Difference between NPM and NVM - node.js

I know npm is the package manager and nvm is the node version manager. I am currently trying to auto-install my development and production environment using Bash and forgot how I started out and in what order. After installing npm, I found our nvm was not installed.
Do I still need to install nvm? If so, what is the benefit?

nvm (Node Version Manager) is a tool that allows you to download and install Node.js. Check if you have it installed via nvm --version.
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/creationix/nvm/v0.26.1/install.sh | bash
npm (Node Package Manager) is a tool that allows you to install javascript packages. Check if you have it installed via npm --version.
npm comes with Node.js so if you have node installed (node --version) you most likely have npm installed as well.
You don't need nvm unless you want to keep multiple versions of Node.js installed on your system or if you'd like to upgrade your version.

nvm as you said is an "active" nodejs version manager. You can have multiple versions of node on the same machine and switch by doing "nvm use version". npm respects nvm if it is present on the machine, meaning if you have 0.12.7 active and do npm install -g uuid, it will install it globally under 0.12.7 but if you switch to 4.0.0, uuid will no longer be globally available.
In any case you do not necessarily need nvm to install packages.

I see an analogy with Python for all the Python users out there.
nvm manages different versions of node. And node contains npm (package manager).
pyenv manages different versions of python. And python contains pip (package manager).

Related

how to install older version of node in ubuntu?

I want to install node v=14.8.0 and npm v=6.14.8 for my project. How can install it instead of the latest version?
I'd highly recommend you to install Node.js and npm on Ubuntu using nvm.
Node Version Manager
nvm (Node Version Manager) is a tool that allows you to download and install Node. js. Check if you have it installed via nvm --version . npm (Node Package Manager) is a tool that allows you to install javascript packages
Please visit and follow the steps from this link: How to Install Node.js and npm on Ubuntu to achieve your goal.

How to properly update Node js in windows?

I want to update my Node js to the current LTS version on my windows 7. Do I just let the current version be, and install the latest version from the website? Or do I need to delete the currently installed node? If so, how do I do that?
The best way to have multiple versions of Node is by using nvm.
Nvm for Windows (guide)
Nvm for Windows (GitHub repo)
Goto https://nodejs.org/en/download/
Download the version you want, for instance msi for windows. Run the download and it will update the version to the one you have downloaded.
If you install the latest stable version. Please use the below comments with the administrator command prompt
nvm install lts
Once complete the installation. You received the message
Downloading node.js version 16.15.1 (64-bit)...
Extracting...
Complete
Installation complete. If you want to use this version, type
nvm use 16.15.1
next step
nvm use 16.15.1
I believe that since npm installs Node.JS as a package (just like it would React or any other package) to your project, you can just 'npm install node' to get the latest version.
If you're looking for npm, the NPM website says this:
To update your npm, type this into your terminal:
npm install npm#latest -g
Follow https://phoenixnap.com/kb/update-node-js-version you can find several ways to update the node.
Install nvm by running:
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash in bash
or
wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
Then run the editor as administrator :
nvm install 14.18.1 (example the node version that you want or use lts for the latest)
nvm use 14.18.1
Make sure the node version to be used is the one installed after nvm install. If you already have one, delete it first.
node -v will give 14.18.1

How do I copy global modules between Node installations using nvm?

I manage my Node installations using nvm. I installed the grunt-cli module globally in my previous installation of node. This allowed me to run the command grunt on in the terminal.
When I installed a new version of Node (5.7.1), I got this error whenever I tried to execute the grunt command:
zsh: command not found: grunt
I discovered that the grunt-cli package had not been installed for the new version of Node.
I could install the grunt-cli package again but I would prefer to do this automatically whenever a new version of Node is installed using nvm.
Is there some way to install all the global modules from a previous version of Node when using nvm ?
This can be achieved using the --reinstall-packages-from option when executing nvm install. From the nvm documentation:
If you want to install a new version of Node.js and migrate npm packages from a previous version:
nvm install node --reinstall-packages-from=node
This will first use "nvm version node" to identify the current version you're migrating packages from. Then it resolves the new version to install from the remote server and installs it. Lastly, it runs "nvm reinstall-packages" to reinstall the npm packages from your prior version of Node to the new one.
If your prior version of Node is 4.3.0, the command will be executed thus:
nvm install v5.7.1 --reinstall-packages-from=4.3.0

