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How to Install Node.js and NPM on Ubuntu 24.04

How to Install Node.js and NPM on Ubuntu 24.04
JC Brian Refugia
Technical writer
Node.js
09.09.2024
Reading time: 6 min

The popular JavaScript runtime Node.js enables server-side programming with JavaScript. NPM, a package manager for Node.js projects, helps with dependency management. This guide will show how to install NPM and Node.js on Ubuntu 24.04.

Prerequisites

  • System (or a cloud server) running in Ubuntu 24.04

  • Root access or user with sudo privileges

Installing Node.js and npm from the Default Ubuntu Repository

  1. Update the package lists to ensure to have the most recent information on package versions and dependencies. Run the command below: 

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
  1. Node.js is normally available from Ubuntu's default repository. Install it by running the following command:

sudo apt install nodejs npm  -y

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Installing Node.js and npm via the NodeSource Repository

  1. Add the NodeSource repository for Node.js: 

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash - 

7b6a7095 40cc 4db7 Acfb 32ea72359f17

Replace setup_20.x with the desired version. Different version can be found on nodesource.com.

  1. Use the following command to install Node.js after adding the NodeSource repository:

sudo apt install nodejs -y

Verifying the Node.js and npm Installation

Verify the following versions of Node.js and npm to make sure they were installed correctly. Run the below command.

node -v

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npm version

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Installing Specific Node.js Versions with NVM 

With the help of the robust utility Node Version Manager (NVM), devops may easily manage several Node.js versions on a single machine. This is very helpful when switching between several project needs.

  1. To install NVM, download and run the installation script from the NVM repository using the following command:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.3/install.sh | bash

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  1. After running the scripts, source the user profile and add NVM to the shell session. Add the following lines to the user's home directory (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or the corresponding shell profile script). Create it using nano editor:

nano ~/.bashrc
  1. 3. Add the following content:
export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion"

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  1. Run the command below so changes will take effect.

source ~/.bashrc

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  1. With NVM installed, install the specific versions of Node.js. In this case, to install Node.js version 16, run the command below:

nvm install 16

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  1. Switch to a specific version of Node.js that is installed, using the command below.

nvm use 16

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Managing Node.js Projects

Several essential procedures and best practices are involved in managing Node.js projects in order to ensure the effectiveness, maintainability, and scalability of the application.

This is a tutorial to help to efficiently manage your Node.js projects.

  1. Launch the terminal, navigate to the project creation path, and make a folder named after the project you are creating.

mkdir my_project

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  1. Initiate the Node project by running the command npm init. Provide the required details (marked in red). All of the answers in this example will be default. The file package.json will result from this.

npm init

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  1. Install any required dependencies, such as nodemon and express. The package-lock.json file and the node_modules folder will be created as a result.
npm i express nodemon

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  1. To initialize git in the project, use the git init command. This will include the file .gitignore.
git init

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  1. Make a file called Readme.md that will have all of the project's information.
touch Readme.md

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  1. Make a file with the .env extension that will hold the project's credentials and sensitive data.
touch process.env

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  1. To launch the program, create a file with the name app.js or index.js.
touch app.js

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  1. Make two folders: Public (which contains resources and static files) and src (which contains controllers, models, routes, and views).
mkdir Public src

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  1. Check each and every folder and file that was generated. This is how a typical structure might look like. For the NODE JS application, it is best practice to establish a project structure, divide files based on their function, and place those files in the appropriate directories. To make it simple to confirm the existence and logic of any given file or folder, unify the application's naming conventions and include business logic in the controllers folder, for instance.
ls -lrt

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Best Practices for Node JS Project Structure

  1. For production systems, set up logging and monitoring with tools like Datadog or New Relic.

  2. Plan routine maintenance activities including performance reviews, security audits, and dependency updates.

  3. Put in place a backup plan for important configurations and data.

  4. Check for security flaws in your dependencies and code on a regular basis.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

There are some frequent problems that a user could run into when installing npm and Node.js. These troubleshooting instructions should help you to address the majority of typical problems that arise when installing npm and Node.js. The steps for troubleshooting these issues are listed below:

  1. When attempting to install Node.js or npm globally (i.e., using sudo), users get permission-related issues that prevent them from finishing the installation process.

