Install fvm with Homebrew, chocolatey, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• fvm

Project history

The public GitHub repository was created in February 2019, and the package appeared on pub.dev in October 2019. The project describes itself as Flutter Version Management and documents the problem it addresses as the need to use multiple Flutter SDKs, avoid slow channel switching, and keep team environments consistent.

By the 3.x series, FVM had moved its project configuration to a `.fvmrc` file, while keeping `.fvm/fvm_config.json` as a deprecated compatibility file. Later 4.x releases added stronger support for custom or forked Flutter SDK repositories, Melos integration, standalone executables, release automation, and more efficient git cache handling.

Adoption history

FVM is distributed as a Dart package and as prebuilt or package-manager installs. The upstream README notes release automation to pub.dev, GitHub binaries, Homebrew, Chocolatey, and Docker, which made it available both to Flutter developers already using Dart tooling and to developers who prefer system package managers.

The project also links to Flutter Sidekick, a related graphical companion from the same author, reflecting the split between a scriptable CLI for CI and project work and a friendlier desktop surface for some users.

How it is used

Typical usage is to run `fvm use` in a Flutter project, commit the `.fvmrc` file, and invoke `fvm flutter` or `fvm dart` so commands run against the configured SDK. Official docs describe `.fvmrc` as the project config file and `.fvm/flutter_sdk` as the project symlink to the cached SDK.

For package maintainers, FVM is notable because it coordinates a language runtime, project-local metadata, IDE settings, shell commands, and CI behavior without replacing Flutter itself.

Why package nerds care

FVM is a clean example of a language-specific version manager becoming packaging infrastructure. Its value is not the Flutter SDK download alone, but the reproducible handoff between a project's version file, developer shell commands, IDE configuration, and automated builds.

The 3.x and 4.x changelog entries are especially interesting for package maintainers because they document migration pressure around config files, git cache size, forked SDKs, prebuilt binaries, and package-manager deployment.

Timeline

• 2019: Public GitHub repository created.
• 2019: Package first published on pub.dev.
• 2020: 1.x releases published on GitHub.
• 2023: 3.x series uses `.fvmrc` while keeping legacy `.fvm/fvm_config.json` compatibility.
• 2025: 4.0.0 adds custom or forked Flutter SDK repository support and Melos integration.
• 2026: 4.1.x releases focus on safer CI behavior and leaner git cache handling.

Related projects

• FVM manages the Flutter SDK and Dart tooling rather than replacing them.
• Flutter Sidekick is a related GUI project linked from the FVM README.
• Melos integration matters for Dart and Flutter monorepos.

Sources

• https://api.github.com/repos/leoafarias/fvm
• https://fvm.app/documentation/getting-started/configuration
• https://github.com/leoafarias/fvm
• https://pub.dev/packages/fvm/changelog
• https://raw.githubusercontent.com/leoafarias/fvm/main/CHANGELOG.md
• https://raw.githubusercontent.com/leoafarias/fvm/main/README.md
• https://raw.githubusercontent.com/leoafarias/fvm/main/docs/pages/documentation/getting-started/configuration.mdx