volta install: Usage, Options & Common CI Errors

volta install adds a Node.js tool; Volta then auto-switches versions per project.

Volta is a Rust-based JavaScript toolchain manager that pins Node/npm/Yarn per project and switches transparently. In CI the key steps are putting Volta on PATH and understanding pin vs install.

What it does

volta install <tool> installs a tool (node, a global CLI) into Volta's toolchain, while volta pin records the project's required versions in package.json so any volta-aware shell auto-selects them. Volta uses shims on PATH (~/.volta/bin), so that directory must be exported in CI.

Common usage

curl https://get.volta.sh | bash
export VOLTA_HOME="$HOME/.volta"
export PATH="$VOLTA_HOME/bin:$PATH"
volta install node@20
volta pin node@20 npm@10                          # records in package.json
node --version

Common errors in CI

"volta: command not found" or node still resolving to the system binary means ~/.volta/bin is not on PATH - export VOLTA_HOME and prepend $VOLTA_HOME/bin to PATH. People confuse volta install (adds a tool to the toolchain) with volta pin (records the version in package.json); CI usually wants the versions pinned in package.json so volta picks them up automatically. "Volta error: Could not locate executable" for a project tool means it was never installed or pinned.

Options

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