Why is Nim 2.0.8 pinned?

[atlas-pouriya]

Hi,

I'm just wondering why is Nim version 2.0.8 pinned?

This results a download of that version on machines that are running a newer version of Nim:

Nimmer > nim --version
Nim Compiler Version 2.2.10 [Linux: amd64]
Compiled at 2026-04-24
Copyright (c) 2006-2026 by Andreas Rumpf

git hash: bfeb3146d1638b39f69007a4ae5a23e23ae4e5ef
active boot switches: -d:release
Nimmer >
Nimmer >
Nimmer >
Nimmer > nimble install -g nimlangserver
Downloading Nim 2.0.8 from nim-lang.org
[#################                                 ] 35.09% 5336kb/s^CSIGINT: Interrupted by Ctrl-C.

Nimmer >
Nimmer > nimble --version
nimble v0.22.2 compiled at 2026-04-24 03:46:34
git hash: couldn't determine git hash
Nimmer >
Nimmer >

Isn't using a newer version of Nim for the langserver better?

Thanks for your work

[RokkuCode]

To avoid downloading the 2.0.8 version of nim use --useSystemNim to use the system installed nim. I use this all the time and it has not more or less crashes as with the 2.0.8 version.

[atlas-pouriya]

To avoid downloading the 2.0.8 version of nim use --useSystemNim to use the system installed nim. I use this all the time and it has not more or less crashes as with the 2.0.8 version.

Good info. Although my question remains, why download an older version of Nim when the system has a newer one installed?

[arnetheduck]

why download an older version of Nim

langserver is tested with specific versions of all its dependencies, nim being one of them - reusing the same versions for everyone by default ensures that langserver doesn't break due to changes in Nim, ie this way you get the same version of langserver that is actually being tested instead of a random nim version that may or may not work (this changes over time).

[Araq]

Correct but it could be updated to use the most recent stable release.

[atlas-pouriya]

Happy that the man himself supports the idea.

A total newbie question for a wider audience, why not just have the end users (Nimble) download the binary (hopefully static) specific to the OS and architecture instead of compiling it on their machine?

[RokkuCode]

A total newbie question for a wider audience, why not just have the end users (Nimble) download the binary (hopefully static) specific to the OS and architecture instead of compiling it on their machine?

jm2c

this is a lot of more work because of different os, glibc versions yada yada. building the nimlangserver with the system installed nim does not take that long. to build the infrastructure to provide reproducible builds as binaries is a lot of more work. yes it would be nice to have, but someone has to do the work.

currently the most manpower is located at having ICC for nim, to get rid of all the current problems nimlangserver has (hopefully)