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fnm uninstall Command Guide

The fnm uninstall command is used to uninstall installed Node.js versions.

Command Syntax

bash
fnm uninstall [OPTIONS] [VERSION]

Alias: uni

Parameters

VERSION

Specify the Node.js version to uninstall:

bash
# Uninstall specific version
fnm uninstall 16.20.2

# Uninstall using alias
fnm uninstall legacy

Options

--node-dist-mirror

Specify mirror source (usually not needed):

bash
fnm uninstall 16.20.2

--fnm-dir

Specify fnm installation directory:

bash
fnm uninstall 16.20.2 --fnm-dir=/custom/path

--log-level

Set log level:

bash
fnm uninstall 16.20.2 --log-level=quiet

Usage Examples

Uninstall Specific Version

bash
# Uninstall Node.js 16.20.2
fnm uninstall 16.20.2

Uninstall via Alias

bash
# If an alias points to that version
fnm uninstall legacy

WARNING

Uninstalling via alias will delete the Node.js version that alias points to, as well as all other aliases pointing to the same version.

Batch Uninstall

bash
# View installed versions
fnm list

# Uninstall unneeded versions one by one
fnm uninstall 14.21.3
fnm uninstall 16.20.2

Uninstall Behavior

Uninstall Version

bash
fnm uninstall 16.20.2

This will delete:

  • ~/.fnm/node-versions/v16.20.2/ directory
  • Related aliases (if any)

Uninstall Alias

bash
fnm alias 16.20.2 legacy
fnm uninstall legacy

This will delete:

  • Node.js 16.20.2 version
  • legacy alias
  • Other aliases pointing to 16.20.2

Common Issues

Cannot Uninstall Currently Used Version

bash
# First switch to another version
fnm use 20

# Then uninstall
fnm uninstall 16.20.2

Version Does Not Exist

bash
# View installed versions
fnm list

# Confirm version number
fnm uninstall 16.20.2

Disk Space Not Released After Uninstall

bash
# Check fnm directory
du -sh ~/.fnm

# Clean up leftovers
rm -rf ~/.fnm/node-versions/v16.20.2

Best Practices

Regular Cleanup

bash
# View installed versions
fnm list

# Uninstall unused old versions
fnm uninstall 14.21.3
fnm uninstall 16.20.2

Keep LTS Versions

bash
# Keep LTS versions
fnm list | grep -E "v(18|20)"

# Uninstall non-LTS versions
fnm uninstall 19.9.0