Dung (Donny) Nguyen

Senior Software Engineer

Install Node.js on Ubuntu

To install Node.js on Ubuntu, the most flexible and recommended method is using NVM (Node Version Manager). This lets you easily switch between Node.js versions.

Here’s a breakdown of the three main installation methods:

🛠️ Method 1: Using NVM (Node Version Manager) — Recommended

This method is ideal if you want to manage multiple Node.js versions or avoid system-wide changes.

Install NVM:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash

Then restart your terminal or run:

source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh

Install Node.js via NVM:

nvm install node        # Latest version
nvm install 20          # Specific version (e.g., v20)
nvm use 20              # Switch to version 20

Verify installation:
```
node -v
npm -v
```

📦 Method 2: Using Ubuntu’s APT Package Manager

This is the simplest method but may not give you the latest version.

Update package index:
```
sudo apt update
```
Install Node.js and npm:
```
sudo apt install nodejs npm
```
Check versions:
```
node -v
npm -v
```

📥 Method 3: Using NodeSource PPA (for specific versions)

This method is good for installing a specific version system-wide.

Add NodeSource PPA:

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

Install Node.js:
```
sudo apt install -y nodejs
```
Verify installation:
```
node -v
npm -v
```

🔍 Bonus Tips

Use nvm ls to list installed versions.
Use nvm alias default <version> to set a default version.
For production environments, stick to LTS versions like Node.js 20.

Install Yarn

If you already use NPM:
```
npm install --global yarn
```

Run this to find where NPM installed Yarn:

which yarn

You’ll get something like:

  /home/dung-nguyen/.nvm/versions/node/v24.11.0/bin/yarn

Edit your shell config file (depending on your shell):

For Bash:

echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/home/dung-nguyen/.nvm/versions/node/v24.11.0/bin/yarn"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

For Zsh:

echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/home/dung-nguyen/.nvm/versions/node/v24.11.0/bin/yarn"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Verify Yarn is accessible:
```
yarn --version
```