uv/docs/reference/installer.md

The uv installer

Changing the installation path

By default, uv is installed to ~/.local/bin. If XDG_BIN_HOME is set, it will be used instead. Similarly, if XDG_DATA_HOME is set, the target directory will be inferred as XDG_DATA_HOME/../bin.

To change the installation path, use UV_INSTALL_DIR:

=== "macOS and Linux"

```console
$ curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | env UV_INSTALL_DIR="/custom/path" sh
```

=== "Windows"

```pwsh-session
PS> powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c {$env:UV_INSTALL_DIR = "C:\Custom\Path";irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex}
```

Disabling shell modifications

The installer may also update your shell profiles to ensure the uv binary is on your PATH. To disable this behavior, use UV_NO_MODIFY_PATH. For example:

$ curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | env UV_NO_MODIFY_PATH=1 sh

If installed with UV_NO_MODIFY_PATH, subsequent operations, like uv self update, will not modify your shell profiles.

Unmanaged installations

In ephemeral environments like CI, use UV_UNMANAGED_INSTALL to install uv to a specific path while preventing the installer from modifying shell profiles or environment variables:

$ curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | env UV_UNMANAGED_INSTALL="/custom/path" sh

The use of UV_UNMANAGED_INSTALL will also disable self-updates (via uv self update).

Passing options to the installation script

Using environment variables is recommended because they are consistent across platforms. However, options can be passed directly to the installation script. For example, to see the available options:

$ curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh -s -- --help