Installing Node.js involves setting up the runtime environment on your system so you can start building and running Node.js applications. Here’s a step-by-step guide to installing Node.js on various operating systems:

1. Installation on Windows

Using the Node.js Installer

1. Download the Installer:

   • Go to the Node.js official website.
   • Click on the “Downloads” tab.
   • Choose the Windows installer (.msi) for the LTS (Long-Term Support) or Current version, depending on your needs.

2. Run the Installer:

   • Double-click the downloaded .msi file.
   • Follow the prompts in the Node.js Setup Wizard. You can accept the default options.
   • Make sure to check the box that says "Automatically install the necessary tools" if you need build tools like Python.

3. Verify Installation:

   • Open the Command Prompt (cmd) or PowerShell.
   • Run the following commands to verify Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) are installed correctly:

     node -v
     npm -v
     

   • These commands will display the version numbers if the installation was successful.

2. Installation on macOS

Using the Node.js Installer

1. Download the Installer:

   • Visit the Node.js official website.
   • Click on the “Downloads” tab.
   • Download the macOS installer (.pkg) for the LTS or Current version.

2. Run the Installer:

   • Double-click the downloaded .pkg file.
   • Follow the instructions in the installation wizard.

3. Verify Installation:

   • Open the Terminal.
   • Run the following commands to check the Node.js and npm versions:

     node -v
     npm -v
     

Using Homebrew (Alternative Method)

1. Install Homebrew (if not already installed):

   • Open Terminal and run:

     /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
     

2. Install Node.js:

   • Run:

     brew install node
     

3. Verify Installation:

   • Check the Node.js and npm versions:

     node -v
     npm -v
     

3. Installation on Linux

Using a Package Manager

For Ubuntu/Debian-based Distributions:

1. Update the Package Index:

   • Open Terminal and run:

     sudo apt update
     

2. Install Node.js:

   • You can install Node.js from the official repository:

     sudo apt install nodejs
     sudo apt install npm
     

3. Verify Installation:

   • Check the installed versions:

     node -v
     npm -v
     

For Fedora/RHEL-based Distributions:

1. Install Node.js:

   • Open Terminal and run:

     sudo dnf install nodejs
     

2. Verify Installation:

   • Check the Node.js and npm versions:

     node -v
     npm -v
     

Using Node Version Manager (nvm)

nvm allows you to manage multiple Node.js versions on your machine.

1. Install nvm:

   • Open Terminal and run:

     curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.3/install.sh | bash
     

2. Load nvm:

   • Run:

     source ~/.bashrc
     

   • or for zsh:

     source ~/.zshrc
     

3. Install Node.js Using nvm:

   • List available versions:

     nvm ls-remote
     

   • Install a specific version (e.g., 16.20.0):

     nvm install 16.20.0
     

   • Set a default version:

     nvm alias default 16.20.0
     

4. Verify Installation:

   • Check the Node.js and npm versions:

     node -v
     npm -v
     

4. Post-Installation

After installing Node.js, you might want to:

• Install Global Packages: Use npm to install global packages:

  npm install -g <package-name>
  

• Set Up a Project: Create a new Node.js project with:

  mkdir my-project
  cd my-project
  npm init
  

Summary

• Windows: Use the .msi installer from the Node.js website.
• macOS: Use the .pkg installer or Homebrew.
• Linux: Use the package manager or nvm for multiple versions.
• Verify: Use node -v and npm -v to confirm installation.