How to Install Latest Node.js on Ubuntu

To install the latest version of Node.js on Ubuntu, follow a few simple steps. First, you’ll need to update your package list. Then, install Node.js from the official repository, which always provides the newest version. Node.js is a popular runtime environment that allows you to run JavaScript code outside a browser. It’s essential for developing modern web applications.

You can also use the Node Version Manager (NVM) to install a specific version of Node.js on your system.

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Step 1: Configuring Node.Js PPA

Node.js has two types of releases: LTS (Long Term Support) and the current release. Choose the version you need for your project. Let’s add the PPA to your system to install Node.js on Ubuntu.

• Use Current Release: During the last update of this tutorial, Node.js 22 is the current Node.js version available.

  sudo apt install -y curl 
  curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash - 
  

• Use LTS Release – Instead of the current release, it’s a good idea to use a stable version. During the last update of this tutorial, Node.js 20 is the latest LTS release available.

  sudo apt install -y curl 
  curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash - 
  

For this tutorial, I am using the latest current release and added their PPA to my system.

Step 2: Install Latest Node.js on Ubuntu

You have successfully configured Node.js PPA in your Ubuntu system. Now execute the below command to install Node on Ubuntu using apt-get. This will also install NPM with node.js. This command also installs many other dependent packages on your system.

sudo apt install -y nodejs 

That’s it. This will install Node.js on your Ubuntu system.

Step 3: Check Node.js and NPM Version

After installing node.js verify and check the installed version. You can find more details about the current version on node.js official website.

node -v

v22.9.0

Also, check the npm version

npm -v

8.19.3

Step 4: Create Demo Web Server (Optional)

This is an optional step. Suppose you want to test your node.js install. Let’s create a web server with “Hello World!” text. Create a file server.js

sudo nano server.js 

and add the following content

var http = require('http');
http.createServer(function (req, res) {
  res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
  res.end('Hello World\n');
}).listen(3000, "127.0.0.1");
console.log('Server running at http://127.0.0.1:3000/');

Save the file and close. Then start the Node application using the following command.

node server.js

debugger listening on port 5858
Server running at http://127.0.0.1:3000/

You can also start the application with debugging enabled with the following commands.

node --inspect server.js

Debugger listening on ws://127.0.0.1:9229/938cf97a-a9e6-4672-922d-a22479ce4e29
For help, see: https://nodejs.org/en/docs/inspector
Server running at http://127.0.0.1:3000/

The web server has been started on port 3000. Now access http://127.0.0.1:3000/ URL in browser. Now you will need to configure a front-end server for your app.

Conclusion

In summary, we have learned how to install Node.js on Ubuntu and similar systems using a new official PPA repository. This makes it easy to start developing with Node.js on Linux. We can also use this repository to keep our Node.js installations up-to-date with the latest stable versions. Be sure to check out other tutorials on our website for more tips and tricks about using Node.js!