Node.js on Ubuntu Server

1. Check latest verision of NVM on GitHub.
2. curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.4/install.sh - Check NVM code
3. curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.4/install.sh | bash - install NVM code. The NVM is installed with permissions of a user that processing that request (you). NVM is installed to user account, specifically "~/.bashrc" directory.
4. source ~/.bashrc - source/reload the script for the option to use it
5. nvm list-remote - check available Node.js versions
6. nvm install v18.17.0 - install requested version of Node.js, in this case Node Js v18.17.0. Node.js is installed with permissions of a user that processing that request (you)
7. node -v - show currently active version

As of Node.js is installed for user account only, it is known under node -v of current user, but not under any other user nor sudo node -v. There are 2 ways to make node command (access to teh Node.js client) available also for other users:

1. Symlink

   There's possible to create a symlink from /usr/local/bin/node to the node client in the user's account $NVM_DIR/versions/node/$(nvm version)/bin/node

   sudo ln -s "$NVM_DIR/versions/node/$(nvm version)/bin/node" "/usr/local/bin/node"
2. Environment variable with adding to user group (recommended)

   When creating native services, you can add there a Environment variable referring to the Node.js client, see

   [Unit]
   Description="My service"
   Wants=network-online.target
   After=network-online.target
   [Service]
   User=<serviceUser>
   Group=<serviceUser>
   Type=simple
   Restart=always
   RestartSec=5
   WorkingDirectory=/directory/to/service/client
   Environment="PATH=/home/<userNameWithNodeClient>/.nvm/versions/node/v18.17.0/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"
   ExecStart=...

   Note, to make the node accessible, the <serviceUser> must be added into the <userNameWithNodeClient> group.

   sudo usermod -aG <userNameWithNodeClient> <serviceUser>

1. Create user and directory

   sudo useradd --system --shell /bin/bash --home /srv/nodejs nodejsusr

   sudo mkdir -p /srv/nodejs

   sudo chown nodejsusr:nodejsusr /srv/nodejs

2. Switch at nodejsusr

   sudo -i -u nodejsusr

3. Install and enable NVM

   curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.5/install.sh | bash

   Create bashsrc

   touch ~/.bashrc && nano ~/.bashrc

   Open the file with following content

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

   Reload shell profile

   source ~/.bashrc

   Check installed nvm version

   nvm --version

4. Install Node js
   • nvm list-remote - check available Node.js versions
   • nvm install v18.17.0 - install requested version of Node.js, in this case Node Js v18.17.0.
   Check Installed NodeJs version

   node -v

   Check installed npm version

   npm -v

5. Retrun back at standard user

   exit

6. Set shared access for nodejs and npm

   sudo ln -s /srv/nodejs/.nvm/versions/node/$(ls /srv/nodejs/.nvm/versions/node)/bin/node /usr/local/bin/node

   sudo ln -s /srv/nodejs/.nvm/versions/node/$(ls /srv/nodejs/.nvm/versions/node)/bin/npm /usr/local/bin/npm

   Shared access for yarn
   • Log in to nodejsusr and

     sudo -i -u nodejsusr

     Reload bashrc

     source ~/.bashrc

     get corepack yarn

     which yarn

   • Return back at standard user

     exit

   • Create the symlink to corepack path

     sudo ln -s /srv/nodejs/.nvm/versions/node/vXX.X.X/bin/yarn /usr/local/bin/yarn

   • Check corepack availability

     yarn --version