cdhist: error: unrecognized arguments: -q

[glensc]

Operating system and version:

macOS Catalina (10.15.8)

nvm debug output:

Details

nvm ls output:

Details

How did you install nvm?

What steps did you perform?

What happened?

nvm installation instructions from https://nodejs.org/en/download:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.4/install.sh | bash
\. "$HOME/.nvm/nvm.sh"

have printed error:

$ \. "$HOME/.nvm/nvm.sh"
usage: cdhist [-i] [-h] [-p] [-a] [-g] [-r] [-R] [-u] [-U] [-l] [-m SIZE]
              [-n NUM_LINES] [-L] [-P] [-V]
              [directory]
cdhist: error: unrecognized arguments: -q

$ echo $NVM_DIR
/

$ type cd
cd is a shell function from /dev/fd/16

$ zsh --version
zsh 5.9 (x86_64-apple-darwin19.6.0)

What did you expect to happen?

It seems it's using cd shell alias function, rather builtin cd

I've analyzed installed nvm.sh and seems the failure is in this part:

if nvm_is_zsh; then
  NVM_CD_FLAGS="-q"
fi
...

NVM_DIR="$(nvm_cd ${NVM_CD_FLAGS} "$(dirname "${NVM_SCRIPT_SOURCE:-$0}")" >/dev/null && \pwd)"

here's fuller debug/reproducer:

$ (unset NVM_DIR; set -x; . "$HOME/.nvm/nvm.sh") 2>&1 | pbcopy

+/usr/local/bin/zsh:30> . /Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:14> NVM_SCRIPT_SOURCE='' 
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:439> [ -z -q ']'
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:442> nvm_is_zsh
+nvm_is_zsh:1> [ -n 5.9 ']'
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:443> NVM_CD_FLAGS=-q 
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:447> [ -z '' ']'
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:449> [ -n '' ']'
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:453> NVM_DIR=+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:453> dirname /Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:453> NVM_DIR=+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:453> nvm_cd -q /Users/glen/.nvm
+nvm_cd:1> cd -q /Users/glen/.nvm
+cd:1> local d
+cd:2> d=+cd:2> /Users/glen/.local/bin/cdhist -q /Users/glen/.nvm
usage: cdhist [-i] [-h] [-p] [-a] [-g] [-r] [-R] [-u] [-U] [-l] [-m SIZE]
              [-n NUM_LINES] [-L] [-P] [-V]
              [directory]
cdhist: error: unrecognized arguments: -q
+cd:2> d='' 
+cd:4> [ 2 -ne 0 ']'
+cd:5> return 0
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:453> pwd
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:453> NVM_DIR=/ 
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:454> export NVM_DIR
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:465> unset NVM_SCRIPT_SOURCE
+/Users/glen/.nvm/nvm.sh:4718> nvm_process_parameters
+nvm_process_parameters:1> local NVM_AUTO_MODE
+nvm_process_parameters:2> NVM_AUTO_MODE=use 
+nvm_process_parameters:3> [ 0 -ne 0 ']'
+nvm_process_parameters:10> nvm_auto use
+nvm_auto:1> local NVM_MODE
+nvm_auto:2> NVM_MODE=use 
+nvm_auto:4> case use (none)
+nvm_auto:4> case use (use)
+nvm_auto:7> local VERSION
+nvm_auto:8> local NVM_CURRENT
+nvm_auto:9> NVM_CURRENT=+nvm_auto:9> nvm_ls_current
+nvm_ls_current:1> local NVM_LS_CURRENT_NODE_PATH
+nvm_ls_current:2> NVM_LS_CURRENT_NODE_PATH=+nvm_ls_current:2> which node
+nvm_ls_current:2> NVM_LS_CURRENT_NODE_PATH=/usr/local/bin/node 
+nvm_ls_current:4> nvm_version_dir iojs
+nvm_version_dir:1> local NVM_WHICH_DIR
+nvm_version_dir:2> NVM_WHICH_DIR=iojs 
+nvm_version_dir:3> [ -z iojs ']'
+nvm_version_dir:3> [ iojs '=' new ']'
+nvm_version_dir:5> [ _iojs '=' _iojs ']'
+nvm_version_dir:6> nvm_echo //versions/io.js
+nvm_echo:1> printf '%s\n' //versions/io.js
+nvm_ls_current:4> nvm_tree_contains_path //versions/io.js /usr/local/bin/node
+nvm_tree_contains_path:1> local tree
+nvm_tree_contains_path:2> tree=//versions/io.js 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:3> local node_path
+nvm_tree_contains_path:4> node_path=/usr/local/bin/node 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:6> [ @//versions/io.js@ '=' @@ ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:6> [ @/usr/local/bin/node@ '=' @@ ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:11> local previous_pathdir
+nvm_tree_contains_path:12> previous_pathdir=/usr/local/bin/node 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:13> local pathdir
+nvm_tree_contains_path:14> pathdir=+nvm_tree_contains_path:14> dirname /usr/local/bin/node
+nvm_tree_contains_path:14> pathdir=/usr/local/bin 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local/bin '!=' '' ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local/bin '!=' . ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local/bin '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr/local/bin '!=' //versions/io.js ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr/local/bin '!=' /usr/local/bin/node ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:17> previous_pathdir=/usr/local/bin 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> dirname /usr/local/bin
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=/usr/local 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local '!=' '' ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local '!=' . ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr/local '!=' //versions/io.js ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr/local '!=' /usr/local/bin ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:17> previous_pathdir=/usr/local 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> dirname /usr/local
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=/usr 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr '!=' '' ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr '!=' . ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr '!=' //versions/io.js ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr '!=' /usr/local ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:17> previous_pathdir=/usr 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> dirname /usr
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=/ 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ / '!=' '' ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ / '!=' . ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ / '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:20> [ / '=' //versions/io.js ']'
+nvm_ls_current:6> nvm_tree_contains_path / /usr/local/bin/node
+nvm_tree_contains_path:1> local tree
+nvm_tree_contains_path:2> tree=/ 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:3> local node_path
+nvm_tree_contains_path:4> node_path=/usr/local/bin/node 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:6> [ @/@ '=' @@ ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:6> [ @/usr/local/bin/node@ '=' @@ ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:11> local previous_pathdir
+nvm_tree_contains_path:12> previous_pathdir=/usr/local/bin/node 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:13> local pathdir
+nvm_tree_contains_path:14> pathdir=+nvm_tree_contains_path:14> dirname /usr/local/bin/node
+nvm_tree_contains_path:14> pathdir=/usr/local/bin 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local/bin '!=' '' ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local/bin '!=' . ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local/bin '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr/local/bin '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr/local/bin '!=' /usr/local/bin/node ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:17> previous_pathdir=/usr/local/bin 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> dirname /usr/local/bin
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=/usr/local 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local '!=' '' ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local '!=' . ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr/local '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr/local '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr/local '!=' /usr/local/bin ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:17> previous_pathdir=/usr/local 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> dirname /usr/local
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=/usr 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr '!=' '' ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr '!=' . ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ /usr '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:16> [ /usr '!=' /usr/local ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:17> previous_pathdir=/usr 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> dirname /usr
+nvm_tree_contains_path:18> pathdir=/ 
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ / '!=' '' ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ / '!=' . ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:15> [ / '!=' / ']'
+nvm_tree_contains_path:20> [ / '=' / ']'
+nvm_ls_current:7> local VERSION
+nvm_ls_current:8> VERSION=+nvm_ls_current:8> node --version
+nvm_ls_current:8> VERSION='' 
+nvm_ls_current:9> [ '' '=' v0.6.21-pre ']'
+nvm_ls_current:12> nvm_echo none
+nvm_echo:1> printf '%s\n' none
+nvm_auto:9> NVM_CURRENT=none 
+nvm_auto:10> [ _none '=' _none ']'
+nvm_auto:11> VERSION=+nvm_auto:11> nvm_resolve_local_alias default
+nvm_auto:11> nvm_echo
+nvm_echo:1> printf '%s\n' ''
+nvm_auto:11> VERSION='' 
+nvm_auto:12> [ -n '' ']'
+nvm_auto:18> nvm_rc_version

