UnoSDK

UnoSDK is a native CLI tool for Windows that installs and manages multiple software development kits (SDKs) from various providers. Think of it as SDKMAN for Windows, built as a single .exe that runs directly in PowerShell or Command Prompt. Say goodbye to manual downloads, extractions, and environment variable configuration.

Table of Contents

• Why UnoSDK?
• UnoSDK vs SDKMAN on Windows
• Features
• Supported SDKs
• Installation
• Usage
• Configuration
• Troubleshooting
• FAQ
• Contributing
• License

Why UnoSDK?

If you've used SDKMAN! on Linux or macOS and wished for the same experience on Windows, UnoSDK is for you. It gives you a native Windows workflow for managing multiple SDK versions, without bash, WSL, or manual PATH management.

UnoSDK vs SDKMAN on Windows

SDKMAN is an excellent tool, but it is a set of bash scripts. On Windows it only runs inside a Unix-like layer such as WSL, Git Bash, Cygwin, or MSYS2. UnoSDK is a compiled Go binary built specifically for Windows.

Benefits at a glance

	UnoSDK	SDKMAN on Windows
Runs in	PowerShell and Command Prompt (native)	Needs WSL, Git Bash, Cygwin, or MSYS2
Installation	One PowerShell command, or drop in a single .exe	Requires a bash environment plus curl, zip, and unzip first
Environment variables	Sets Windows PATH / JAVA_HOME etc. for you	Works inside the bash shell session; not wired into native Windows apps
Works with Windows tools	IDEs, Windows Terminal, PowerShell, cmd, CI agents, and services all see the same SDKs	SDKs installed in WSL live in the Linux filesystem and are not visible to Windows-native tools
SDKs available	Java, Node.js, Python, Flutter, Maven, Gradle, Go, C, C++	Strong JVM ecosystem (Java, Maven, Gradle, Kotlin, Scala, and more), but no Node.js, Python, or Go
Windows binaries	Downloads Windows builds (e.g. MinGW-w64 for C/C++)	In WSL, downloads Linux builds, which cannot run natively on Windows
Footprint	Single static binary, no runtime dependencies	Shell scripts plus the Unix tooling they depend on

Why this matters

• No Linux layer required. You don't need to install or maintain WSL or Git Bash just to switch Java versions.
• One tool for your whole stack. Manage your JDK, build tools, Node.js, Python, Go, Flutter, and a C/C++ toolchain together instead of juggling several installers.
• Native paths and variables. SDKs are installed under %USERPROFILE%\.unosdk\ (or any path you choose) and registered in the Windows environment, so Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio, and build servers can use them without extra setup.
• Fast, safe installs. Parallel downloads with progress bars and checksum verification.
• Easy to update. Re-run the install command to upgrade UnoSDK itself.

When SDKMAN might still be a better fit

• You already work primarily inside WSL or a Linux/macOS environment. SDKMAN is the established choice there.
• You need a JVM-ecosystem tool that UnoSDK doesn't support yet (for example Kotlin or Scala).
• You want SDKMAN's wide range of Java vendor distributions (UnoSDK currently offers Amazon Corretto, OpenJDK, and GraalVM).

UnoSDK and SDKMAN can coexist. UnoSDK manages Windows-native SDKs, while SDKMAN inside WSL manages Linux-side ones.

Features

• 🚀 Multi-SDK Support: Manage Java, Node.js, Python, Flutter, Maven, Gradle, Go, C, and C++ from a single tool
• 🪟 Windows Native: A single .exe that runs in PowerShell and Command Prompt, with no WSL or bash needed
• 🔄 Version Switching: Switch between installed SDK versions with one command
• 📦 Multiple Providers: Support for various distribution providers
  • Java: Amazon Corretto, OpenJDK, GraalVM
  • Node.js: Official Node.js distributions
  • Python: Official Python distributions
  • Flutter: Official Flutter SDK
  • Maven: Apache Maven build tool
  • Gradle: Gradle build automation tool
  • Go: Official Go programming language
  • C / C++: MinGW-w64 (GCC/G++ toolchain)
• 🔧 Automatic Environment Setup: Configures PATH and environment variables for you
• 📋 Registry Management: Keeps track of all installed SDKs
• ⚡ Fast Downloads: Parallel downloads with progress tracking
• 🛡️ Verification: Checksum verification to ensure download integrity

Supported SDKs

SDK Type	Providers	Description
Java	Amazon Corretto, OpenJDK, GraalVM	Java Development Kit
Node.js	nodejs	JavaScript runtime environment
Python	python	Python programming language
Flutter	flutter	Flutter SDK for mobile, web, and desktop apps
Maven	apache	Apache Maven build automation tool
Gradle	gradle	Gradle build automation tool
Go	golang	Go programming language
C	mingw	MinGW-w64 GCC toolchain
C++	mingw	MinGW-w64 GCC/G++ toolchain

Installation

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 or later
• PowerShell 5.1 or later

Quick Installation (Recommended)

Open PowerShell and run:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/javaquery/unosdk/refs/heads/master/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

This will automatically:

• Download the latest release from GitHub
• Install to %LOCALAPPDATA%\unosdk
• Add unosdk to your PATH
• Replace any existing installation

To update UnoSDK: run the same command again. The script detects the existing installation and replaces it with the latest version.

