Installing Node.js¶

Welcome! 🚀 This is your very first stop. Here you'll get your computer ready from scratch — with no assumption that you already know how to program, use the terminal, or what Node.js is. We'll take it slow, one step at a time.

By the end of this page, you'll have Node.js installed and you'll understand the basic vocabulary that shows up in every tutorial. 💡

What is the terminal?¶

The terminal (also called the "command line" or "prompt") is a program where you type text commands and the computer runs them. Instead of clicking buttons, you write what you want to happen and press Enter. It looks scary at first, but you'll only need to copy and paste a few commands. 😊

Here's how to open the terminal on your system:

WindowsmacOSLinux

Press the Windows key on your keyboard.
Type PowerShell or Terminal.
Click Windows PowerShell (or Terminal) in the list.

A dark (or blue) window will open. That's where you type commands.

Press Command (⌘) + Space to open Spotlight.
Type Terminal.
Press Enter.

A Terminal window will open. That's where you type commands.

Look for Terminal in your applications menu, or
Press Ctrl + Alt + T (works on most distributions).

A terminal window will open. That's where you type commands.

Copy and paste in the terminal

You can copy the commands from this page and paste them into the terminal. On Windows, paste with Ctrl + V. On macOS, use Command (⌘) + V. On Linux, it's usually Ctrl + Shift + V. After pasting, press Enter to run it.

What are Node.js and npm?¶

Node.js is a program that runs JavaScript code outside the browser — that is, right on your computer. This lets you build servers, tools, and applications using JavaScript.

Bundled with Node.js comes npm (Node Package Manager). It's used to install packages — ready-made pieces of code, written by other people, that you reuse in your project. When you install Node.js, you get both at once. ✅

Installing Node.js (the LTS version)¶

Let's install the LTS version of Node.js. "LTS" means Long Term Support: it's the most stable version and the one recommended for most people.

You need Node 20 or newer

This SDK requires Node.js version 20 or newer. The current LTS release meets that requirement with room to spare, so follow the steps below without worry. Only pay attention if you already have an older version installed.

Follow the instructions for your system:

WindowsmacOSLinux

Option A — Installer (simplest):

Go to https://nodejs.org.
Click the button showing the LTS version.
Open the downloaded file and click Next until it finishes.

Option B — From the terminal (with winget):

winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS

After installing, close and reopen the terminal for the changes to take effect.

Option A — nvm (recommended):

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash

Close and reopen the terminal, then install the LTS version:

nvm install --lts

Option B — Homebrew:

brew install node

Option C — Installer: download the LTS package from https://nodejs.org and follow the wizard.

Recommended — nvm:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash

Close and reopen the terminal, then install the LTS version:

nvm install --lts

Avoid your distribution's packages

Installing Node.js via apt, dnf, or pacman often brings an old version, which may be lower than the required 20. That's why nvm is the safest path on Linux.

Why do we recommend nvm?

nvm is the friendliest way to install and switch between Node.js versions without headaches. If you ever need a different version, it's just one command away.

What is nvm?

nvm stands for Node Version Manager. It's a small tool that installs Node.js for your user and lets you keep several versions installed at once, switching between them whenever you want. That way you're never stuck on an old system version, and you don't need administrator permissions to install Node. Handy commands:

nvm install --lts → installs the latest LTS version.
nvm use --lts → switches to the LTS version.
nvm ls → lists the versions you have installed.

Verifying the install¶

Now let's confirm everything worked. In the terminal, type:

node -v

You should see something like:

v22.11.0

Then check npm:

npm -v

The output will be something like:

10.9.0

Did it work?

If you saw two version numbers, congratulations — Node.js and npm are installed! ✅ Just make sure the node -v number starts with 20 or higher (for example v20.x, v22.x). If it shows something lower, go back to the install step and use nvm to install the LTS version.

Command not found?

If the terminal replies with something like command not found or is not recognized, it's usually enough to close and reopen the terminal so it picks up the newly installed Node.js.

Basic vocabulary: package, package.json, and node_modules¶

As you learn, three words will show up all the time. Let's understand them concretely:

Package: a reusable piece of code, written by someone else, that you install with npm so you don't have to write everything from scratch.
package.json: your project's manifest. It's a file that lists the project's name and its dependencies (the packages it uses). Think of it as your project's shopping list.
node_modules: the folder where npm stores the installed packages. It can get quite large. You never edit this folder by hand and never commit it to version control (Git) — it's re-created from package.json when needed.

You don't need to create any of this yet

You'll see these files appear naturally later on, when you create a project. For now, it's enough to know what each name means. 💡

Recap¶

On this page you:

Learned what the terminal is and how to open it on your system. ✅
Understood that Node.js runs JavaScript on your computer and that npm installs packages. ✅
Installed the LTS version of Node.js (>= 20). ✅
Confirmed the install with node -v and npm -v. ✅
Learned the vocabulary: package, package.json, and node_modules. ✅

With Node.js working, the next step is getting to know a bit of the language.

➡️ Continue to: JavaScript and TypeScript essentials