How to Install NVM on Ubuntu (Node Version Manager)

Introduction

NVM (Node Version Manager) allows you to install and manage multiple Node.js versions on a single Ubuntu machine. This is especially useful when working on multiple projects requiring different Node versions.

Step 1 — Update System Packages

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2 — Install Required Dependencies

sudo apt install curl build-essential -y

Step 3 — Download and Install NVM

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash

Step 4 — Load NVM into Your Shell

source ~/.bashrc

Or if using ZSH:

source ~/.zshrc

Step 5 — Verify NVM Installation

nvm --version

Step 6 — Install Latest Node.js Version

nvm install node

Step 7 — Install a Specific Node.js Version

nvm install 18

Step 8 — List Installed Node Versions

nvm ls

Step 9 — Switch Between Node Versions

nvm use 18

Step 10 — Set a Default Node Version

nvm alias default 18

Step 11 — Check Current Node & NPM Version

node -v
npm -v

Step 12 — Uninstall a Node Version (Optional)

nvm uninstall 16

Useful NVM Commands

| Command | Description | |--------|------------| | nvm install node | Install latest Node | | nvm install 18 | Install Node 18 | | nvm use 18 | Switch Node version | | nvm ls | List installed versions | | nvm alias default 18 | Set default Node | | nvm uninstall 16 | Remove Node version |

Troubleshooting

If nvm command not found:

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"

Conclusion

NVM makes Node.js version management easy and flexible.

Author

Marquefactory DevOps Team