How to Install Node.js via NVM on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

Node.js is a cross-platform runtime environment, configurable on Linux, OS X, and Microsoft Windows, and built on JavaScript. Applications, both server-side and networking, are also written in JavaScript. Node.js lends itself nicely to quick deploying, real-time web applications, and is generally thought of as extremely scalable due to its event-driven architecture.

The Node Version Manager allows admins to easily manage node.js versions. It’s a bash script that has the capability to manage multiple active versions of node.js, with functionality such as: installation, executing commands with specific node.js versions, setting the PATH variable to use a specific node.js versions, etc.

• These instructions are intended specifically for installing Node.js via NVM (Node Version Manager) on a single Ubuntu 12.04 LTS node.
• I’ll be working from a Liquid Web Core Managed Ubuntu 12.04 LTS server, and I’ll be logged in as root.
• If NVM is not already installed, then visit our tutorial on: How to Install NVM (Node Version Manager) for Node.js on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

If NVM is not already installed, then visit our tutorial on: How to Install NVM (Node Version Manager) for Node.js on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

Versions that are available for installation:

nvm ls-remote

In addition to the versions listed by the output of that command, it is also possible to install the latest stable or unstable versions, as shown in the next step.

To download, compile, and install the latest version in the v0.11.x release of node.js:

nvm install 0.11

To display currently activated version:

nvm current

Which gives me the output:

v0.11.16

In this case, I am now running v0.11.16.

To download, compile, and install the latest stable release of node.js, which in this case is v0.12.2:

nvm install stable

To display currently activated version:

nvm current

Now gives me the output:

v0.12.2

I am now running v0.12.2.

nvm ls

Gives the following output:

v0.11.16
-> v0.12.2
node -> stable (-> v0.12.2) (default)
stable -> 0.12 (-> v0.12.2) (default)
unstable -> 0.11 (-> v0.11.16) (default)

And finally, if you want to modify PATH to use v0.11.16 again, then use the following command:

nvm use 0.11.16

Which returns:

Now using node v0.11.16