Nimble

Spec sheet

What it does

Nimble is the default package manager for the Nim programming language; it searches for packages, installs dependencies, creates packages, and uploads them to the official package list.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Purpose

Nimble is the default package manager for the Nim programming language.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Free plan

YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Integrations

Nimble can install packages hosted on GitHub when Git is installed and available on PATH; it also supports Mercurial repositories.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Support

The troubleshooting guide says to report a bug if Nimble cannot find the Nim standard library.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Build and test

Nimble provides commands including build, run, test, and check for working with packages.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Custom tasks

A package’s .nimble file can define custom tasks and pre- or post-command hooks using Nim code.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Dependency locking

The nimble.lock file pins dependency versions and checks downloaded packages against recorded checksums; the guide says only SHA-1 checksums are currently supported.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Dependency resolution

YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Dependency sources

Nimble supports packages from local directories, Git repositories, and Mercurial repositories.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Development workflow

The nimble develop command clones packages and records development-mode dependencies for a project.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Installation

Nimble is bundled with Nim, and the guide provides manual installation instructions for POSIX systems and Windows.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Lock files

The nimble.lock file pins exact dependency versions so developers can use the same versions across a project.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Lockfile support

YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Notable limit

The guide states that package-list updates are not automatic and users must run nimble refresh to update the local list.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Package creation

The nimble init wizard creates a package scaffold and prompts for details such as package type, version, description, license, and minimum Nim version.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Package discovery

The nimble search command filters known packages by name fragments or tags, and the guide also points to the Nimble Directory website as a search alternative.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Package formats

library,binary,hybridRead 21 Sep 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Package installation

The install command downloads a package and installs its Nimble dependencies as well.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Package list updates

The guide says there is no automatic package-list update mechanism and users must run nimble refresh to update their local list.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Package management

It can search for Nim packages, install dependencies, create packages, and upload them to the official package list.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Package sources

Nimble supports packages from local directories, Git repositories, and Mercurial repositories.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Repository requirements

Downloading packages from GitHub requires Git installed and available on PATH; Mercurial repositories likewise require Mercurial.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Supported Git version

The guide states that the minimum supported Git version is 2.22.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Supported platforms

Windows,macOS,LinuxRead 21 Sep 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Version management

Nimble can automatically download and manage Nim versions for projects based on the Nim requirement in each package's .nimble file.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Version selection

Users can select package versions or repository branches, tags, and commit hashes when installing packages.Read 11 Oct 2026 · nim-lang.github.io

Where Specifiction places it

• Package Managers#68 of 937.5