Replace RequiredVersion with ModuleVersion in #Requires directives

[viceice]

The NerdFonts module depends on the Admin and Fonts modules. When either dependency is updated beyond the pinned version, Import-Module NerdFonts fails because the #Requires directives use RequiredVersion, which demands an exact match.

This is a blocking issue on PowerShell 7.5+ where module auto-update behavior and side-by-side version loading interact poorly with exact version pins.

Request

What happens

When a user has a newer version of Admin (e.g., 1.1.13) or Fonts (e.g., 1.1.26) installed, importing NerdFonts fails:

Import-Module NerdFonts
Import-Module: The required module 'Admin' is not loaded. Load the module or remove the module from
'RequiredModules' in the file '[...]PowerShell\Modules\NerdFonts\1.0.32\NerdFonts.psd1'.

The user has no way to resolve this without manually installing the exact pinned version of each dependency alongside the newer one.

What is expected

Newer versions of Admin and Fonts should satisfy the dependency constraint. The #Requires directives should specify a minimum version, not an exact version, so that any version equal to or greater than the stated version is accepted.

Environment

• Module version: 1.0.32
• PowerShell: 7.5+ (Core)
• OS: Windows (also affects Linux/macOS)

Regression

This was not previously noticeable because the dependency modules had not been updated beyond the pinned versions. It became a problem once Admin and Fonts released newer versions.

Workaround

Manually install the exact pinned versions of Admin (1.1.6) and Fonts (1.1.21) alongside any newer versions already present. This is fragile and defeats the purpose of semantic versioning.

Acceptance criteria

• Import-Module NerdFonts succeeds when the installed versions of Admin and Fonts are equal to or newer than the minimum required versions
• The #Requires directives use ModuleVersion (minimum version) instead of RequiredVersion (exact version)
• No change in behavior when the exact pinned versions are installed

Related

• PSModule/Fonts#51 — Same issue in the Fonts module's dependency on Admin
• Handle dependencies better and refactor for reproducibility #57 — Closed PR that included this change among others

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Technical decisions

Directive syntax: Change from RequiredVersion to ModuleVersion in the #Requires -Modules hashtable. ModuleVersion specifies the minimum acceptable version, allowing any newer version to satisfy the constraint.

Minimum versions to set: Keep the current version numbers (Admin 1.1.6, Fonts 1.1.21) as the minimum. These are the oldest known-good versions.

Test file: The test file tests/NerdFonts.Tests.ps1 also uses RequiredVersion for Pester (5.7.1). This is a separate concern — Pester version pinning in tests is intentional and common. It should not be changed in this issue.

---

Implementation plan

Core changes

• In src/functions/public/Install-NerdFont.ps1, change line 1 from #Requires -Modules @{ ModuleName = 'Fonts'; RequiredVersion = '1.1.21' } to #Requires -Modules @{ ModuleName = 'Fonts'; ModuleVersion = '1.1.21' }
• In src/functions/public/Install-NerdFont.ps1, change line 2 from #Requires -Modules @{ ModuleName = 'Admin'; RequiredVersion = '1.1.6' } to #Requires -Modules @{ ModuleName = 'Admin'; ModuleVersion = '1.1.6' }

Verification

• Verify Import-Module NerdFonts succeeds with newer versions of Admin and Fonts installed
• Verify Import-Module NerdFonts still succeeds with the exact minimum versions installed
• Verify Install-NerdFont functions correctly after the change

[MariusStorhaug]

Michael Kriese (@viceice)
Jupp, we finally i can repro this and see the issue you are experiencing:

➜ Get-NerdFont
Get-NerdFont: The 'Get-NerdFont' command was found in the module 'NerdFonts', but the module could not be loaded. For more information, run 'Import-Module NerdFonts'.
~ x
➜ Import-Module NerdFonts
Import-Module: The required module 'Admin' is not loaded. Load the module or remove the module from 'RequiredModules' in the file '[...]\PowerShell\Modules\NerdFonts\1.0.32\NerdFonts.psd1'.
~ x

[MariusStorhaug]

Restructured the issue description into the standard three-section format.

• Rewrote the title to imperative mood describing the action to take
• Added full context, reproduction details, environment, regression assessment, and workaround
• Noted that the Pester RequiredVersion pin in tests/NerdFonts.Tests.ps1 is intentional and out of scope
• Added technical decisions section covering directive syntax and minimum version choices
• Created implementation plan with specific file/line changes and verification steps
• Added labels: bug, Patch
• Linked to 🪲[Bug]: Module can't be loaded in powershell 7.5.4 Fonts#51 and Handle dependencies better and refactor for reproducibility #57 for cross-reference

[MariusStorhaug]

Hold on, opening a new that is formulated propperly...

[MariusStorhaug]

Michael Kriese (@viceice) — Opened #64 to address this properly. Closing this one in favor of the new issue. Thank you for the report!