“Close and reopen your terminal to start using nvm” not working

Question

I'm using a MacBook Air which has the new Apple M1 chip and I'm trying to install nvm. First, I check whether it is already installed:

MacBook-Air-gignu:~ gignu$ nvm -v
-bash: nvm: command not found

It looks like it is not installed. So I try to install it like so:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.37.2/install.sh | bash

Now it tells me that nvm is already installed:

=> nvm is already installed in /Users/gignu/.nvm, trying to update using git
=> => Compressing and cleaning up git repository

=> nvm source string already in /Users/gignu/.bash_profile
=> bash_completion source string already in /Users/gignu/.bash_profile
=> Close and reopen your terminal to start using nvm or run the following to use it now:

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"  # This loads nvm
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion"  # This loads nvm bash_completion

Apparently, nvm is already installed and all I have to do is "close and reopen" my terminal. But if I close the terminal, reopen it and type in nvm -v I get the same response as the first time: command not found

What I've tried so far

I have deleted the .bashrc file in the home directory and created a new one with the following content:

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
. "$(brew --prefix nvm)/nvm.sh"

It didn't work.

I have also done the same thing with different content:

NVM_DIR = "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME / - .$HOME /} NVM"
[-s"$NVM_DIR / nvm.sh"] && \. "$NVM_DIR / nvm.sh"#This will load nvm

And also with this:

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"  # This loads nvm
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion"  # This loads nvm bash_completion

Nothing works, no matter if I put it in the .bashrc file or the .bash_profile file.

What works temporarily is executing the code from above in the terminal:

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"  # This loads nvm
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion"  # This loads nvm bash_completion

Now when I check nvm, it's installed:

MacBook-Air-gignu:~ gignu$ nvm -v
0.37.2

But if I close the terminal and then reopen it, nvm is not installed anymore.

Thx in advance for your help!

Answer 1

I found the solution!

You have to put the following at the beginning of either your .bashrc file or your .bash_profile file:

source ~/.bashrc

My .bash_profile file now looks like this:

source ~/.bashrc
export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"  # This loads nvm
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion"  # This loads nvm bash_completion