Step 1: Update Your System
Before starting the installation process, it is always a good practice to update your system to ensure that all packages are up-to-date. To do this, open the terminal and run the following commands:
bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
This command updates your system and ensures that there are no package conflicts during the installation of NVM.
Step 2: Install Required Dependencies
NVM requires curl and build-essential to be installed for smooth operation. Run the following command to install these dependencies:
bash
sudo apt install curl build-essential libssl-dev
curl is used to download NVM from its official repository, while build-essential contains necessary packages for building software.
Step 3: Download and Install NVM
The next step in how to install NVM on Ubuntu is to download the NVM installation script. You can do this using the following curl command:
bash
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
This command fetches the latest version of NVM and installs it. You can also check for updated versions on the NVM GitHub page.
Step 4: Load NVM into the Shell
After running the installation script, NVM is installed, but it might not be available immediately. To load NVM into your current shell session, you need to source the .bashrc or .zshrc file (depending on which shell you are using). Run the following command:
bash
source ~/.bashrc
If you’re using zsh, use this command instead:
bash
source ~/.zshrc
This will load NVM into your current terminal session, making it available for use.
Step 5: Verify NVM Installation
To confirm that NVM has been successfully installed, run the following command:
bash
nvm –version
If NVM is installed correctly, this command will display the version of NVM installed. Now, you are ready to use NVM for managing Node.js versions on your Ubuntu system.
Using NVM: Managing Node.js Versions
Now that we have successfully covered how to install NVM on Ubuntu, let’s dive into some of its key features, specifically managing Node.js versions.
Step 1: Install a Specific Version of Node.js
With NVM, you can easily install any version of Node.js. For example, if you want to install the latest stable version, run:
bash
nvm install node
This will install the latest stable release of Node.js. If you want to install a specific version, for example, version 14.17.0, you can run:
bash
nvm install 14.17.0
Step 2: List Installed Versions of Node.js
To view all installed versions of Node.js on your system, use the following command:
bash
nvm ls
This will display all the Node.js versions installed on your system through NVM, along with the current active version.
Step 3: Switch Between Node.js Versions
One of the key advantages of NVM is the ability to switch between different versions of Node.js. For instance, if you want to switch to Node.js version 14.17.0, you would run:
bash
nvm use 14.17.0
You can verify the active version by running:
bash
node –version
Step 4: Set a Default Node.js Version
If you want to set a specific Node.js version as the default version for your system, use the following command:
bash
nvm alias default 14.17.0
This command sets Node.js 14.17.0 as the default version, meaning that every new terminal session will use this version by default unless specified otherwise.
Step 5: Uninstall a Node.js Version
If you no longer need a particular version of Node.js, NVM makes it easy to uninstall it. For example, to uninstall version 14.17.0, you would run:
bash
nvm uninstall 14.17.0
This will remove Node.js version 14.17.0 from your system.
Troubleshooting Common NVM Issues
While the process of how to install NVM on Ubuntu is usually straightforward, you may encounter some issues. Here are a few common problems and their solutions:
- NVM Command Not Found: If you encounter this error, it usually means that NVM wasn’t loaded into your shell properly. Run source ~/.bashrc (or source ~/.zshrc if using zsh) to reload your shell configuration and try again.
- Permission Denied Errors: NVM doesn’t require sudo to manage Node.js versions. If you see permission errors, ensure you are not using sudo with NVM commands.
- Incomplete Installation: If NVM didn’t install correctly, make sure that curl and other dependencies are installed, and then re-run the installation script.
Conclusion
In this guide, we explored how to install NVM on Ubuntu and manage Node.js versions using NVM. This powerful tool is essential for developers working on multiple projects requiring different versions of Node.js. With NVM, you can easily install, switch, and manage various Node.js versions without the need for administrative privileges or complex setup.
Now that you’ve learned how to install NVM on Ubuntu, you can efficiently handle different Node.js versions for your projects and enhance your development workflow. Whether you’re working on a new web application or maintaining legacy code, NVM will make your life much easier.
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