How to Install Node.js on Ubuntu

Node.js enables developers to run JavaScript outside the browser, transforming it from a client-side scripting language into a full-stack development platform. Whether you need to build REST APIs, create real-time chat applications, develop command-line tools, or run build systems like webpack and gulp, Node.js provides the runtime environment to make it happen. Once Node.js is installed, you can also install TypeScript on Ubuntu for type-safe development. By the end of this guide, you will have Node.js installed on Ubuntu with a verified working setup, ready for development.

Choose Your Node.js Installation Method

Ubuntu offers several ways to install Node.js, each with different trade-offs between convenience, version control, and update management. The following table summarizes your options:

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
Ubuntu Repository	Ubuntu Repos	Distribution default	Automatic via apt upgrade	Users who prefer stability over latest features
NodeSource Repository	NodeSource	Latest LTS or Current	Automatic via apt upgrade	Developers needing specific Node.js versions
Node Version Manager (NVM)	NVM GitHub	Any available version	Manual via nvm install	Developers managing multiple Node.js versions per project

For most users, the Ubuntu repository method is recommended because it integrates with system updates and requires no additional configuration. Choose NodeSource when you need a specific Node.js version not available in the default repositories, or NVM when you frequently switch between Node.js versions across different projects.

This guide supports Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 26.04 LTS installations. The NodeSource repository provides packages for all supported Ubuntu LTS releases, while NVM works across all Linux distributions regardless of version. Commands shown work identically on all supported LTS releases.

Update Ubuntu Before Node.js Installation

Before installing Node.js, refresh your package index to ensure you install the latest available version. This step also applies any pending security updates that may affect package dependencies:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Method 1: Install Node.js from Ubuntu Repository

The Ubuntu repository provides a stable Node.js version that receives security updates through the standard system update process. This method requires no additional configuration and works immediately after installation.

Install Node.js using the default package manager:

sudo apt install nodejs npm

Verify the installation by checking the installed version:

node --version
npm --version

Expected output varies by Ubuntu release:

# Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
v20.19.4
9.2.0

# Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
v18.19.1
9.2.0

# Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
v12.22.9
8.5.1

The Ubuntu repository separates Node.js and npm into distinct packages, so both must be installed explicitly. This version is suitable for many use cases, but developers working with modern JavaScript frameworks may need a newer version. If your project requires Node.js 18 LTS or later on Ubuntu 22.04, continue to Method 2 for the NodeSource repository.

Method 2: Install Node.js from NodeSource Repository

NodeSource maintains official Node.js packages that provide access to the latest LTS and Current releases. This method gives you control over which major version to install while still receiving automatic security updates through APT.

Install Prerequisites

First, install the packages required for downloading and verifying the NodeSource repository:

sudo apt install curl gnupg ca-certificates

Import NodeSource GPG Key

Download and store the NodeSource GPG key to verify package authenticity. First, create the keyrings directory if it does not exist:

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings

Next, download the GPG key and convert it to the binary format APT requires:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/gpgkey/nodesource-repo.gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg

Add NodeSource Repository

Create the repository configuration file. Set the NODE_MAJOR variable to your desired major version before running the command:

NODE_MAJOR=24
cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://deb.nodesource.com/node_$NODE_MAJOR.x
Suites: nodistro
Components: main
Signed-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg
EOF

Choose from the currently supported Node.js versions:

• NODE_MAJOR=20: Maintenance LTS release supported until April 2026
• NODE_MAJOR=22: Maintenance LTS release (Jod) supported until April 2027
• NODE_MAJOR=24: Active LTS release (Krypton, recommended for new projects)
• NODE_MAJOR=25: Current release with latest features and shorter support window

Node.js 24 (Krypton) is the current Active LTS release and recommended for most new projects. Choose Node.js 22 or 20 if your existing project requires them. Check the Node.js releases page for current support schedules.

Install Node.js from NodeSource

Update the package index to include the new repository, then install Node.js:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nodejs

The NodeSource package includes both the Node.js runtime and npm (Node Package Manager). Verify both are installed correctly:

node --version
npm --version

Expected output for Node.js 24:

v24.12.0
11.6.2

Method 3: Install Node.js with Node Version Manager (NVM)

NVM allows you to install multiple Node.js versions side by side and switch between them instantly. This approach is ideal for developers working on multiple projects with different Node.js requirements, or for testing code against multiple versions.

