How to Install Node.js on Debian (13, 12, 11)

Debian ships a stable but older Node.js in its default repositories, which works for basic server tasks but falls behind what most JavaScript projects expect. Whether you need the Active LTS line (currently 24.x), the short-term Current release (25.x), or an older supported major, several methods let you install Node.js on Debian at the version your project actually requires.

Debian 13 ships Node.js 20.19.x, Debian 12 ships 18.20.x, and Debian 11 ships 12.22.x in default repositories. NodeSource through extrepo on Debian bumps that to 25.x, 24.x, or 22.x with APT-managed updates, while NVM handles per-project version switching entirely from your home directory.

Compare the three methods before choosing one:

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
Debian Repositories	Debian Packages	Debian 13: 20.19.x, Debian 12: 18.20.x, Debian 11: 12.22.x	Automatic via apt upgrade	Stable server and workstation installs
NodeSource via extrepo	NodeSource	25.x (Current), 24.x, 22.x, 20.x streams	Automatic via apt upgrade	Developers who need newer Node.js than Debian defaults
Node Version Manager (NVM)	NVM	Any supported Node.js version	Manual via nvm install	Per-project version switching and local dev workflows

If you only need one Node.js version and want automatic security updates through apt upgrade, start with Method 1 or Method 2. Pick NVM if your projects require different Node.js versions.

These instructions cover Debian 13 (Trixie), Debian 12 (Bookworm), and Debian 11 (Bullseye).

Methods 2 and 3 use the same commands across all supported releases. Method 1 uses the same install command, but the default Node.js version depends on your Debian release.

Before installing, refresh package metadata and install pending updates so dependency resolution stays clean:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

If your account is not configured for sudo yet, follow how to add a user to sudoers on Debian, then continue.

Method 1: Install Node.js from Debian Repositories

The Debian repository gives you a Node.js version tied to your Debian release with no extra repository setup or GPG key management.

Default Node.js Versions in Debian Repositories

Debian Release	Default nodejs	Default npm	Upstream Status
Debian 13 (Trixie)	20.19.x	9.2.x	Maintenance LTS
Debian 12 (Bookworm)	18.20.x	9.2.x	End-of-life
Debian 11 (Bullseye)	12.22.x	7.5.x	End-of-life

Check Available Node.js Versions on Debian

Check available candidates before installing:

apt-cache policy nodejs
apt-cache policy npm

Install Node.js and npm from Debian

Install nodejs and npm together since Debian ships them as separate packages:

sudo apt install nodejs npm

Verify the installed versions:

node --version
npm --version

# Debian 13 (Trixie)
v20.19.2
9.2.0

# Debian 12 (Bookworm)
v18.19.0
9.2.0

# Debian 11 (Bullseye)
v12.22.12
7.5.2

Debian appends the +dfsg suffix to some package versions to indicate Debian Free Software Guidelines repackaging; it does not mean this is a different Node.js upstream release.

Debian 12 ships Node.js 18, which reached end-of-life in April 2025. Debian 11 ships Node.js 12, which reached end-of-life in April 2022. For current projects on either release, use Method 2 (NodeSource via extrepo) or Method 3 (NVM). See the official Node.js end-of-life schedule for details.

Method 2: Install Node.js from NodeSource on Debian with extrepo

extrepo is Debian’s built-in tool for managing vetted third-party repositories. It enables the NodeSource APT source in one command, handles GPG keys automatically, and keeps your system policy-compliant. This is the recommended approach for Debian because it avoids manual key imports and repository file creation.

Install extrepo and Discover NodeSource Entries

sudo apt install extrepo
extrepo search node

You should see entries such as node_25.x, node_24.x, node_22.x, and node_20.x.

