Logodvm

Getting started

Install dvm, set up your shell, and run Dart in your first project.

dvm lets each project use its own Dart SDK. You do not need Dart installed to use dvm.

Installation on macOS and Linux#

Supports x64 and ARM64. The install script needs curl or wget, unzip or Python 3, and one of sha256sum, shasum, or openssl. 

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mrgnhnt96/dvm/main/install.sh | sh
"$HOME/.dvm/bin/dvm" setup --write-path-line

Setup backs up your shell startup file and adds dvm to PATH. Open a new terminal before continuing.

Installation on Windows#

  1. Download dvm-windows-x64.zip from GitHub Releases.
  2. Extract dvm.exe into %USERPROFILE%\.dvm\bin.
  3. In PowerShell, run:
& "$env:USERPROFILE\.dvm\bin\dvm.exe" setup

Run the PATH commands printed by setup, then open a new terminal. PowerShell uses these commands instead of --write-path-line.

Quick start#

From your project directory, install the latest stable Dart SDK and pin it:

dvm install stable
dvm use stable --gitignore
dart --version
dart pub get

dvm use saves the exact SDK version in .dvmrc. Commit .dvmrc and the .gitignore change; keep .dvm/ local.

If your project requires a specific version, use dvm use 3.9.0 --gitignore instead. It installs that version if needed. Version numbers in these docs are examples; choose the version your project requires.

To use the installed stable SDK outside pinned projects too:

dvm global stable

For an existing project or editor setup, see Managing versions.

Manual shell setup#

If you prefer to edit PATH yourself, run "$HOME/.dvm/bin/dvm" setup and follow its instructions. Plain dvm setup creates the Dart shim and prints the PATH line; it does not edit your startup file.

For the default installation in bash or zsh:

export PATH="$HOME/.dvm/shims:$HOME/.dvm/bin:$PATH"

Add this to ~/.zshrc for zsh or ~/.bashrc for bash, after other PATH changes. If your bash login shell reads ~/.bash_profile, make sure it sources ~/.bashrc or add the line there. Other shells should use the instructions printed by setup.

Keep dvm's shims ahead of other directories supplying Dart, including Flutter, fvm, asdf, or Homebrew. Open a new terminal, then run: 

dvm doctor
dvm which

Until shell setup is complete, use dvm dart in place of plain dart. See Troubleshooting if a command is missing or selects the wrong SDK.

Installation options#

To install a particular dvm release, set DVM_VERSION on the install script. Replace 0.2.0 with the release you need: 

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mrgnhnt96/dvm/main/install.sh | DVM_VERSION=0.2.0 sh

To use another directory instead of ~/.dvm:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mrgnhnt96/dvm/main/install.sh | DVM_HOME="$HOME/tools/dvm" sh
export DVM_HOME="$HOME/tools/dvm"
"$DVM_HOME/bin/dvm" setup --write-path-line

Save the DVM_HOME export in your shell startup file too, so later commands use the same SDKs and settings.

Next steps#

  • Managing versions: project pins, defaults, channels, aliases, and editors.
  • Commands: command options and updating dvm.
  • CI: install the required SDK and run your build.
  • Troubleshooting: setup fixes and migration.
  • llms.txt: documentation index for AI tools.