Install NVM

Download and run the NVM installation script. You can use either curl or wget:

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

Alternatively, if you prefer wget:

wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/master/install.sh | bash

The installation script adds NVM to your shell configuration. Load NVM into your current session without restarting the terminal:

source ~/.bashrc

Verify NVM is available:

nvm --version

0.40.3

List Available Node.js Versions

Before installing, view all available Node.js versions:

nvm ls-remote

This command displays every available Node.js version, including LTS releases marked with codenames. To filter for LTS versions only:

nvm ls-remote --lts

Install a Node.js Version

Install the latest LTS version with a single command:

nvm install --lts

Alternatively, install a specific version by number:

nvm install 24

Example output:

Downloading and installing node v24.12.0...
Downloading https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.12.0/node-v24.12.0-linux-x64.tar.xz...
######################################################### 100.0%
Computing checksum with sha256sum
Checksums matched!
Now using node v24.12.0 (npm v11.6.2)

Verify the installation:

node --version

v24.12.0

Switch Between Node.js Versions

NVM makes switching between installed versions instant. First, install an additional version:

nvm install 20

Switch to a different installed version:

nvm use 20

Now using node v20.19.0 (npm v10.8.2)

To set a default version that persists across terminal sessions:

nvm alias default 24

View all installed versions and see which is currently active:

nvm ls

->      v20.19.0
        v24.12.0
default -> 24 (-> v24.12.0)
node -> stable (-> v24.12.0) (default)
stable -> 24.12 (-> v24.12.0) (default)
lts/* -> lts/krypton (-> v24.12.0)

Troubleshoot Node.js Installation

Command Not Found After NVM Installation

If nvm returns “command not found” after installation, your shell configuration was not reloaded. Either restart your terminal or manually source your shell configuration:

source ~/.bashrc

For Zsh users, source the Zsh configuration instead:

source ~/.zshrc

Permission Denied During Global npm Install

If you receive “EACCES: permission denied” when installing global npm packages with the Ubuntu repository version, do not use sudo with npm. Instead, configure npm to use a user-writable directory:

mkdir -p ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Alternatively, using NVM or NodeSource eliminates this issue entirely because they install to user-writable directories or handle permissions correctly.

NodeSource Repository Key Errors

If APT reports GPG key errors when updating the NodeSource repository, verify the key exists and has correct permissions:

ls -la /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg

Expected output showing the key file exists with read permissions:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2794 Dec 17 12:00 /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg

If the file is missing, re-run the GPG key import command from Method 2.

Remove Node.js

The removal process depends on which installation method you used.

Remove Node.js Installed via APT

If you installed Node.js from the Ubuntu repository or NodeSource, remove it with APT:

sudo apt remove nodejs
sudo apt autoremove

The autoremove command cleans up any dependencies that were installed alongside Node.js and are no longer needed.

If you used NodeSource, also remove the repository configuration:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.sources
sudo rm /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg
sudo apt update

Verify Node.js is removed:

node --version

bash: node: command not found

Remove Node.js Installed via NVM

When using NVM, you can remove individual Node.js versions or uninstall NVM entirely.

Check which version is currently active:

nvm current

Deactivate the current version before removing it:

nvm deactivate

Uninstall a specific Node.js version:

nvm uninstall 24

To completely remove NVM and all installed Node.js versions, delete the NVM directory:

Warning: The following command permanently deletes NVM and all Node.js versions installed through it. Any globally installed npm packages will also be removed.

rm -rf ~/.nvm

Remove the NVM initialization lines from your shell configuration by editing ~/.bashrc and removing the lines that reference NVM (typically at the end of the file).

Conclusion

You now have Node.js installed and verified on Ubuntu, ready for JavaScript development. The Ubuntu repository provides the simplest path with automatic updates, NodeSource delivers specific version control with package manager integration, and NVM offers maximum flexibility for multi-project development. For a complete development environment, consider pairing Node.js with Visual Studio Code on Ubuntu, which provides excellent JavaScript and TypeScript tooling. Whichever method you chose, you can now run JavaScript applications, install npm packages, and build modern web applications on your Ubuntu system.