HOME}/bin:/Applications/1Password.app/Contents/MacOS:/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/Cellar/go/1.25.4/bin:${HOME}/.cargo/bin:/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl/bin:/opt/homebrew/Cellar/node/25.2.1/bin:/opt/homebrew/opt/ruby/bin:/opt/homebrew/opt/gettext/bin:/opt/homebrew/opt/icu4c/sbin:/opt/homebrew/opt/icu4c/bin:/opt/homebrew/opt/sqlite/bin:/opt/homebrew/opt/llvm/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX26.1.sdk/usr/bin:/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin:/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr/bin:/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/bin:/System/Cryptexes/App/usr/bin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/local/bin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/bin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/appleinternal/bin:/opt/pmk/env/global/bin:/Library/Apple/usr/bin:/Applications/VMware Fusion Tech Preview.app/Contents/Public:/opt/podman/bin:/Applications/Ghostty.app/Contents/MacOS:${HOME}/.lmstudio/bin
$PREFIX: ''
${NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX}: ''
$NVM_NODEJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
$NVM_IOJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
shell version: 'GNU bash, version 5.3.8(1)-release (aarch64-apple-darwin25.1.0)'
uname -a: 'Darwin 25.1.0 Darwin Kernel Version 25.1.0: Mon Oct 20 19:32:47 PDT 2025; root:xnu-12377.41.6~2/RELEASE_ARM64_T8103 arm64'
checksum binary: 'sha256sum'
OS version: macOS 26.1 25B78
awk: /usr/bin/awk, awk version 20200816
curl: /usr/bin/curl, curl 8.7.1 (x86_64-apple-darwin25.0) libcurl/8.7.1 (SecureTransport) LibreSSL/3.3.6 zlib/1.2.12 nghttp2/1.67.1
wget: /opt/homebrew/bin/wget, GNU Wget 1.25.0 built on darwin23.6.0.
sed: /usr/bin/sed
cut: /usr/bin/cut
basename: /usr/bin/basename
rm: /bin/rm
mkdir: /bin/mkdir
xargs: /usr/bin/xargs
git: /opt/homebrew/bin/git, git version 2.52.0
grep: /usr/bin/grep, grep (BSD grep, GNU compatible) 2.6.0-FreeBSD
nvm current: system
which node: /opt/homebrew/Cellar/node/25.2.1/bin/node
which iojs:
which npm: /opt/homebrew/Cellar/node/25.2.1/bin/npm
npm config get prefix: /opt/homebrew
npm root -g: /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules

nvm ls output:

Details 
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory

->       system
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
default -> system
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
iojs -> N/A (default)
node -> stable (-> N/A) (default)
unstable -> N/A (default)
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
lts/* -> lts/krypton (-> N/A)
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 -> v14.21.3 (-> N/A)
lts/gallium -> v16.20.2 (-> N/A)
lts/hydrogen -> v18.20.8 (-> N/A)
lts/iron -> v20.19.6 (-> N/A)
lts/jod -> v22.21.1 (-> N/A)
lts/krypton -> v24.11.1 (-> N/A)

How did you install nvm?

What steps did you perform?

$ ls /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node
v24.11.1        v25.2.1

$ nvm-env -- nvm uninstall 24.11.1
Uninstalled node v24.11.1

$ nvm-env -- nvm uninstall 25.2.1
Uninstalled node v25.2.1

$ nvm-env -- nvm ls --no-colors --no-alias
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory

->       system *

$ bash -c 'source /Users/balupton/.local/share/dorothy/sources/nvm.sh; nvm ls --no-colors --no-alias'
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory

->       system *

$ cat /Users/balupton/.local/share/dorothy/sources/nvm.sh
#!/usr/bin/env sh

# ensure NVM_DIR, always set as always applicable right now
if [ -z "${NVM_DIR-}" ]; then
        export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
fi

# check nvm is non-empty
if [ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ]; then
        # we have nvm
        # check if we can access node
        if ! command which node >/dev/null 2>&1; then
                # then reload the environment, as this occurs when the node version changes in the host environment, as such nvm is no longer able to detect it via its [command which node]
                . "$DOROTHY/sources/environment.sh"
        fi
        # we have nvm, and should now have node, so load nvm
        . "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
elif [ -d "$NVM_DIR" ]; then
        # we have nvm, but it is corrupted, so remove it
        fs-remove --quiet --no-confirm -- "$NVM_DIR"
fi

What happened?

I get these errors:

find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory
find: /Users/balupton/.nvm/versions/node/*: No such file or directory

Whereas, this works:

bash -c 'shopt -s nullglob; source /Users/balupton/.local/share/dorothy/sources/nvm.sh; nvm ls --no-colors --no-alias'

->       system *

What did you expect to happen?

It to error that nullglob is required and must be set by the user, or for nvm to enforce nullglob itself.

Is there anything in any of your profile files that modifies the PATH?

Not relevant.

If you are having installation issues, or getting "N/A", what does curl -I --compressed -v https://nodejs.org/dist/ print out?

Details 




For now, I'll just adjust  https://github.com/bevry/dorothy/blob/master/commands/nvm-env to set nullglob.
Activity
  1. balupton
    added a commit that references this issue on Nov 27, 2025
    nvm-env: workaround nvm-sh/nvm#3727
    8b63bbf
  2. ljharb commented on Nov 30, 2025 
    @ljharb
    ljharb
    on Nov 30, 2025
    Member
    I'm a bit confused. You're saying there's a bash option nullglob that, if set, breaks nvm?
  3. ljharb
    added 
    shell: bash/sh
     
    needs followupWe need some info or action from whoever filed this issue/PR.
     on Nov 30, 2025
  4. balupton commented on Nov 30, 2025 
    @balupton
    balupton
    on Nov 30, 2025
    Author
    

    I'm a bit confused. You're saying there's a bash option nullglob that, if set, breaks nvm?
    

    

    That when nullglob is not set, nvm breaks.
    

    nullglob and failglob are two exclusive behaviours for dealing with empty glob patterns, whereas nvm requires nullglob; and it seems circumstantial to what is the default that is inherited
    

    nvm should be setting nullglob for itself (which it can do only for itself by running within a subshell, eg. parens instead of squigglies), or hard failing if nullglob is not set with an appropriate enable nullglob message
    

    however, I'm happy for this to be closed as an edge case, as I already have a workaround in my setup where i set nullglob for nvm myself
  5. ljharb commented on Dec 1, 2025 
    @ljharb
    ljharb
    on Dec 1, 2025
    Member
    Nah, that's something we should work around, just like we do with a nondefault IFS.
  6. ljharb
    added 
    pull request wantedThis is a great way to contribute! Help us out :-D
     and removed 
    needs followupWe need some info or action from whoever filed this issue/PR.
     on Dec 1, 2025
  7. Rahulbeniwal26119 commented on Dec 1, 2025 
    @Rahulbeniwal26119
    Rahulbeniwal26119
    on Dec 1, 2025
    Contributor
    @ljharb I would love to work on this. Please assign this to me.
    
Thank You
  8. ljharb commented on Dec 1, 2025 
    @ljharb
    ljharb
    on Dec 1, 2025
    Member
    Nothing is ever assigned in open source; just open a PR and it'll be reviewed when there's time.
  9. tennisleng
    added 4 commits that reference this issue on Dec 5, 2025
    fix: avoid glob expansion errors when no node versions installed
    1a95084
    fix: enable nullglob to avoid glob expansion errors when no node vers…
    da2a20f
    fix: enable nullglob to avoid glob expansion errors when no node vers…
    9449392
    test: add regression test for nullglob issue nvm-sh#3727
    dc76607
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