can't revert to older version of node, can't uninstall node, OSX

Have installed node 0.12.2, but need to revert to 0.10.33 to run the applications I need to.
I have tried installing 0.10.33 and switching versions using
set 0.10.33 to default with 'nvm alias default 0.10.33'
But node runs previous version (0.12.2) when started again.
I have tried uninstalling node via various methods, but each one has been blocked:
uninstall node
"You must be in root to run this tool"
(I am the only user (with Admin access) on my machine
I tried
cd /
then
uninstall node
But still got
"You must be in root to run this tool"
Tried
sudo uninstall node
"Uninstall Failed...
Reason: ErrorMissingBundle"
I may have installed node with Homebrew - it was a while back, can't quite remember. So tried:
brew uninstall node
"Error: No such keg: /usr/local/Cellar/node"
Other information I can give:
which node
/usr/local/bin/node
I see node and npm in
/usr/local/bin
Any help most appreciated - I'm not a command line expert, and fairly new at Node.
To switch from different node.js version with nvm just use nvm use 0.10.33
It looks like you might be using NVM (node version manager). If you are you can install different versions using
nvm install version_no
and then you can switch versions using the command
nvm use version_no
If you have not used NVM to install node you can uninstall node using the instructions in this answer - How do I completely uninstall Node.js, and reinstall from beginning (Mac OS X).
Then if you need different versions of node I would recommend using NVM, which allows you to install and use different versions of node on the same system. https://github.com/creationix/nvm

