Install Node.js (via NodeSource or NVM)

Node.js is a JavaScript runtime for building server-side applications. This guide covers two installation methods: NodeSource (recommended for production) and NVM (better for development and version switching).

Option A: Install via NodeSource Repository (Recommended for Production)

NodeSource maintains up-to-date Node.js packages and is the standard choice for production servers.

Step 1: Install Node.js from NodeSource

For Ubuntu/Debian (LTS version 20 as example):

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install nodejs -y

For the latest LTS version, replace setup_20.x with setup_22.x (or check https://github.com/nodesource/distributions for current versions).

For RHEL/CentOS:

curl -fsSL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash -
sudo dnf install nodejs -y

Step 2: Verify installation

node -v
npm -v

Step 3: Update npm to the latest version

sudo npm install -g npm@latest

Step 4: (Optional) Install global packages

Install common tools globally:

sudo npm install -g pm2 yarn ts-node

• pm2: Process manager for Node.js applications
• yarn: Alternative package manager
• ts-node: Run TypeScript files directly

Option B: Install via NVM (Better for Development)

NVM allows you to install multiple Node.js versions and switch between them easily. This is ideal for development or testing different versions.

Step 1: Install NVM

Download and run the NVM installer:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash

Reload your shell configuration:

source ~/.bashrc

Or close and reopen your terminal.

Step 2: Verify NVM installation

nvm --version

Step 3: Install Node.js

List available versions:

nvm list-remote

Install the latest LTS version:

nvm install node

Or install a specific version:

nvm install 20.10.0
nvm install 18.18.0

Step 4: Switch between versions

Set a default version:

nvm alias default 20.10.0

Switch to a specific version in the current shell:

nvm use 20.10.0

View installed versions:

nvm list

Step 5: Verify installation

node -v
npm -v

Step 5 (Both Methods): Create a simple Node.js application

Create a test directory:

mkdir -p ~/my-app
cd ~/my-app

Initialize a Node.js project:

npm init -y

Create a simple server file (app.js):

cat > app.js << 'EOF'
const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
  res.end('Hello, Node.js!\n');
});

server.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server running on http://localhost:3000');
});
EOF

Step 6: Run your application

node app.js

You should see:

Server running on http://localhost:3000

Test it from another terminal:

curl http://localhost:3000

You'll see: Hello, Node.js!

Stop the server with Ctrl+C.

Step 7: Run Node.js in the background with PM2

PM2 keeps your Node.js app running and restarts it if it crashes.

Install PM2:

npm install -g pm2

Start your app with PM2:

pm2 start app.js --name "my-app"

View running processes:

pm2 list

View logs:

pm2 logs my-app

Enable PM2 to start on system reboot:

pm2 startup
pm2 save

Stop your app:

pm2 stop my-app

Restart:

pm2 restart my-app

Step 8: Open firewall port (if needed)

If you want external access to your Node.js app on port 3000, open the firewall:

sudo ufw allow 3000/tcp

For production, use a reverse proxy (Nginx or Apache) to forward port 80/443 to your Node.js app running on a higher port.

Tips

• NVM for multiple projects: If you maintain projects on different Node.js versions, NVM makes it easy to switch per-project.
• Production with NodeSource: NodeSource is the standard for production servers because it integrates with package managers and includes security updates.
• Check Node.js version support: Node.js has LTS (Long Term Support) versions. Check https://nodejs.org/ for current LTS releases.
• Update Node.js: With NodeSource, run sudo apt upgrade nodejs. With NVM, run nvm install node && nvm alias default node.
• NPM packages location: Global packages with NVM are installed in ~/.nvm/versions/node/vX.X.X/lib/node_modules/. With NodeSource, they're in /usr/lib/node_modules/.
• Remove a Node.js version (NVM): nvm uninstall 18.18.0