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felixrieseberg / windows-build-tools

:package: Install C++ Build Tools for Windows using npm
MIT License
3.4k stars 237 forks source link

[QUESTION] Is this package necessary when using nvm? If so, should I install it for every version of Node? #239

Closed leafac closed 3 years ago

leafac commented 3 years ago

I’m using https://github.com/coreybutler/nvm-windows/ to manage multiple versions of Node. I have a couple of questions:

  1. Does nvm subsume windows-build-tools, or should I install windows-build-tools anyway?
  2. If I should install windows-build-tools, then should I install it for every version of Node or just once is enough? (After all, windows-build-tools is not a command-line tool.)

I’m asking the same question over at the nvm repository: https://github.com/coreybutler/nvm-windows/discussions/627

jacobq commented 3 years ago

They are independent, so no and no. You would want to install this package if (1) you need to compile native node modules on Windows and (2) you do not want to manually configure the required software to do this.

windows-build-tools is intended as a convenience for installing some 3rd party software (e.g. python, MS Build Tools, ...). In this way it is not like most other node modules. I hope that answers you questions. Unfortunately, this package is also becoming more and more out of date as no one has been investing time in improving/maintaining it, and the owner associated with the module on npm has not been responding.

leafac commented 3 years ago

Okay, so I’ll install windows-build-tools, but just once.

Thanks for the quick answer.

It’s too bad this may not work in the future; it’s so convenient!