Environment Variable to Skip Fetching Node with use-node-version in .npmrc or pnpm.executionEnv.nodeVersion in package.json

[MohammedEsafi]

Context

pnpm projects can specify a Node.js version using:

• use-node-version in .npmrc
• pnpm.executionEnv.nodeVersion in package.json

This ensures that developers and environments automatically work with the specified Node.js version.

However, in CI/CD environments, Node.js is often pre-installed in containers or virtual environments. In such cases, automatically fetching the specified Node.js version can be redundant and might increase installation time.

Proposal

Introduce an environment variable e.g. PNPM_SKIP_NODE_FETCH to bypass Node.js fetching, even when a version is specified in project configuration. This allows for more flexible Node.js management in various environments.

Key Use Cases

1. CI/CD pipelines: Skip fetching Node.js when it's pre-installed in containers or environments, optimizing build times.
2. Flexible development environments: Supports diverse development setups, allowing team members to use local Node.js installations or containerized environments without conflicting with pnpm's version management.

Example Usage

PNPM_SKIP_NODE_FETCH=true pnpm install

When set, this environment variable would allow pnpm to skip fetching the Node.js version, assuming it is already available in the environment.

Benefits

• Improved CI/CD performance: Reduces build times by eliminating redundant Node.js downloads.
• Enhanced flexibility: Allows for different Node.js management strategies within the same project.
• Resource optimization: Saves bandwidth and storage by avoiding unnecessary downloads.
• Simplified configuration: Provides an easy way to toggle Node.js fetching behavior without modifying project files.
• Better integration with containerized environments: Aligns with pre-configured Docker images or other container setups.

Discussion Points

• Would this feature benefit your workflows?
• Should pnpm implement additional safeguards if the correct Node.js version is not found when skipping the fetch?
• Are there any potential downsides to introducing this option in different development or deployment setups?