Latest node.js & npm installation on Ubuntu 12.04

Compiling is way to go for many but I am mostly in hurry so following works for me!

Adding Chris Lea’s Repo

Using Launchpad repo by Chris Lea just run following commands


			apt-get install python-software-properties
apt-add-repository ppa:chris-lea/node.js
apt-get update

node.js install


			apt-get install nodejs

Check node.js version


			node -v

Outputs


			v0.10.20

npm install

Above command should install npm.

Check npm version


			npm -v

Outputs


			1.4.3

If for some reason, if you see npm is not installed, you may try running:


			apt-get install npm

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(updated on 20 Feb 2014. After this comment from dodyrw)

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Comments

Colin

January 8, 2014

Perfect, Thank you this was very helpful. I needed to install the latest node.js & npm to use the new ghost blogging platform.
1. Rahul Bansal
  
  January 8, 2014
  
  Glad to know that it helped. I wrote this while installing https://github.com/fzaninotto/uptime (another good node.js project)
Paul Vollmar

February 17, 2014

Followed your instructions, but I got the following error when trying to install npm:

user@system:~$ sudo apt-get install npm
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
npm : Depends: nodejs but it is not going to be installed
Depends: nodejs-dev
Depends: node-request but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-mkdirp but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-minimatch but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-semver but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-ini but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-graceful-fs but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-abbrev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-nopt but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-fstream but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-rimraf but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-tar but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-which but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

Could it be my version of nodejs?

user@system:~$ node -v

v0.10.25
1. Rahul Bansal
  
  February 17, 2014
  
  Try to install nodejs-dev. I did not encounter this error.
  
  Did you added Chris’s repo as instructed here – https://rtcamp.com/tutorials/nodejs/node-js-npm-install-ubuntu/#adding-chris-leas-repo ?
  1. Samuel
    
    February 19, 2014
    
    Same problem here. Can not install npm, neither nodejs-dev.
    1. Rahul Bansal
      
      February 20, 2014
      
      Why do you need nodejs-dev?
      
      Now, apt-get install nodejs installs node and npm. Updated article to reflect this change.
      
      Please try again and let me know if you run into any issue.
Paul Vollmar

February 17, 2014

I did install Chris’s repo as instructed. When I try to install nodejs-dev, I get:

user@system:~$ sudo apt-get install nodejs-dev
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
nodejs-dev : Depends: nodejs (= 0.8.22-1chl1~precise1) but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
1. Rahul Bansal
  
  February 20, 2014
  
  Now, apt-get install nodejs installs node and npm. Updated article to reflect this change.
  
  Just try running npm -v. You should see npm installed already.
  
  Please let me know if you run into any issue.
  1. visteras
    
    March 23, 2014
    
    Yes, nodejs install node and npm, but npm installing in /usr/bin directory.
    Use ln 🙂
    root@srv1:/usr/local# ln -s /usr/bin/npm /usr/local/bin/npm
    root@srv1:/usr/local# npm -v
    1.4.3
    1. Rahul Bansal
      
      March 24, 2014
      
      Why did you need `ln` command? `/usr/bin` is also part of $PATH
dodyrw

February 20, 2014

Like the other people here, I also get the same problem when installing npm. I have no problem with the step for nodejs.

I don’t think we need to run: apt-get install npm
Because when I check npm -v, it return the latest version.

Thank you for great tutorial, it solve my problem.
1. Rahul Bansal
  
  February 20, 2014
  
  Thanks for solution. I just tested it on new machine and it looks like npm is not installed automatically with nodejs!
  
  Updated article. Thanks for correction. 🙂
wayne

February 24, 2014

Wheezy = https://gist.github.com/x-Code-x/2562576

Now I just need to learn how to use it :).
If anyone can point a total noob in the right direction for learning I would be thankful.

Rahul I do not know how you stay on top of everything.

Thank you camp have a good day!
1. Rahul Bansal
  
  February 26, 2014
  
  That gist has instruction for compiling node.js packages. I think its faster to use pre-compiled packages.
  
  For learning node.js – there are way too many resources. These days, I am learning meteor framework – https://www.meteor.com/ which I believe will be next big thing! 😉
  1. Wayne
    
    March 8, 2014
    
    I wanted to edit/update my comment.
    https://github.com/joyent/node/wiki/Installing-Node.js-via-package-manager
    
    Node is’nt available in a package for Wheezy, that I am aware of anyway. This link worked well for me.
    
    Good day!
    1. Rahul Bansal
      
      March 14, 2014
      
      I will have a look at node on debian soon. As easyengine supports debian, we need to keep all articles uptodate for debian as well.
Idham

March 10, 2014

Thanks, love this way. Quick!.
Dzufikar

March 13, 2014

thank’s a lot, now i have installed node in my ubuntu 🙂
Deepak

March 20, 2014

Excellent tutorial!

Exactly what I was looking for.
Carlos Umanzor

March 22, 2014

Great tutorial. This was actually the fix for one of my projects at my office. It works on Ubuntu 13 too, but I do recommend to uninstall any “stock” version of nodejs (the one present in ubuntu’s repo), while *it does* try to uninstall sometimes it don’t, 2 of my 5 installation did keep the older npm (or nodejs) on the system but it was easy to fix.