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Khawaja Khurram (MAK)
Khawaja Khurram (MAK)

Posted on Originally published at makuistudio.com

How to Install Node.js on Windows, Mac and Linux (Complete Guide)

#node #javascript #webdev #tutorial

I spent a weekend debugging a "node: command not found" error because I'd skipped a step in the Node.js install. So I wrote down everything I wish I'd known.

If you want the version with OS-detection tabs and troubleshooting, here's the full guide:
👉 How to Install Node.js on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Here's the short version.

Which version should you install?

Always install LTS (Long Term Support). It's stable, tested, and supported for years. Skip "Current" unless you need bleeding-edge features.

Windows

The fastest method: go to nodejs.org, download the LTS .msi, double-click, click Next through the wizard.

Verify:
$ node -v
v22.11.0
$ npm -v
10.9.0
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If you get "'node' is not recognized" — close and reopen your terminal. That fixes 90% of cases.

macOS

If you have Homebrew:

brew install node
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That's it. Homebrew handles updates too.

Linux

Use nvm — it avoids permission headaches and lets you switch versions per project:

bash

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts
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The classic mistake

Don't install Node.js from your Linux distro's default repos. The version is often 2–3 years old, and you'll hit "this feature isn't supported" errors on modern packages. Use nvm.

What you actually get

Installing Node.js installs two things:

· node — the runtime
· npm — the package manager (bundled automatically)

You don't install npm separately. Ever.

Quick test

Create hello.js:

js
console.log("Node version:", process.version);
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Run it:

$ node hello.js
Node version: v22.11.0
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Working.
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The full guide covers three methods per OS, plus troubleshooting for permission errors, EACCES issues, and version-switching with nvm:

👉 How to Install Node.js (Full Guide)

I also built a small collection of free browser-based dev tools (JSON formatter, regex tester, Base64 encoder, Unix timestamp converter) — no signup, no ads, everything runs locally:

👉 makuistudio.com/tools

If you spot anything wrong or outdated in the guide, comment below — I'll fix it.

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