Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions regarding avm's runtime model, performance, and compatibility.
Do I need to rewrite my .nvmrc or .tool-versions?
No. avm reads .tool-versions, .nvmrc, .node-version, package.json engines/volta, .java-version and .sdkmanrc directly. avm which <tool> shows which file a version came from.
Why doesn't my project's alias run after I clone it?
A project's aliases, env and .env files are ignored until you run avm trust in that directory. It shows what you're enabling first. Editing the file outside avm blocks it again.
Can I use globally installed packages across different local version pins?
Yes! avm supports global package sharing, meaning globally installed tools (like npm -g packages) remain reachable even when a directory pins a different version.
Where are plugins downloaded and installed?
Plugins are stored in ~/.avm/plugins/avm-plugin-<name>, while downloaded runtimes reside in ~/.avm/tools/<name>/<version>.
What happens if a requested tool version is not installed?
Plain shimmed commands warn and fall back to a system binary when available. avm exec and avm run --with install missing runtimes automatically; --no-install fails if no installed version matches.