Installing Node.js and npm

What you get

Node.js runs JavaScript outside the browser. npm ships with Node and installs packages from the registry.

Install options

• Download an LTS installer from the official Node.js site
• Use a version manager such as nvm or fnm if you switch versions often
• On many Linux distros, prefer NodeSource, nvm, or the distro's current package—avoid very old system Node

Check versions

Open a new terminal after install so PATH updates apply.

node --version
npm --version

First REPL peek

Run node with no file to open a prompt. Type an expression, then .exit to leave.

node
> 2 + 2
4
> .exit