How to Install Node.js the Right Way in 2024: An In-Depth Guide

As a web scraping expert with over 5 years of experience using Node.js for large-scale data collection projects, I‘ve learned the hard way how important it is to install and manage Node.js versions properly.

Taking the time upfront to use a version manager will save you from countless headaches down the road – trust me! In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll show you the right way to install Node.js in 2024 based on hard-won knowledge from the trenches of web scraping development.

The Pitfalls of the Official Node.js Installer

The easiest way to get started with Node.js is to download and run the official installer from nodejs.org. It‘s a simple process that takes just a few minutes. But this approach contains hidden traps that can come back to bite you later.

Based on my experience helping hundreds of web scrapers get started with Node.js, here are some of the most common problems that arise from using the official installer:

• Global packages require admin rights: The official installer places the node and npm executables in a system-level directory like /usr/local/bin. This means installing modules globally with npm install -g will fail without admin privileges. So you‘re forced to use sudo which is dangerous, or deal with permission errors.

• Can‘t switch Node versions easily: Uninstalling the official Node.js installer and re-installing a different version is a major pain. It breaks the install location, wipes global modules, and leaves cruft behind. The only clean way to switch is fully purging Node.js from your system.

• Version conflicts: You can only have one Node.js version installed globally at a time with the official installer. If you need to run different versions for different apps, you‘ll run into version conflicts. It becomes a mess of manual version management.

According to a 2020 survey of over 5,000 Node.js developers, over 80% of users who initially installed Node.js via the official installer ran into at least one of these problems within a year of starting new projects. Clearly this approach doesn‘t scale well in the long run.

Why a Node.js Version Manager is Essential

The solution I recommend based on many years of web scraping development and troubleshooting is to use a Node.js version manager like nvm or fnm.

Here are some key benefits of using a dedicated version management tool instead of the official installer:

• Install and switch between Node.js versions seamlessly
• Isolate Node.js versions and packages from each other
• Avoid permission issues or need for sudo
• Match Node environments across different machines
• Script and automate Node.js version usage

Version managers essentially enable you to install distinct Node.js versions and module sets side-by-side. Some other advantages:

• Eliminates version conflicts
• Simplifies testing across Node.js versions
• Makes it easy to upgrade Node.js versions

Top Node.js experts overwhelmingly recommend using a version manager for these reasons when working on large web scraping and automation projects. It just makes everything easier.

nvm vs fnm: How Do the Main Options Compare?

The two most popular and full-featured Node.js version managers available today are nvm and fnm. Let‘s compare the key differences between these tools:

nvm

• Around since 2011, very mature and stable
• Supports Linux, macOS, and Windows
• Installs official Node.js binary packages
• Slower to switch Node.js versions
• Can cause terminal slowdowns over time

fnm

• Launched in 2019, actively maintained
• MacOS and Linux only currently
• Installs Node.js from source code
• Extremely fast at switching versions
• Minimal terminal overhead

Based on my experience using both nvm and fnm extensively for web scraping development over the past few years, I‘ve found fnm has some clear advantages:

• Speed: In benchmarks, fnm can switch between Node.js versions in half the time of nvm. When iterating and testing scrapes this adds up.

• Startup time: nvm hooks deeply into your shell and can noticeably slow down terminal startup time by 2-3 seconds or more over time. fnm has much less overhead.

• Simplicity: fnm uses a single self-contained binary with no dependencies. nvm requires a shell framework and Node.js itself.

However, nvm supports more platforms like Windows and has a longer track record overall. Both are great open-source tools. But given its focus on speed and minimalism, I now recommend fnm as the best Node.js version manager for web scraping teams in most cases.

Next let‘s walk through how to install Node.js using fnm on macOS. I‘ll explain the process in detail.

Step 1: Install fnm on macOS with Homebrew

The easiest way to install fnm is via Homebrew, the popular open-source package manager for macOS.

Homebrew helps simplify the installation process for many CLI tools and is a must-have for any web scraping developer working on macOS in my opinion.

To install Homebrew, open up your terminal and run:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

The script will explain what it will do and prompt you to confirm. Press return to continue.

This will install Homebrew in your user directory so no sudo is needed. The whole process takes under 5 minutes on average.

Once you have Homebrew installed, run:

brew -v

This verifies Homebrew is available and prints the installed version number.

Now you can easily install fnm:

brew install fnm 

This downloads the latest fnm release, extracts it to your local Homebrew directory, and links the fnm executable to your path.

That‘s all you need to get fnm onto your system! Next we‘ll set it up to manage your Node.js versions.

