Introduction to Node.js on Ubuntu

Introduction

Node.js is a powerful JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. It allows you to build scalable and high-performance network applications. In this guide, we will explore how to install and use Node.js on Ubuntu.

Table of Contents

• Installing Node.js on Ubuntu
  • Method 1: Using the NodeSource repository
  • Method 2: Using the Ubuntu package manager
• Creating a Simple Node.js Application
• Using npm (Node Package Manager)
• Conclusion

Installing Node.js on Ubuntu

Method 1: Using the NodeSource repository

1. Begin by updating the package index:

$ sudo apt update

2. Install the required dependencies:

$ sudo apt install curl dirmngr apt-transport-https lsb-release ca-certificates

3. Add the Node.js repository using the NodeSource setup script:

$ curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_14.x | sudo -E bash -

4. Install Node.js and npm:

$ sudo apt install nodejs

5. Verify the installation by checking the Node.js and npm versions:

$ node -v
$ npm -v

Method 2: Using the Ubuntu package manager

1. Update the package index:

$ sudo apt update

2. Install Node.js and npm using the package manager:

$ sudo apt install nodejs npm

3. Verify the installation:

$ node -v
$ npm -v

Creating a Simple Node.js Application

To create a simple Node.js application, follow these steps:

1. Create a new directory for your application:

$ mkdir myapp
$ cd myapp

2. Initialize the project with a package.json file:

$ npm init -y

3. Create a file named app.js and write your Node.js code in it.

4. Run your Node.js application:

$ node app.js

Using npm (Node Package Manager)

npm is the default package manager for Node.js. You can use it to install packages or modules for your Node.js applications. Here are a few useful npm commands:

• Install a package: npm install package_name
• Install a package as a development dependency: npm install package_name --save-dev
• Uninstall a package: npm uninstall package_name
• Update a package: npm update package_name
• Search for packages: npm search package_name

For more details, refer to the npm documentation.

Conclusion

In this guide, we have covered the installation of Node.js on Ubuntu and how to create a simple Node.js application. Additionally, we introduced npm, the Node.js package manager. With Node.js, you can build fast and scalable server-side applications using JavaScript.