Node.js / npm / pnpm

This article covers how to install the Node.js runtime and use popular package managers on Ubuntu 26.04.

Option 1: Install via nvm (Recommended)

nvm (Node Version Manager) lets you install and switch between multiple Node.js versions. It’s the most flexible approach:

Install nvm


curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash

Reload your shell configuration:


source ~/.bashrc

Using nvm


# List available LTS versions
nvm ls-remote --lts
 
# Install the latest LTS version
nvm install --lts
 
# Install a specific version
nvm install 24
nvm install 22
 
# Switch versions
nvm use 24
 
# Set default version
nvm alias default 24
 
# List installed versions
nvm ls
 
# Uninstall a version
nvm uninstall 20

Option 2: Install via fnm

fnm (Fast Node Manager) is a Rust-based Node.js version manager that’s faster:


# Install fnm
curl -fsSL https://fnm.vercel.app/install | bash
source ~/.bashrc
 
# Install Node.js
fnm install --lts
fnm install 24
 
# Switch versions
fnm use 24
fnm default 24
 
# List installed versions
fnm list

Add auto-switching support to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:


eval "$(fnm env --use-on-cd)"

This will automatically switch versions when entering a directory with a .node-version file.

Option 3: Install via apt

If you only need a single version, you can use the NodeSource official repository:


# Add the NodeSource repository (current LTS Node.js 24 example)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo -E bash -
 
# Install Node.js (includes npm)
sudo apt install nodejs -y
 
# Verify
node --version
npm --version

npm Package Manager

npm is installed alongside Node.js and is the default package manager:

Basic Usage


# Initialize a project
npm init -y
 
# Install a dependency
npm install express
 
# Install a dev dependency
npm install --save-dev typescript
 
# Install a tool globally
npm install -g nodemon
 
# Run scripts
npm run dev
npm start
 
# Update dependencies
npm update
npm outdated

Configure China Mirror


npm config set registry https://registry.npmmirror.com

Verify the configuration:


npm config get registry

pnpm

pnpm uses hard links and content-addressable storage, saving disk space and providing faster installs:

Install pnpm


# Install via npm
npm install -g pnpm
 
# Or standalone installation
curl -fsSL https://get.pnpm.io/install.sh | sh -

Using pnpm


# Initialize a project
pnpm init
 
# Install dependencies
pnpm add express
pnpm add -D typescript
 
# Install all dependencies
pnpm install
 
# Run scripts
pnpm dev
pnpm start
 
# Update dependencies
pnpm update
 
# Manage global packages
pnpm add -g nodemon

Configure Mirror


pnpm config set registry https://registry.npmmirror.com

pnpm Workspaces (Monorepo)

Create pnpm-workspace.yaml in the project root:


packages:
  - 'packages/*'
  - 'apps/*'


# Install a dependency in a specific package
pnpm --filter @myapp/web add react
 
# Run a command across all packages
pnpm -r run build

Yarn

Yarn is another popular package manager:

Install Yarn


# Enable via corepack
# Note: as of Node.js 25, corepack is no longer bundled with official distributions and must be installed separately
# (Node.js 24 LTS and earlier still bundle corepack, so you can skip the next line)
npm install -g corepack
corepack enable
corepack prepare yarn@stable --activate
 
# Or install via npm
npm install -g yarn

Using Yarn


# Initialize a project
yarn init -2
 
# Install dependencies
yarn add express
yarn add --dev typescript
 
# Install all dependencies
yarn install
 
# Run scripts
yarn dev

Corepack

Corepack is a Node.js tool for managing package managers, ensuring projects use the specified version of pnpm or yarn. As of Node.js 25 it is no longer bundled with official distributions and must be installed first with npm install -g corepack; Node.js 24 LTS and earlier still bundle it:


# Node.js 25+ needs corepack installed first (skip on 24 LTS and earlier)
npm install -g corepack
 
# Enable corepack
corepack enable
 
# Specify the package manager in package.json
# "packageManager": "pnpm@9.15.0"

This ensures team members automatically use the correct package manager version after cloning the project.

FAQ

Global Install Permission Issues

Node.js installed via nvm or fnm doesn’t require sudo privileges. If installed via apt, you may encounter permission issues:


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

.nvmrc File

Create a .nvmrc file in the project root to specify the Node.js version:


echo "24" > .nvmrc
nvm use  # Automatically reads .nvmrc

Choosing the right Node.js version manager and package manager can significantly improve your frontend and backend JavaScript development experience.