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Antonio Silva
Antonio Silva

Posted on • Edited on

How to Update Node.js

#node #tutorial #beginners #productivity

To update Node.js on your system, follow the guide based on your environment:

Updating Node.js on Linux (including Ubuntu/Mint)

Using Node Version Manager (NVM)

This is the most flexible and recommended method, as it allows you to have multiple versions of Node.js installed and switch between them.

Installing NVM:

  • Open the terminal.
  • Run the command to install NVM: 
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.3/install.sh | bash
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  • After installation, reload the terminal environment: 
source ~/.bashrc
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Check if NVM was installed correctly:

nvm --version
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Installing the latest version of Node.js:

  • Use the following command to list the available Node.js versions: 
nvm ls-remote
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  • To install the latest version of Node.js: 
nvm install node
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Or if you want a specific version, replace node with the desired version, for example:

nvm install 16.20.1
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Setting a default version:

After installing the desired version, you can set it as the default:

nvm use 16.20.1
nvm alias default 16.20.1
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Using official repositories (if you don't want to use NVM)

  • Add the NodeSource repository: 
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
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replace setup_lts.x with setup_18.x or setup_20.x for specific versions

  • Install Node.js: 
sudo apt install -y nodejs
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  • Check if Node was updated: 
node -v
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Updating on Windows (with or without NVM-Windows)

Using NVM-Windows

  • Download and install NVM for Windows.

  • After installation, use the terminal:

nvm install latest
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  • Set the version as default: 
nvm use latest
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Using the Node.js Installer

  1. Go to the official Node.js website: nodejs.org.
  2. Download the latest version (LTS recommended).
  3. Run the installer and follow the instructions.

Updating on macOS

Using NVM (Node Version Manager)

  • Install NVM 
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.3/install.sh | bash
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  • Activate NVM 
source ~/.bashrc
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or, if you're using zsh, use:

source ~/.zshrc
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  • Verify the installation 
nvm --version
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  • Install or update Node.js 
nvm install node
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Or, if you prefer a specific version:

nvm install 18.17.1
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  • Set the default version 
nvm alias default 18.17.1
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  • Check the Node.js version 
node -v
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Using Homebrew

  • Update Homebrew 
brew update
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  • Update Node.js 
brew upgrade node
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  • Install Node.js (if not installed) 
brew install node
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  • Check the installed version 
node -v
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Using the Node.js Installer

If you prefer a simple method, you can use the official installer:

  1. Go to the official Node.js website.
  2. Download the latest version (LTS is recommended).
  3. Follow the installer instructions to update Node.js.

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