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How to Install Node.js on Linux, macOS, and Windows

4 min read •
Beginner Node.js JavaScript Development How To

Quick Answer: Best method: use nvm. Install nvm: curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash. Then: nvm install --lts. Verify: node -v && npm -v.

Which Method to Use

Method Best For Multiple Versions Sudo Required
nvm (recommended) Development Yes No
NodeSource repo Production servers No Yes
Official installer Windows/macOS beginners No Yes
Docker Isolated environments Yes (per container) No
apt (default) Not recommended No Yes

Why not apt install nodejs? Ubuntu/Debian ship very old Node.js versions. Ubuntu 22.04 ships Node 12 — many modern packages need Node 18+.

Method 1: nvm (Recommended)

nvm (Node Version Manager) lets you install and switch between multiple Node.js versions without sudo.

Install nvm

# Install nvm
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash

# Reload shell
source ~/.bashrc
# or for zsh:
source ~/.zshrc

# Verify
nvm --version

Install Node.js

# Install latest LTS (recommended)
nvm install --lts

# Install latest version
nvm install node

# Install specific version
nvm install 20
nvm install 18.19.0

# Verify
node -v     # e.g., v20.12.0
npm -v      # e.g., 10.5.0

Switch Versions

# List installed versions
nvm ls

# Switch to a version
nvm use 20
nvm use 18

# Set default version
nvm alias default 20

# Use version for current project only (.nvmrc)
echo "20" > .nvmrc
nvm use    # Reads from .nvmrc

# Uninstall a version
nvm uninstall 18

nvm on macOS

Same as Linux — nvm works natively: 

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash
source ~/.zshrc
nvm install --lts

nvm on Windows

Use nvm-windows — a separate project:

  1. Download installer from the releases page
  2. Run the installer
  3. Open a new terminal:
nvm install lts
nvm use lts
node -v

Method 2: NodeSource Repository (Production Servers)

For servers where you want one stable version managed by apt: 

# Add NodeSource GPG key and repository (Node.js 20 LTS)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/gpgkey/nodesource-repo.gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg] https://deb.nodesource.com/node_20.x nodistro main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.list

# Install
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# Verify
node -v
npm -v

For Node 22, change node_20.x to node_22.x in the echo command above.

Method 3: Official Installer

macOS

Download from nodejs.org or use Homebrew: 

# Using Homebrew
brew install node

# Specific version
brew install node@20

# Verify
node -v
npm -v

Windows

  1. Download from nodejs.org — choose LTS
  2. Run the installer (check "Add to PATH")
  3. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell:
node -v
npm -v

Method 4: Docker

Run Node.js in a container without installing it on your system: 

# Run Node.js interactively
docker run -it node:20 node

# Run a script
docker run -v $(pwd):/app -w /app node:20 node script.js

# For a project with package.json
docker run -v $(pwd):/app -w /app node:20 sh -c "npm install && npm start"

Dockerfile for Node.js Projects

FROM node:20-alpine
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install
COPY . .
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["node", "server.js"]

npm Basics

npm (Node Package Manager) comes with Node.js. 

# Initialize a project
npm init -y

# Install a package (project-local)
npm install express

# Install globally
npm install -g nodemon

# Install dev dependency
npm install --save-dev jest

# Remove a package
npm uninstall express

# Update all packages
npm update

# List installed packages
npm list
npm list -g            # Global packages

# Check for outdated packages
npm outdated

# Run scripts (from package.json)
npm start
npm test
npm run build

npx — Run Without Installing

# Run a package without installing it
npx create-react-app my-app
npx serve ./build
npx ts-node script.ts

Yarn (Alternative to npm)

# Install Yarn
npm install -g yarn

# Or via corepack (Node 16.10+)
corepack enable
corepack prepare yarn@stable --activate

# Yarn commands
yarn init
yarn add express
yarn add --dev jest
yarn remove express
yarn install
yarn upgrade

Common Issues

Problem Fix
node: command not found Shell not reloaded. Run source ~/.bashrc or open new terminal
npm WARN old lockfile Normal warning. Run npm install to update
EACCES permission denied Don't use sudo with npm. Use nvm instead
node: --openssl-legacy-provider Node 17+ changed OpenSSL. Add flag or downgrade to Node 16
npm ERR! code ENOENT Missing package.json. Run npm init -y first
Old Node.js from apt Don't use apt install nodejs. Use nvm or NodeSource repo
gyp ERR! build error Install build tools: sudo apt install build-essential python3

Fix npm Global Permissions

If you get EACCES errors with global npm installs: 

# Option 1: Use nvm (best solution — no sudo needed)

# Option 2: Change npm's default directory
mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Check Your Installation

# Node.js version
node -v

# npm version
npm -v

# Quick test
node -e "console.log('Node.js is working!')"

# Check where Node is installed
which node
which npm

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