coreybutler/nvm-windows

Issue with special characters in user folder breaks installation of npm

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#887 opened on Nov 22, 2022

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help wanted

Description

Issue: In Windows Terminal (both with Powershell 11 and cmd) fail to install npm if the path C:\Users<UserFolder>\AppData\Roaming\nvm contains special characters Example C:\Users\JakubN�rl�vIwanczuk\AppData\Roaming\nvm

I have installed other software in the personal folder without any issue.

How To Reproduce:

  1. Install windows-nvm
  2. Open "Windows Terminal"
  3. Run nvm install 16.18.1

Expected Behavior: Install of NPM version 16.18.1

Screenshots: image

Additional context image Folder structure with special characters

Desktop:

  • OS: Windows 11

Contributor guide

Tech stack
gonodejsshell
Domain
clideveloper experience
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Basic Go knowledgeWindows environmentUnderstanding of file path encoding
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40
Research direction
Investigate how nvm windows handles paths with special characters in user folder names. Look at the Go code for npm installation path resolution, particularly how the user's home directory is extracted and used. Consider using Windows API functions like GetEnvironmentVariable or Go's os.UserHomeDir() which may handle special characters differently. Test with a username containing diacritics to reproduce the issue.