How to Install Node.js and npm

Download Node.js

Go to the official website:

👉 nodejs.org

The site detects your OS and shows two big buttons. Click the one that says LTS (Long-Term Support).

Direct download options:

• Windows: "Windows Installer (.msi)" — 64-bit is standard
• Mac: "macOS Installer (.pkg)" — works on Intel and Apple Silicon
• Linux: use your package manager or nvm (see below)

Run the Installer

Windows:

1. Open the downloaded .msi file
2. Click "Next" through the welcome screen
3. Accept the license agreement
4. Keep the default install location (C:\Program Files\nodejs)
5. On the "Tools for Native Modules" screen, leave it unchecked for now (you can enable it later if needed)
6. Click "Install" and wait for completion
7. Click "Finish"

Mac:

1. Open the downloaded .pkg file
2. Click "Continue" through the installer screens
3. Accept the license
4. Click "Install" and enter your Mac password
5. Wait for the installer to finish

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

The system package is often outdated. The recommended way is nvm (see Step 5), or you can use NodeSource:

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

For Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf install nodejs npm

Verify the Installation

Open a fresh terminal window:

• Windows: press Win + R, type cmd, hit Enter
• Mac: press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", hit Enter
• Linux: press Ctrl + Alt + T

Check Node.js:

node --version

You should see something like:

v20.11.0

Check npm:

npm --version

You should see something like:

10.2.4

If both commands return version numbers, you're good to go.

Test with Your First Script

Create a file called hello.js anywhere. Open it in VS Code (or any text editor) and paste:

console.log("Hello from Node!");

// Bonus: check the Node version programmatically
console.log("Node version:", process.version);

// Bonus: simple math to prove it's running JS
const numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
const sum = numbers.reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0);
console.log("Sum of 1-5:", sum);

Save the file. In your terminal, navigate to the folder and run:

node hello.js

You should see:

Hello from Node!
Node version: v20.11.0
Sum of 1-5: 15

🎉 Node.js is installed and working!

Bonus: Install nvm (Recommended)

Real projects often need different Node.js versions. Node Version Manager (nvm) lets you switch between them per project.

Mac / Linux:

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

Then restart your terminal and verify:

nvm --version

Install a Node version:

nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts

Windows:

Use nvm-windows from the official GitHub:

👉 github.com/coreybutler/nvm-windows/releases

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