How To Install Node.js and Node Version Manager (nvm) and Node Package Manager (npm) on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server

Some quick notes to remember how to use the wonderful Node Version Manager by Tim Caswell / creationix to install Node.js, then Node Package Manager (npm).

Note: This setup is best for development directly on Ubuntu Server, which is a setup my situation requires. I plan to write another post on creating a production Node server very soon. If it’s something you need right away, ping me in the comments below and light a fire under me!

1. Update your system and install prerequisites.
   
   sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade sudo apt-get install openssl libssl-dev

   1 2 3

   sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade sudo apt-get install openssl libssl-dev

2. If you haven’t already, install Node Version Manager. We will install specific versions of node with nvm lower down.
   
   cd ~ git clone git://github.com/creationix/nvm.git ~/nvm . ~/nvm/nvm.sh

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   cd ~ git clone git://github.com/creationix/nvm.git ~/nvm . ~/nvm/nvm.sh

3. Add the last line above line to your .bash_login file. (create if necessary)
   
   cd ~ nano .bash_login

   1 2	cd ~ nano .bash_login

   
   
   . ~/nvm/nvm.sh

   1	. ~/nvm/nvm.sh

4. Sign out and back in and you will now be able to execute the nvm command and see the usage options.
   
   nvm

   1

   nvm

5. Check the NodeJS website to see what the latest stable version is.
6. Install a specific version of node – (beware: this takes several minutes).
   
   nvm install v0.6.18

   1	nvm install v0.6.18

   
   NOTE: If you have problems, and attempt to install Node a second time, something could get botched and you might get an error like “HTTP server doesn’t seem to support byte ranges. Cannot resume.”. The solution is to remove the source files (BE CAREFUL), then try again:
   rm -Rf ~/nvm/src/*

   1	rm -Rf ~/nvm/src/*

7. Make the newly installed version your default.
   
   nvm alias default 0.6.18

   1	nvm alias default 0.6.18

8. Install npm with one line from your home directory(!)
   
   curl https://npmjs.org/install.sh | sh

   1	curl https://npmjs.org/install.sh | sh

9. If you’re developing in Node, I highly recommend the wonderful nodemon by Remy Sharp for automatically restarting your server when files change.
   
   npm install nodemon -g

   1	npm install nodemon -g

10. If you’re using the high performance redis adapter, make sure to recompile.
    
    cd /project/folder npm install hiredis

    1 2	cd /project/folder npm install hiredis

    
    or alternatively,
    npm rebuild

    1	npm rebuild

11. Test the new version with your code.
12. See what old Node versions you have installed.
    
    nvm ls

    1

    nvm ls

13. Uninstall old versions if desired.
    
    nvm uninstall v0.6.16

    1	nvm uninstall v0.6.16