Manual Installation

1. Go to the releases page
2. Download the latest unosdk.exe for Windows
3. Move it to a permanent location (e.g., C:\Program Files\unosdk\)
4. Add that directory to your PATH:

$path = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('Path', 'User')
$newPath = $path + ';C:\Program Files\unosdk'
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('Path', $newPath, 'User')

5. Open a new terminal and verify:

unosdk version

Quick Start

# List available SDKs
unosdk list

# Install Java
unosdk install java amazoncorretto 21

# Install Node.js
unosdk install node nodejs latest

Usage

Basic Commands

# Display help
unosdk --help

# Show version
unosdk version

# List all available providers and versions
unosdk list

# List installed SDKs
unosdk list --installed

Install SDKs

# Java
unosdk install java amazoncorretto 21
unosdk install java graalvm 23.1.2

# Node.js
unosdk install node nodejs latest

# Python
unosdk install python python 3.11

# Flutter
unosdk install flutter flutter latest
unosdk install flutter flutter 3.27.2

# Maven
unosdk install maven apache 3.9.9
unosdk install maven apache 3.8.8

# Gradle
unosdk install gradle gradle 8.12
unosdk install gradle gradle 8.10

# Go
unosdk install go golang 1.23.5
unosdk install go golang 1.22.10

# C++ (MinGW-w64)
unosdk install cpp mingw 15.2.0
unosdk install cpp mingw 14.2.0

# C (MinGW-w64)
unosdk install c mingw 15.2.0

Install options:

# Install to a custom path
unosdk install java openjdk 17 --path C:\SDKs\java

# Skip environment setup
unosdk install java amazoncorretto 21 --skip-env

# Set as default version
unosdk install java openjdk 21 --set-default

Switch Between Versions

unosdk switch java openjdk 21
unosdk switch node nodejs 20
unosdk switch gradle gradle 8.12
unosdk switch go golang 1.23.5
unosdk switch cpp mingw 15.2.0
unosdk switch c mingw 15.2.0

Uninstall SDKs

# Uninstall a specific version
unosdk uninstall java amazoncorretto 21

# Force uninstall (skip confirmation)
unosdk uninstall java openjdk 17 --force

Update SDK Registry

# Refresh the list of available SDKs
unosdk update

Configuration

UnoSDK manages its configuration and tracks installed SDKs automatically. Data is stored in:

%USERPROFILE%\.unosdk\
├── config.yaml          # User configuration
├── registry.json        # Installed SDKs registry
├── cache/               # Cached SDK metadata
└── sdks/                # Installed SDKs

By default, SDKs are installed under %USERPROFILE%\.unosdk\:

C:\Users\<username>\.unosdk\
├── java\
│   ├── amazoncorretto\
│   │   ├── 11\
│   │   ├── 17\
│   │   └── 21\
│   └── openjdk\
│       └── 21\
├── node\
│   └── nodejs\
│       └── 20\
├── python\
│   └── python\
│       └── 3.11\
├── maven\
│   └── 3.9.9\
├── gradle\
│   └── 8.12\
├── go\
│   └── golang\
│       └── 1.23.5\
├── c\
│   └── mingw\
│       └── 15.2.0\
│           └── mingw64\  # bin/ (gcc), include/, lib/, etc.
└── cpp\
    └── mingw\
        └── 15.2.0\
            └── mingw64\  # bin/ (g++, gcc), include/, lib/, etc.

For example, Amazon Corretto 11 is installed at C:\Users\<username>\.unosdk\java\amazoncorretto\11. Use --path to choose a different location.

Troubleshooting

Command Not Found

• Make sure the directory containing unosdk.exe is in your PATH
• Open a new terminal window after PATH changes

Permission Denied

Run PowerShell or Command Prompt as Administrator when:

• Installing SDKs (to set environment variables)
• Switching between SDK versions
• First-time setup

SDK Not Working After Install

1. Verify the SDK is installed: unosdk list --installed
2. Check that environment variables are set correctly
3. Open a new terminal to refresh environment variables
4. Re-select the version: unosdk switch <sdk-type> <provider> <version>

FAQ

Q: How is UnoSDK different from SDKMAN? A: SDKMAN is a bash-based tool designed for Linux and macOS; on Windows it requires WSL, Git Bash, Cygwin, or MSYS2. UnoSDK is a native Windows executable that works in PowerShell and Command Prompt, sets Windows environment variables directly, and also covers Node.js, Python, Go, Flutter, and C/C++. See UnoSDK vs SDKMAN on Windows.

Q: Do I need WSL or Git Bash? A: No. UnoSDK is a standalone Windows binary.

Q: Do I need to configure environment variables manually? A: No. UnoSDK configures PATH and other required variables automatically.

Q: Can I install multiple versions of the same SDK? A: Yes. Install as many as you like and switch with unosdk switch.

Q: Where are SDKs installed? A: By default in %USERPROFILE%\.unosdk\ (e.g., C:\Users\<username>\.unosdk\java\amazoncorretto\11). Use --path to customize.

Q: Is an internet connection required? A: Only for downloading SDKs. Once installed, SDKs work offline.

Q: Can I use this alongside other SDK managers (including SDKMAN in WSL)? A: Yes, but watch for PATH conflicts. UnoSDK manages its own installations independently.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Support

• Issues: Report bugs on GitHub Issues
• Discussions: Ask questions in GitHub Discussions

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to all the SDK providers for making their distributions available.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

---

For Contributors

Building from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/javaquery/unosdk.git
cd unosdk

# Build the project (requires Go 1.21+)
.\scripts\build.ps1

# Run tests
go test ./...

Version Management

Edit pkg/version/version.go:

const Version = "1.2.0"  // Change this line

Then build and release:

.\scripts\build.ps1
git commit -am "bump version to 1.2.0"
git tag v1.2.0
git push origin master --tags

Dependencies

• cobra - CLI framework
• zap - Structured logging
• progressbar - Terminal progress bars
• grab - File downloading

---

Made with ❤️ for the developer community