  2. After installing nvm, the command is not recognized. The error nvm Command Not Found will be encountered. Make sure that the shell's configuration file (.bashrc, .bash_profile, .zshrc, etc.) has nvm sourced, and then the command source ~/.bashrc has been use to reload it.

  3. The npm version is out of date or does not correspond with the Node.js version after installing Node.js. Use nvm install <version> to install a particular Node.js version, which will include the matching npm version, and manually update npm by running npm install -g npm

Conclusion

In conclusion, an important initial step in creating new web applications and utilizing server-side JavaScript is installing Node.js and npm. Although installing software is usually simple, there are a few frequent problems that can arise, such as permissions conflicts, environment setup problems, or version mismatches. One can successfully overcome these problems by configuring npm to be compatible with your network environment, modifying system settings for global installations, and managing Node.js versions with tools like nvm.

Do not forget to update npm and Node.js frequently to take advantage of the newest features and security updates. It will have a strong base for developing and implementing Node.js-powered, scalable applications with correct setup and troubleshooting.

Node.js
09.09.2024
Reading time: 6 min

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Now, create a file called index.js and add the following code: const TelegramBot = require('node-telegram-bot-api'); const fs = require('fs'); const bot = new TelegramBot('TOKEN', { polling: true }); // Replace 'TOKEN' with the actual token provided by BotFather const ADMIN_ID = '1402655980'; let awaitingSupportMessage = {}; // Stores information about users waiting for support // Stores selected topics for users let userTopics = {}; // Topics and their respective question files const topics = { math: { name: 'Math', file: 'questions/math.json' }, spanish: { name: 'Spanish', file: 'questions/spanish.json' }, history: { name: 'History', file: 'questions/history.json' } }; // Function to retrieve questions based on selected topics function getQuestionsByTopics(userId) { const selectedTopics = userTopics[userId] || Object.keys(topics); let allQuestions = []; selectedTopics.forEach(topic => { const questions = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(topics[topic].file, 'utf8')); allQuestions = allQuestions.concat(questions); }); return allQuestions; } function getRandomQuestion(userId) { const questions = getQuestionsByTopics(userId); const randomIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * questions.length); return questions[randomIndex]; } bot.onText(/\/quiz/, (msg) => { const chatId = msg.chat.id; const userId = msg.from.id; // Retrieve a random question const questionData = getRandomQuestion(userId); // Send the poll as a quiz bot.sendPoll( chatId, questionData.question, // The question text questionData.options, // Answer options { type: 'quiz', // Quiz type correct_option_id: questionData.correct_option_id, // Correct answer is_anonymous: false // The quiz won't be anonymous } ).then(pollMessage => { // Handle poll results bot.on('poll_answer', (answer) => { if (answer.poll_id === pollMessage.poll.id) { const selectedOption = answer.option_ids[0]; // Check if the answer is correct if (selectedOption !== questionData.correct_option_id) { bot.sendMessage(chatId, questionData.explanation); } } }); }); }); bot.onText(/\/settopic/, (msg) => { const chatId = msg.chat.id; const userId = msg.from.id; const keyboard = Object.keys(topics).map(topicKey => ({ text: `${(userTopics[userId] || []).includes(topicKey) ? '✅ ' : ''}${topics[topicKey].name}`, callback_data: topicKey })); bot.sendMessage(chatId, 'Select the topics for questions:', { reply_markup: { inline_keyboard: [keyboard] } }); }); // Topic selection handler bot.on('callback_query', (callbackQuery) => { const message = callbackQuery.message; const userId = callbackQuery.from.id; const topicKey = callbackQuery.data; // Initialize selected topics for the user if they don't exist if (!userTopics[userId]) { userTopics[userId] = Object.keys(topics); } // Add or remove the selected topic if (userTopics[userId].includes(topicKey)) { userTopics[userId] = userTopics[userId].filter(t => t !== topicKey); } else { userTopics[userId].push(topicKey); } // Update the message with buttons const keyboard = Object.keys(topics).map(topicKey => ({ text: `${userTopics[userId].includes(topicKey) ? '✅ ' : ''}${topics[topicKey].name}`, callback_data: topicKey })); bot.editMessageReplyMarkup({ inline_keyboard: [keyboard] }, { chat_id: message.chat.id, message_id: message.message_id }); }); bot.onText(/\/start/, (msg) => { const chatId = msg.chat.id; bot.sendMessage(chatId, "Hello! Type /quiz to start a quiz. Use /settopic to choose topics."); }); console.log('Bot is running.'); Quiz Questions Files Now, create a folder named questions inside your project. 