[Bug]: Updating node should reinstall packages from old version

[timkandel]

Platform

macOS

Operating system version

macOS Sequoia 15.4.1 (24E263)

System architecture

ARM64 (M1, M2, etc)

Herd Version

1.20.0 (Build: 45)

PHP Version

No response

Bug description

When updating node using Herd I would expect my previously installed global packages to be carried over to the new version.
For this Herd should call nvm using the command nvm install <new-version> --reinstall-packages-from=<old-version>

Steps to reproduce

• install an outdated node version from cli (e.g. nvm install 18.19)
• install any global npm package (e.g. npm install -g firebase-tools)
• update node using Herd
• open a new Terminal and try to use any previously installed npm package (e.g. firebase)
  -> zsh: command not found: firebase

Relevant log output

[mpociot]

Hm I'm not sure we can easily do this and that Herd should take care of this.

Imagine that you installed Node 16 via Herd and installed some global packages - when installing a new version of Node (lets say 22) maybe those global packages are not available anymore.

I'll add this to the documentation instead, so that users are aware that global packages need to be re-installed when switching global node versions.

[timkandel]

@mpociot Sorry for the delay in my response. You are correct that this does not make sense when installing a higher major version of node. This is not what I meant though, but my request might not have been specific enough :)
What I had in mind were minor updates of node.

If I click update on 24 it will install 24.19.0 and remove all global plugins I had installed on 24. But for an upgrade from 24.16.0 to 24.19.0 it would be safe in most cases to keep the global packages. So clicking on Update should cause this command being run: nvm install 24.19.0 --reinstall-packages-from=24.16.0.
Same for 22: nvm install 22.23.2 --reinstall-packages-from=22.22.3