Linux Node.js Guide

Linux Node.js Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to Node.js on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including installation, npm, and JavaScript development.

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Table of Contents

1. Node.js Installation
2. npm Package Management
3. Node.js Development
4. Troubleshooting

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Node.js Installation

Install Node.js

Arch/CachyOS:

# Install Node.js
sudo pacman -S nodejs npm

# Or use nvm (Node Version Manager)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install nodejs npm

Fedora:

sudo dnf install nodejs npm

Verify Installation

Check Node.js:

# Check version
node --version
npm --version

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npm Package Management

Install Packages

Using npm:

# Install package
npm install package-name

# Install globally
npm install -g package-name

# Install from package.json
npm install

npm Configuration

Configure npm:

# Set registry
npm config set registry https://registry.npmjs.org/

# List packages
npm list

# Update packages
npm update

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Node.js Development

Create Project

Initialize project:

# Create project
npm init

# Or with defaults
npm init -y

Run Scripts

Execute scripts:

# Run script
npm run script-name

# Start application
npm start

# Run tests
npm test

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Troubleshooting

Node.js Not Found

Check installation:

# Check Node.js
which node
which npm

# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S nodejs npm

Permission Errors

Fix permissions:

# Use nvm (recommended)
# Or configure npm prefix
mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'

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Summary

This guide covered Node.js installation, npm usage, and development setup for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• Development Environment - Development setup
• VS Code Guide - VS Code setup
• Node.js: https://nodejs.org/

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.