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The administrator will contact you soon."); // Remove the user from the list of those composing a support message delete awaitingSupportMessage[userId]; } }); Deployment on a Server For our bot to operate continuously, we must upload and run it on a server. For deployment, we will use Hostman cloud servers. Uploading to GitHub Before launching the bot on the server, you first need to upload the project files to GitHub. Run the following commands in the console in sequence: Add all changes in the current directory to the next commit: git add . Create a commit with the message "first commit", recording all changes added with git add: git commit -m "first commit" Push the changes to GitHub: git push Server Setup Go to your Hostman control panel and: Create a New Project (optional): Specify an icon, a name, a description, and add users if necessary. Create a Cloud Server: Either from your project or from the Cloud servers page start creating a new cloud server. Select the Region: Choose the region that is closest to you or where the lowest ping is available. Go to the Marketplace tab in the second step and select Node.js. Set the Ubuntu version to the latest one. This ensures that Node.js will already be installed on the server when it starts, so you won’t need to install it manually. Choose Configuration: Select the configuration according to your needs. For running the project, the minimum configuration is sufficient. If the project requires more resources in the future, you can upgrade the server without disrupting its operation. Network Settings: Ensure that you assign a public IP for the server. Configure any additional services as needed. Authorization and Cloud-init: In the Authorization step, you can add your SSH key to the server. However, it’s optional, and you can leave these settings as they are. Server Information: Provide the server’s name and description, and select the project to which you want to add the server. Once everything is set up, click the Order button. After a short while, the server will be up and running, and you can proceed with the next steps. Launching the Bot After creating the server, go to the Dashboard tab, copy the Root password, and open the Console tab. Enter the username root and press Enter. Next, paste the password you copied and press Enter again. When typing or pasting the password, it will not be visible! If everything is correct, you will see a welcome message. Now, run the following command to get the latest updates: sudo apt-get update Create a new folder where you will place the bot. Enter these commands in sequence: cd /sudo mkdir Botcd Bot You can replace the folder name "Bot" with any other name you choose. To ensure Git is installed on the server (it is usually pre-installed by default), check the version using: git --version Next, set up global Git settings to link it to your GitHub profile: git config --global user.name "your GitHub username"git config --global user.email "email used during registration" After this, clone the repository by entering the following command with your repository URL: git clone https://github.com/username/School-Quiz During cloning, you will be prompted to enter your username and then your password. If you have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled on your GitHub account, entering your regular password will result in an error saying the password is incorrect. To clone a repository with 2FA enabled, you need to create a personal access token. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner and select “Settings”. In the left-hand menu, click “Developer settings”. Under the “Personal access tokens” section, select “Tokens (classic)” and click “Generate new token”. Set token parameters: In the “Note” field, provide a description for the token. Set the expiration date for the token in the “Expiration” field. Under “Select scopes”, choose the necessary permissions for the token. For example, to work with repositories, select repo. Click “Generate token”. Copy the generated token and store it in a secure place. Note that you won’t be able to view the token again after closing the page. Once you have the personal access token, use it instead of your password when prompted during the repository cloning process. Navigate to your project folder using the following command: cd School-Quiz Replace School-Quiz with the actual name of your project. To install the project dependencies, run: npm install Once the packages are installed, you can start the project by running: npm start In the console, you should see the message “Bot is running”. However, there is one issue—if you restart the server or close the console, the bot will stop working! To ensure the bot runs continuously and automatically starts after a server reboot, you need to install a process manager like pm2. Install pm2 globally using the following command: sudo npm install pm2 -g Next, start the Node.js server using pm2: sudo pm2 start index.js --name "bot-quiz" --watch In this example, the process is named bot-quiz, but you can use any name you prefer. Set up automatic startup on server reboot: sudo pm2 startup Save all the changes made: sudo pm2 save Conclusion In this guide, we covered the entire process of creating a Telegram bot using Node.js, from registering the bot via BotFather to deploying the finished solution on a server.
31 January 2025 · 15 min to read

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