Do you love working with Node.js? Then you’ll love NVM — the Node Version Manager. It lets you install, switch, and manage multiple versions of Node.js easily. Best of all? It makes your life a lot simpler!
Today, we’ll walk through a fun and easy way to install NVM on Ubuntu 24.04 and Ubuntu 22.04. Don’t worry if you’re new — we’ll keep things light!
🎯 Why Use NVM?
- You can install multiple versions of Node.js.
- You can switch between them anytime.
- No more weird version mismatches in different projects!
Let’s dive in!
🔧 Step 1: Open Your Terminal
Click that Terminal icon or hit Ctrl + Alt + T. We’re going on a mission!
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📥 Step 2: Install curl or wget
We’ll need curl
or wget
to fetch the NVM installer. Don’t worry if you already have them.
To install curl
just in case:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install curl -y
Or if you prefer wget
:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install wget -y
⚡ Step 3: Download the NVM Installer
Now we’ll grab the install script from GitHub. Use either command below:
With curl:
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
With wget:
wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
This script:
- Clones NVM to your home directory
- Edits your shell startup file
Nice and automatic!
📂 Step 4: Activate NVM
You’re halfway there! Just one more quick jump.
Reload the shell so you get NVM in your session:
source ~/.bashrc
Or, if you’re using zsh
:
source ~/.zshrc
✅ Step 5: Confirm It Works
Let’s see if the install worked. Run:
nvm --version
If it shows a version number, you did it! 🎉
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🌱 Step 6: Install Node.js
Time for the fun part — getting Node.js versions!
Here’s how to install the latest version:
nvm install node
Want a specific version? No problem:
nvm install 18.17.1
Switch between versions using:
nvm use 18.17.1
Check what versions you have installed:
nvm ls
🧠 Tip: Set a default version
You can set a default Node.js version like this:
nvm alias default 18.17.1
Now every new terminal will use that by default!
🎉 Wrapping Up
That’s it! Installing NVM on Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04 is a breeze. You now have superhero powers to manage and switch Node.js versions like a pro. 🚀
Whether you’re coding a personal site or building the next big app, NVM makes it all easier.
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Now go ahead, install Node.js, play with versions, and enjoy your new NVM powers!