Using Node Version Manager

Updating Node.js on a Linux based server can be painful to say the least as the process of uninstalling Node.js can be problematic and over-complicated. Node Version Manager (NVM) brings the ability for Node.js installs to be easily managed and changed on a server or per-process basis.

Table of Contents

Installing Node Version Manager

To install NVM run the below commands. Note that this guide uses Ubuntu, if on other Linux distributions, commands may need to be altered.

1. Update the servers package repository

sudo apt update

2. Install NVM

wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.4/install.sh | bash

3. Restart the terminal application to register the new commands

4. Verify NVM has been installed

nvm -v

Installing a Node Version

To install the a specific version of Node.js run the below commands. Most Weblutions products require v20.5.1, so that will be used in this guide.

1. Install a Node.js version

nvm install 20.5.1

2. Optionally, set this install to be the default version of Node.js used

nvm alias default 20.5.1