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CalvinAllen merged 1 commit into from
Jan 27, 2026
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docs(install): document --user flag for non-admin Windows installation #13

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23 changes: 22 additions & 1 deletion website/src/content/docs/user-guide/commands/init.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -15,18 +15,22 @@ Initialize dtvem on your system.
```bash
> dtvem init
> dtvem init --yes
> dtvem init --user
```

## Flags

| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `--user` | Use User PATH instead of System PATH (Windows: no admin required) |
| `--yes, -y` | Skip confirmation prompts |

## Behavior

1. Creates the dtvem directory structure
2. Configures PATH to include `~/.dtvem/shims`
- **Standard:** Adds to System PATH (requires admin on Windows)
- **User (`--user`):** Adds to User PATH (no admin required)
3. Updates shell configuration files as needed

## Directory Structure Created
Expand All @@ -53,7 +57,7 @@ Initialize dtvem on your system.
## Examples

```bash
# Interactive initialization
# Interactive initialization (standard)
> dtvem init
Creating dtvem directory structure...
Add ~/.dtvem/shims to PATH? [Y/n] y
Expand All @@ -67,6 +71,9 @@ Restart your terminal, then run:

# Non-interactive initialization
> dtvem init --yes

# User installation (no admin required on Windows)
> dtvem init --user
```

## Post-Init Steps
Expand All @@ -77,6 +84,20 @@ After running `dtvem init`:
2. **Install a runtime** — `dtvem install python 3.12.0`
3. **Set global version** — `dtvem global python 3.12.0`

## Switching Install Types

You can switch between standard and user installation by running `dtvem init` again:

```powershell
# Switch to user install
> dtvem init --user

# Switch back to system install (requires admin)
> dtvem init
```

When switching, dtvem will warn about cleaning up the old PATH entry.

<hr class="my-8 border-primary-400" />

## See Also
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20 changes: 19 additions & 1 deletion website/src/content/docs/user-guide/getting-started.md
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Expand Up @@ -11,16 +11,34 @@ Get dtvem installed and managing your runtimes in just a few minutes.

## Installation (Preferred)

**Windows (PowerShell):**
### Standard Installation

**Windows (PowerShell as Administrator):**
```powershell
irm dtvem.io/install.ps1 | iex
```
Requires administrator privileges. Adds dtvem to System PATH for all users.

**macOS / Linux:**
```bash
curl -fsSL dtvem.io/install.sh | bash
```

### User Installation (No Admin Required)

**Windows (PowerShell):**
```powershell
iex "& { $(irm dtvem.io/install.ps1) } -UserInstall"
```
Does not require administrator privileges. Adds dtvem to User PATH.

**macOS / Linux:**
```bash
curl -fsSL dtvem.io/install.sh | bash -s -- --user-install
```

> **Note:** On Windows, System PATH is evaluated before User PATH. If you have system-installed runtimes (Node.js, Python, Ruby), they will take priority over dtvem-managed versions with user installation.

### Default Locations

| Platform | Install Directory | Shims Directory |
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