Guide on Installing Node.js & npm

Outline

• Check if you already have Node.js or npm
• macOS with nodenv
• Windows with nvm-windows
• 📺 Installing Node.js | Video by Kintone
• Which NodeJS version to install?
• Why Not Install Node Directly

Check if you already have Node.js or npm

Go inside the project folder.

node -v
npm -v

If Node & npm are missing, let's install them!

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macOS with nodenv

We recommend installing Node.js using nodenv to manage node versions. This allows your computer to have a specific Node.js version per project.

⚠️ Remove any existing installations of Node.js before installing nodenv! ⚠️
Having different Node.js installations can lead to conflict issues.

Step 1: Install nodenv with Homebrew

Update Homebrew	brew update && brew upgrade
Install nodenv	brew install nodenv

Step 2: Set up nodenv shell integration

Run the initialization command	nodenv init
Append the following line into the shell's rc/profile	eval "$(nodenv init -)"

For Zsh users	For Bash users
echo 'eval "$(nodenv init -)"' >> ~/.zshrc	echo 'eval "$(nodenv init -)"' >> ~/.bash_profile
cat < ~/.zshrc	cat < ~/.bash_profile

Step 3: Implement the changes

Close & open a new Terminal window for the changes to take place.

Optional: Verify that nodenv is properly set up using nodenv-doctor script.

• For those using Z shell (Zsh) shell:

  curl -fsSL https://github.com/nodenv/nodenv-installer/raw/master/bin/nodenv-doctor | bash

• Expected result:

  Checking for `nodenv' in PATH: /usr/local/bin/nodenv
  Checking for nodenv shims in PATH: OK
  Checking `nodenv install' support: /usr/local/bin/nodenv-install (node-build 3.0.22-4-g49c4cb9)
  Counting installed Node versions: none
    There aren't any Node versions installed under `~/.nodenv/versions'.
    You can install Node versions like so: nodenv install 2.2.4
  Auditing installed plugins: OK

Step 4: Install Node.js inside the project folder

• Now you're ready to install specific Node.js versions!

• Inside project folder, install Node.js version 14.5.0:

  cd my_project/
  
  nodenv install 14.5.0
  
  nodenv local 14.5.0

Useful Commands for nodenv

# list all available versions:
nodenv install -l

# install a Node version:
nodenv install 0.10.26

# Set a default global Node version:
nodenv global 16.16.0

Alright! Your Mac is now armed with Node.js!

Download the required packages by opening a terminal for both the frontend & backend folders and then running the npm install command!

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Windows with nvm-windows

The following steps are straight from the Microsoft Docs on Set up NodeJS on native Windows. We recommend installing and managing Node.js with nvm-windows

⚠️ Remove any existing installations of Node.js before installing nvm-windows! ⚠️
Having different Node.js installations can lead to conflict issues.

Step 1: Go to the windows-nvm's latest release.

Step 2: Download the nvm-setup.zip file for the most recent release.

Step 3: Once downloaded, open the zip file, then open the nvm-setup.exe file.

Step 4: The Setup-NVM-for-Windows installation wizard will walk you through the setup steps, including choosing the directory where both nvm-windows and Node.js will be installed.

• 

Step 5: After the installation is complete, open PowerShell & enter nvm ls

• nvm ls lists out installed Node versions (should be none at this point)
• 

Step 6: Install Node.js inside the project folder (my_project)

• Now you're ready to install specific Node.js versions!

• Inside my_project folder, install Node.js version 14.5.0:

  cd .\Documents\my_project
  
  nvm install 14.5.0
  
  nvm use 14.5.0

Alright! Your Windows is now armed with Node.js!

Download the required packages by opening a terminal for both the frontend & backend folders and then running the npm install command!

📺 Installing Node.js | Video by Kintone

Which NodeJS version to install?

As of 2022-08-10, the recommended Node.js version is 16.16.0

Why Not Install Node Directly

Although installing NodeJS directly would be the simplest way, you will quickly run into problems when NodeJS has change-breaking updates.

There will always be programs that will not work on newer NodeJS versions. Using nodenv or nvm-windows will make managing NodeJS versions a lot easier in the long run.