How to change to an older version of Node.js

I am running Node.js version v0.5.9-pre on Ubuntu 10.10.
I would like to be using version v0.5.0-pre.
How do I roll back to the older version of node?
*NIX (Linux, OS X, ...)
Use n, an extremely simple Node version manager that can be installed via npm.
Say you want Node.js v0.10.x to build Atom.
npm install -g n # Install n globally
n 0.10.33 # Install and use v0.10.33
Usage:
n # Output versions installed
n latest # Install or activate the latest node release
n stable # Install or activate the latest stable node release
n <version> # Install node <version>
n use <version> [args ...] # Execute node <version> with [args ...]
n bin <version> # Output bin path for <version>
n rm <version ...> # Remove the given version(s)
n --latest # Output the latest node version available
n --stable # Output the latest stable node version available
n ls # Output the versions of node available
Windows
Use nvm-windows, it's like nvm but for Windows. Download and run the installer, then:
nvm install v0.10.33 # Install v0.10.33
nvm use v0.10.33 # Use v0.10.33
Usage:
nvm install [version] # Download and install [version]
nvm uninstall [version] # Uninstall [version]
nvm use [version] # Switch to use [version]
nvm list # List installed versions
One way is to use NVM, the Node Version Manager.
Use following command to get nvm
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/creationix/nvm/v0.34.0/install.sh | bash
You can find it at https://github.com/creationix/nvm
It allows you to easily install and manage multiple versions of node. Here's a snippet from the help:
Usage:
nvm install <version> Download and install a <version>
nvm use <version> Modify PATH to use <version>
nvm ls List versions (installed versions are blue)
Update: Updated the answer because previous one was not relevant.
Follow below steps to update your node version.
1. Install nvm For this run below command in your terminal
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.37.2/install.sh | bash
Note: If above command did not work for you, you can choose another option to install it. I have added an answer for this here
2. Install specific node version using nvm
For this run
Replace 12.14.1 with your node version
nvm install 12.14.1
Note: If you are getting error of NVM not recognised then run below command and then run above again
source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
3. Make the installed version default
Note: Replace 12.14.1 with your installed version.
nvm alias default 12.14.1
and
nvm use 12.14.1
4. Check node version
node -v
And that's it.
Extra
To check list of installed node versions -- run below command
nvm ls
Why use any extension when you can do this without extension :)
Install specific version of node
sudo npm cache clean -f
sudo npm install -g n
sudo n stable
Specific version : sudo n 4.4.4 instead of sudo n stable
With package.json - The Maintainable and Portable Way 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Lets each project specify its own version
You can add node as a dependency in package.json and control which version is used for a particular project. Upon executing a package.json "script", npm (and yarn) will use that version to run the script instead of the globally installed Node.js.
The node package accomplishes this by downloading a node binary for your local system and puts it into the node_modules/.bin directory.
You can also do this with the npm (or yarn) packages but you'll need to set your PATH up specifically or use something like npx that handles it for you.
Ubuntu - The Official Way (manually) 😵
If you're on node 12 and want to downgrade to node 10, just remove node and follow the instructions for the desired version:
# Remove the version that is currently installed
sudo apt remove -y nodejs
# Setup sources for the version you want
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_10.x | sudo -E bash -
# (Re-)Install Node
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
Windows - The Official Way (manually) 😵
I found myself wanting to downgrade to LTS on Windows from the bleeding edge. If you're not using a package manager like Chocolatey or a node version manager like nvm or n, just download the .msi for the version you want and install it. You might want to remove the currently installed version via "Add or remove programs" tool in Windows.
Windows Package Manager - winget 🎉🎉
The Open Source Windows Package Manager Way
winget install -e --id OpenJS.Nodejs -v 14.9.0
Chocolatey - The Independent Package Manager Way 🎉
Chocolatey is good for keeping installations up to date easily and it is a common way to install Node.js on Windows. I had to remove the bleeding edge version before installing the LTS version:
choco uninstall nodejs
choco install nodejs-lts
Node Version Manager - The "Screw it, I'll do it myself!" Way 😢😢😢😭😭😭😭😭
While not very portable or easily maintainable, some developers like manually switching which global version of node is active at any given point in time and think the official ways of doing this are too slow. There are two popular Npm packages that provide helpful CLI interfaces for selecting (and automatically installing) whichever version you want for your system: nvm and n. Using either is beyond the scope of this answer.
I highly recommend staying away from this option. Even though it's popular, it's an anti-pattern that is sure to cause headaches in the future. Sure, .nvmrc exists, but this is reinventing something that's already a part of Npm. Just npm i node the version you want.
Windows
Downgrade Node with Chocolately
Install Chocolatey. Then run:
choco install nodejs.install -version 6.3.0
Chocolatey has lots of Node versions available.
Downgrade NPM
npm install -g npm#3.10.3
the easiest way i have found is to just use the nodejs.org site:
go to https://nodejs.org/en/download/releases/
find version you want and click download
on mac click the .pkg executable and follow the installation instructions (not sure what the correct executable is for windows)
be happy now that you are on the version of node you wanted
nvmw is no longer maintained, but I found another source that seems to be up to date (as of 1/4/17).
nvm-windows
It works. Allowed me to downgrade to 6.3.1
You need to install NVM for this.
For Mac
Edit .bash_profile using the below command.
nano .bash_profile
And add the following lines to .bash_profile
export NVM_DIR=~/.nvm
source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
Save it. Exit the terminal and check the magic.
Then install the required version using the below command.
nvm install v14.18.0
If you want to check the installed node versions on your system. Use the below command.
nvm ls
If you want to use the specific version from the installed node versions. Use below command
nvm use 12.14.4
Another good library for managing multiple versions of Node is N: https://github.com/visionmedia/n
On windows 7 I used the general 'Uninstall Node.js' (just started typing in the search bottom left ,main menu field) followed by clicking the link to the older version which complies with the project, for instance:
Windows 64-bit Installer: https://nodejs.org/dist/v4.4.6/node-v4.4.6-x64.msi
I had node version 6.4.0 .
As i am need of the older version 6.3.0 , i just installed the 6.3.0 version again in my system. node version downgraded automatically.
So, to downgrade the node version ,
Just install the older version of node js . It will get downgraded automatically from the higher version.
I tried in osx . It works like a charm .
Now the v0.5.0-pre has reached end of life. We can use npx to use any stable older version of node. E.g. the earliest stable version is 4.9.0.
npx -p node#4.9.0 -- node -v
run this:
rm -rf node_modules && npm cache clear && npm install
Node will install from whatever is cached. So if you clear everything out first, then NPM use 0.10.xx, it will revert properly.
Easiest way i found -
Uninstall current version
Download the appropriate .msi installer (x64 or x86) for the desired version from https://nodejs.org/download/release/
Use following commnad with your version number
nvm install v8.9
nvm alias default v8.9
nvm use v8.9
For some reason Brew installs node 5 into a separate directory called node5.
The steps I took to get back to version 5 were: (You will need to look up standard brew installation/uninstallation, but otherwise this process is more straightforward than it looks.)
Install node5 using Brew standard installation, BUT don't brew link, yet.
Uninstall all other versions of node using brew unlink node and brew uninstall node. You might need to use --force to remove one of the versions.
Find the cellar folder on your computer
Delete the node folder in the cellar.
Rename the node5 folder to node.
Then, brew link node
You should be all set with node 5.
If you are like, you already install node version you want but can't seem to switch to it, try this:
nvm use --delete-prefix <version>. npm shows the lates version installed but can't switch to it. If so, this is the output you will see:
You need to run "nvm install v16.2.0
Then run:nvm install <type the version you wish to use here>Your output should look like this:
Downloading and installing node v16.2.0... Downloading https://nodejs.org/dist/v16.2.0/node-v16.2.0-linux-x64.tar.xz... ####################################################################### 100.0% Computing checksum with sha256sum Checksums matched! Now using node v16.2.0 (npm v7.13.0) Creating default alias: default -> v16.2.0
You are done! You can see the latest version by running:
node -v
if you want to go to the LTS version of node which is the stable one from the latest/current version simply run this in your directory.
npm i node
this will install the LTS version of node in your directory.
I faced a lot of issue with this and the only solution that worked for me is :
source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
nvm isntall node_version_you_want
nvm use node_version_you_want
nvm install 0.5.0 #install previous version of choice
nvm alias default 0.5.0 #set it to default
nvm use default #use the new default as active version globally.
Without the last, the active version doesn't change to the new default. So, when you open a new terminal or restart server, the old default version remains active.
follow the steps if u already install curl its work for me
sudo snap remove curl
sudo apt install curl
nvm install 12.2.0
As i can see this was asked a long time ago, but maybe it can be helpful for someone else.
I can recommend this utility (NVS - Node Version Switcher) to someone who is searching for a way to switching between different versions of NodeJS:
https://github.com/jasongin/nvs
The Easiest way I find to install node.js with a specific version:
First uninstall your node.js
Go to, https://nodejs.org/en/download/releases/ and find your desired version.
Select your version and click on the download button.
Download .msi file

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