Step 2: Initialize fnm and Install Node.js

After installing fnm via Homebrew, the next step is configuring your shell to enable fnm‘s integration. This allows you to seamlessly use different Node.js versions from the command line.

If you use bash, add this line to your ~/.bash_profile file:

eval "$(fnm env --use-on-cd)"

For zsh users, add the following to ~/.zshrc instead:

eval "$(fnm env --use-on-cd)"

This initializes fnm‘s shell functions when you open a new terminal window. Now fnm can hook into commands like node and npm to route them to the correct version.

Tip: You can check your current shell by running echo $SHELL. This will print /bin/bash, /bin/zsh or another shell path.

After configuring your shell, close and reopen your terminal for the changes to take effect. fnm will now be enabled.

Let‘s test it out by installing the latest Node.js 18 LTS release:

fnm install 18

This will download the source code for Node 18.x, compile it, and install it under fnm‘s data directory (no admin access needed).

The whole process only takes a minute or two depending on your system. Under the hood, fnm is compiling the C++ source code into a native executable specifically for your OS and CPU.

With Node 18 installed, tell fnm to use it:

fnm use 18

Now verify you‘re running Node 18 by checking the version:

node -v

v18.12.1

It works! With two simple commands you‘ve installed the latest Node.js release with fnm. No sudo or permission headaches.

This same process allows you to install and manage multiple Node.js versions, as we‘ll cover next.

Install Multiple Versions of Node.js with fnm

A key benefit of using a Node.js version manager is the ability to install multiple versions and switch between them easily.

For example, let‘s say you need to install Node 16 for a legacy web scraping project:

fnm install 16

This will download and compile Node.js v16.x alongside your existing v18.x install.

You can view all your installed versions with:

fnm ls

v16.19.0
  v18.12.1

Now switch to v16 to test it:

fnm use 16
node -v
v16.19.0

Fast version switching allows you to match the exact Node.js environment needed for different web scraping jobs. No collisions or conflicts across versions.

Being able to install multiple versions comes in handy for:

• Testing web scrapers across Node.js versions
• Running different module versions that may have incompatible dependencies
• Isolating global packages between Node.js releases

fnm makes all of this incredibly easy. You can install as many versions as needed without interference:

fnm install 10
fnm install 12
fnm install 14

And quickly switch between them:

fnm use 14
fnm use 12
fnm use 10 

No reinstalls or environment variable management required. fnm handles it all automatically.

Upgrading Node.js with fnm

When new Node.js releases come out, you can upgrade your installed versions with fnm too:

fnm upgrade

This will upgrade all installed versions to their latest patch version.

You can also upgrade to a specific release:

fnm upgrade 18 latest

This will update your v18.x install to the most recent v18.x available.

Run fnm ls to see your upgraded versions:

v16.19.0 
  v18.13.0

Upgrades take just seconds since fnm simply downloads the latest pre-built binaries for your platform. No need for full recompilation.

Staying on the latest Node.js releases ensures you get performance improvements, security fixes, and access to the newest JavaScript features. fnm makes the upgrade process painless.

Installing Node.js Packages Without Permission Errors

One of my top pet peeves when installing Node.js the official way is dealing with permission errors when trying to install packages globally.

Because fnm installs Node.js locally under your user directory, you don‘t need admin access to add global modules.

For example, to install the Puppeteer browser automation module globally with fnm:

fnm use 16
npm install -g puppeteer

No sudo required! Puppeteer is now installed in fnm‘s local version directory rather than a system-level folder.

This avoids so many headaches compared to global installs the official way.

To update all global packages for a Node version, run:

fnm exec 16 -- npm update -g

This will update packages just for your Node v16 install managed by fnm. No need to worry about breaking other versions.

So in summary, fnm makes global Node.js package management easy and hassle-free. No more permission errors!

Conclusion & Next Steps

If you‘ve struggled with Node.js version changes and permissions errors in the past, using a dedicated version manager like fnm will improve your development experience immensely.

To recap, here are some key takeaways:

• Use fnm to avoid issues with the official Node.js installer
• fnm enables seamless version switching and upgrades
• Install multiple Node.js versions without conflicts
• Isolate global packages between Node.js versions
• No need for sudo when installing modules

To get started with fnm on your system:

1. Install fnm via Homebrew (brew install fnm)
2. Initialize your shell profile (.bash_profile or .zshrc)
3. Install Node.js versions (e.g. fnm install 16)
4. Set the active version (e.g fnm use 16)
5. Upgrade whenever new releases come out

This will level up your Node.js version management and eliminate countless headaches.

For more tips and guides on JavaScript development and web scraping, check out my blog or reach out if you need help with a web data extraction project!