Core

Search

View for all available versions of the specified SDK.

Usage

vfox search <sdk-name> [...optionArgs]

sdk-name: SDK name, such as nodejs, custom-node. optionArgs: Additional arguments for the search command. NOTE: Whether it is supported or not depends on the plugin.

Cache

vfox will cache the results of the search command to reduce the number of network requests. The default cache time is 12h.

You can disable it through the following command.

vfox config cache.availableHookDuration 0

For details, see Cache Settings.

Quick install

Select the target version, and press Enter to install quickly.

TIP

search command will retrieve the plugin from the remote repository and add it locally if it is not installed locally.

Install

Install the specified SDK version to your computer and cache it for future use.

Usage

vfox install <sdk-name>@<version>

vfox i <sdk-name>@<version>

sdk-name: SDK name

version: The version to install

Options

• -a, --all: Install all SDK versions recorded in .vfox.toml
• -y, --yes: Quick installation, skip interactive prompts​

TIP

You can install multiple SDKs at the same time by separating them with space.

vfox install nodejs@20 golang ...

TIP

Quick installation, skip interactive prompts​​

vfox install --yes nodejs@20
vfox install --yes --all

Use

Set the runtime version.

Usage

vfox use [options] <sdk-name>[@<version>]

vfox u [options] <sdk-name>[@<version>]

sdk-name: SDK name

version[optional]: Use the specified version of the runtime. If not passed, you can select it from the list.

Options

• -g, --global: Effective globally
• -p, --project: Effective in the current directory($PWD)
• -s, --session: Effective within the current Shell session

Default scope

Windows: Global scope

Unix-like: Session scope

Unuse

Unset the runtime version from a specific scope.

Usage

vfox unuse [options] <sdk-name>

sdk-name: SDK name

Options

• -g, --global: Remove from global scope
• -p, --project: Remove from project scope (current directory)
• -s, --session: Remove from session scope (current Shell session)

Default scope

Windows: Global scope

Unix-like: Session scope

Effect

After using unuse, the SDK will no longer be active in the specified scope. If the SDK is configured in other scopes, those will take precedence according to vfox's scope hierarchy (Session > Project > Global).

Uninstall

Uninstall the specified version of the SDK.

Usage

vfox uninstall <sdk-name>@<version>
vfox un <sdk-name>@<version>

sdk-name: SDK name

version: The specific version number

List

View all installed sdks.

Usage

vfox list [<sdk-name>]

vfox ls [<sdk-name>]

sdk-name: SDK name, if not passed, display all.

Current

View the current version of the SDK.

Usage

vfox current [<sdk-name>]
vfox c

Cd

Launch a shell in the VFOX_HOME or SDK directory.

Usage

vfox cd [options] [<sdk-name>]

sdk-name: SDK name, if not passed, default VFOX_HOME.

Options

• -p, --plugin: Launch a shell in the plugin directory.

Upgrade

Upgrade vfox to the latest version.

Usage

vfox upgrade

Exec >= 1.0.0

Execute a command in a vfox managed environment.

Usage

vfox exec <sdk-name>[@<version>] -- <command> [args...]

vfox x <sdk-name>[@<version>] -- <command> [args...]

sdk-name: SDK name

version[optional]: Specify the version to use. If not provided, uses the version configured in the current scope.

command: The command to execute

args: Arguments to pass to the command

Description

The exec command allows you to temporarily execute commands in a specified SDK environment without modifying your current scope configuration. This is particularly useful for:

• IDE Integration: Use project-specific SDK versions in IDEs like VS Code
• Script Execution: Use specific SDK versions in CI/CD or build scripts
• Temporary Testing: Test code with different SDK versions

Examples

# Execute command with specified version
vfox exec nodejs@20.9.0 -- node -v

# Run build in maven environment
vfox exec maven@3.9.1 -- mvn clean install

# Use alias x (short for exec)
vfox x maven@3.9.1 -- mvn clean

IDE Integration

In VS Code, you can use the exec command to ensure your project uses the correct SDK version. For example, configure in .vscode/tasks.json:

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Run with Node.js",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "vfox",
      "args": ["x", "nodejs@20", "--", "node", "${file}"]
    }
  ]
}

Auto Install

If the specified version is not installed, exec will automatically install it.

Environment Variables

The exec command sets the correct environment variables (such as PATH, JAVA_HOME, etc.) in a subprocess, but does not affect your current Shell session.