Confusing about how to update pnpm itself

[onsummer]

ENV:

• Windows 10 21H2 x64
• install pnpm by using iwr https://get.pnpm.io/install.ps1 -useb | iex

---

One day I want to update pnpm itself to the latest version (for example, 6.31.0 → 6.32.1), I run pnpm add -g pnpm, then everything seems OK, but after doing this I check the version again, it does not change?

pnpm -v
6.31.0

pnpm add -g pnpm
# OK!

pnpm -v
6.31.0 # not change

[Erwol]

pnpm add -g pnpm should install latest available stable pnpm. You can cherry pick the version with pnpm add -g [email protected] (latest stable at the moment https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/releases).

[cdaringe]

while it can work, i'd advise against it. what is described above is (paraphrased):

• install first pnpm via some means (brew, choco, deb, apk, iwr, whatever...)
• install second version of pnpm via pnpm

now you have two installs of pnpm, and can get into sticky/troublesome behavior.

node ships with npm.

i strongly recommend only installing pnpm strictly via npm, given that our community also uses tools like nvm/fnm/asdf heavily.

The following statement holds: "If you need pnpm, you also need node. If you have node installed, you have npm installed (in 99% cases), thus have an extremely reliable pnpm installation method, npm i -g pnpm". Using this reasoning as well, i only install global packages using npm, as it's reliably present with 100% of my node versions. This argument is a bit fuzzier, because you lose some of pnpm's benefits there... so take that one with a grain of salt :)

[malgorzata-stefanowicz]

on point!!!

[pshergie]

doesn't work

[shadabairbase]

Thanks @cdaringe your comment helped me.
I am on m3(arm64) and my Node gets managed by nvm.
I ran the below command to check about the multiple pnpm installation and find out that indeed I had two installtions.

which -a pnpm
type -a pnpm

Output

/Users/bond007/.nvm/versions/node/v20.10.0/bin/pnpm
/Users/bond007/Library/pnpm/pnpm
/Users/bond007/.nvm/versions/node/v20.10.0/bin/pnpm
pnpm is /Users/bond007/.nvm/versions/node/v20.10.0/bin/pnpm
pnpm is /Users/bond007/Library/pnpm/pnpm
pnpm is /Users/bond007/.nvm/versions/node/v20.10.0/bin/pnpm

So I uninstalled the pnpm version managed by nvm

npm uninstall -g pnpm

And then I was able to get the right pnpm version.

[lukeMWI]

@Erwol Worked for me, thanks! I was going from 8.15.4 -> 9.1.4 on a Mac with the Intel chip

[yingpengsha]

npm install pnpm -g

[pimboden]

Important.... npm NOT pnpm install... If you first installed pnpm with npm. you'll hae to use npm

[justingolden21]

This worked and pnpm add -g pnpm didn't.

[SSylvain1989]

work fine for me on macOS ( intel )
i was trying

pnpm add -g pnpm
Nothing to stop. No server is running for the store at ...

i was on :
pnpm -v 8.6.0
now with npm install pnpm -g

npm install pnpm -g

changed 1 package, and audited 2 packages in 3s

1 package is looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details

found 0 vulnerabilities

pnpm -v
8.15.2

[kuldip-simform]

Only this command worked for me.

[arantebw]

In Fedora/Linux, this one worked for me:

sudo npm install -g pnpm

[yanggggjie]

try "pnpm add -g @pnpm/exe", it works for me!

[mizzcode]

thanks

[heirro]

Thanks, it's worked on my Mac M1

[dmZhan]

ENV:

• Windows 10 21H2 x64
• install pnpm by using iwr https://get.pnpm.io/install.ps1 -useb | iex

One day I want to update pnpm itself to the latest version (for example, 6.31.0 → 6.32.1), I run pnpm add -g pnpm, then everything seems OK, but after doing this I check the version again, it does not change?

pnpm -v
6.31.0

pnpm add -g pnpm
# OK!

pnpm -v
6.31.0 # not change

I used the same method to install pnpm，and i used 'iwr https://get.pnpm.io/install.ps1 -useb | iex' in my PowerShell to update pnpm, I did it.



You must use 'iwr https://get.pnpm.io/install.ps1 -useb | iex' in PowerShell to update pnpm.

[benface]

If you installed pnpm via corepack, you can do: corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate

[iobuhov]

Always updating/installing through corepack and never have troubles, the only thing to keep in mind -- if you use nvm you have to install pnpm after updating your node version

[dtinth]

The command is now:

corepack install --global pnpm

[joan17cast]

The solution for me was remove pnpm manually and reinstall. To remove manually i use the command where pnpm on the windows terminal to reveal all the locations where is installed the pnpm package and then remove manually. Once you have this done simply reinstall pnpm using this command iwr https://get.pnpm.io/install.ps1 -useb | iex and success 🎉.

[JuanAntonioV]

I have a same problem couple weeks ago, i fixed it by running npm install -g pnpm or npm install -g @pnpm/exe instead of pnpm i -g pnpm. The main things here, you cannot install or updating pnpm by pnpm it self. but you can use npm instead. I hope it help.

[supermacro]

Would be great to have a built-in command to have pnpm update. Much like bun has bun upgrade

[tgrushka]

Wow, why don't they just add:

Try pnpm i -g pnpm or npm i -g pnpm

to these instructions ("Run a script from (blah blah blah)" + having to visit that page and read through a whole bunch of scenarios is just not user friendly):

   ╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
   │                                                                 │
   │                Update available! 8.8.0 → 8.9.2.                 │
   │   Changelog: https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/releases/tag/v8.9.2   │
   │         Run a script from: https://pnpm.io/installation         │
   │                                                                 │
   │     Follow @pnpmjs for updates: https://twitter.com/pnpmjs      │
   │                                                                 │
   ╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

And yes, pnpm i -g pnpm does work on macOS if pnpm was originally installed via npm.

[Devanshukoli]

Yeah. Absolutely.

[alipalvane]

i have same problem
just go directory or path in WARN and remove pnpm.exe and again run npm install -g pnpm or pnpm install -g pnpm
its work for me

[Rednas83]

Easiest is to install pnpm with corepack
corepack enable pnpm [with adminstrator rights from any path]
corepack use pnpm@latest [to manage the pnpm package in package.json via the experimental "packageManager" from the project path]

Example of package.json
"packageManager": "[email protected]+sha256.245fe901f8e7fa8782d7f17d32b6a83995e2ae03984cb5b62b8949bfdc27c7b5"

I guess when there is an update you will need to run corepack use pnpm@latest again but perhaps there is also a way to update from package.json itself🤔

[vicary]

This is exactly what I needed, thanks a lot.

[dei8bit]

One more answer: 😋

iwr https://get.pnpm.io/install.ps1 -useb | iex

done

[zkochan]

I am adding a new command to make it easier: #8424

[patarapolw]

Terminal simply says

Update available! 9.6.0 → 9.10.0.
Changelog: https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/releases/tag/v9.10.0
Run a script from: https://pnpm.io/installation

And the website on the last line says

Updating pnpm

To update pnpm, run the self-update command:

pnpm self-update

While actually running self-update doesn't work (not yet).

> pnpm self-update
'self-update' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
 ERR_PNPM_RECURSIVE_EXEC_FIRST_FAIL  Command "self-update" not found

So, I just have to run the above command (but not in docs).

iwr https://get.pnpm.io/install.ps1 -useb | iex

Only after update that the self-update command works.

I can't remember whether I installed pnpm via iex or via corepack, but it's more probably the former.