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

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

Details

[ljharb]

To confirm, your cd is aliased to a cdhist command?

nvm_cd is a shell function that runs \cd, which is supposed to bypass aliases.

If you're using zsh and have perhaps set up a global alias, there's nothing nvm can do to fix that, and it's a really really really bad idea to globally clobber builtin commands like that :-)

[glensc]

It's a function, included in issue details:

$ type cd
cd is a shell function from /dev/fd/16

I've created a fix:

• Fix: Use builtin cd for nvm_cd function #3836

[ljharb]

ah, you're saying that command cd or \cd only bypass aliases, and not functions?

[glensc]

yes, seems to be case

• Fix: Use builtin cd for nvm_cd function #3836 (comment)

[glensc]

Should nvm have a guard that $NVM_DIR is correct, i.e., actually writable?

$ nvm install 24
mkdir: cannot create directory ‘//alias’: Read-only file system
mkdir: cannot create directory ‘//alias’: Read-only file system
Downloading and installing node v24.15.0...
^C%

$ echo $NVM_DIR
/

[ljharb]

unfortunately that would be a very slow and expensive check (or, a very shallow surface check) - but why wouldn't $NVM_DIR be in a fully writable place? By default it's in the home directory.

[glensc]

It happened to be / due to a bug reported in the current issue.

It doesn't have to be expensive if done at the "nvm install stage" (install.sh script). Although I'm not sure anymore, that would help. Need to re-create the failure scenario to be sure.

[ljharb]

Good point; certainly performance of the install script is not a concern.