Enable NodeSource Node.js Stream on Debian

Enable the stream you want. This example uses Node.js 24.x (Active LTS). Substitute node_25.x if you need the latest Current release instead:

sudo extrepo enable node_24.x

Choose from the currently supported Node.js versions:

• node_20.x: Maintenance LTS (Iron), nearing end-of-life and best avoided for new projects
• node_22.x: Maintenance LTS (Jod)
• node_24.x: Active LTS (Krypton), recommended for most new projects
• node_25.x: Current release with latest features and a shorter support window

Node.js 25 is the current short-term (Current) release, Node.js 24 (Krypton) is Active LTS, Node.js 22 (Jod) is Maintenance LTS, and Node.js 20 (Iron) is Maintenance LTS until April 2026. Node.js 18 and earlier have reached end-of-life and no longer receive security patches. Current releases include the newest features but only receive active support for six months. Confirm lifecycle windows at the Node.js release schedule.

Install Node.js from NodeSource

Update APT metadata to pick up the new repository:

sudo apt update

Confirm nodejs is being offered by NodeSource before installation:

apt-cache policy nodejs | sed -n '1,12p'

nodejs:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 24.14.0-1nodesource1
  Version table:
    24.14.0-1nodesource1 500
      500 https://deb.nodesource.com/node_24.x nodistro/main amd64 Packages

Install Node.js. NodeSource bundles npm inside the nodejs package, so no separate npm package is required:

sudo apt install nodejs

Confirm the versions:

node --version
npm --version

v24.14.0
11.9.0

NodeSource packages update through regular apt upgrade cycles. To automate security patches, configure unattended upgrades on Debian.

Do not add a manual NodeSource .sources file while extrepo is active. Both files point to the same APT source with different Signed-By paths, and APT on Debian 13+ rejects duplicate sources outright. If you switch methods, fully remove the previous configuration first.

Method 3: Install Node.js on Debian with NVM

NVM (Node Version Manager) lets you install and switch between any Node.js major from your home directory. It runs entirely in user space, so it does not touch system packages or require sudo.

Install NVM on Debian

The install script needs curl. Minimal Debian installs (especially netinst images) often omit it, so install it first if needed:

sudo apt install curl

Download and run the NVM install script using curl:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.4/install.sh | bash

Or use wget if curl is not installed:

wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.4/install.sh | bash

The script clones the NVM repository into ~/.nvm and appends initialization lines to your shell profile. Load them into your current session without restarting the terminal. Zsh users should replace ~/.bashrc with ~/.zshrc.

source ~/.bashrc

Confirm NVM loaded correctly:

command -v nvm

nvm

NVM is a shell function, not a binary. which nvm always returns nothing, so use command -v nvm to verify it is available. See the which command guide for more on how shell lookups work.

List Available Node.js Versions with NVM

View all available Node.js versions:

nvm ls-remote

LTS releases are marked with their codenames (Iron, Jod, Krypton). To show only LTS versions:

nvm ls-remote --lts

Install a Node.js Version with NVM on Debian

Install the latest LTS version:

nvm install --lts

Alternatively, install a specific version by number:

nvm install 24

Downloading and installing node v24.14.0...
Downloading https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.14.0/node-v24.14.0-linux-x64.tar.xz...
######################################################### 100.0%
Computing checksum with sha256sum
Checksums matched!
Now using node v24.14.0 (npm v11.9.0)

node --version
npm --version

v24.14.0
11.9.0

Switch Between Node.js Versions with NVM

Once you have multiple versions installed, switching is one command. First, add another version:

nvm install 22

Switch to a different installed version:

nvm use 22

Now using node v22.22.0 (npm v10.9.4)

To set a default version that persists across terminal sessions:

nvm alias default 24

View all installed versions and see which is currently active:

nvm ls

->      v22.22.0
        v24.14.0
default -> 24 (-> v24.14.0)
node -> stable (-> v24.14.0) (default)
stable -> 24.14 (-> v24.14.0) (default)
lts/* -> lts/krypton (-> v24.14.0)

To pin a Node.js version per project, create a .nvmrc file containing the major version number (for example, 24) in the project root. Running nvm use in that directory auto-switches to the pinned version. This pairs well with Yarn on Debian for package management and Git on Debian for version control.

Update Node.js on Debian

Use the update path that matches your installation method so you do not mix package sources.

Update Debian Repository Node.js Packages

If you installed Node.js from Debian repositories, upgrade nodejs and npm together:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade nodejs npm

Verify installed versions:

node --version
npm --version

The reported version depends on your Debian release. Refer to the default version table in Method 1 for the expected output on each release.

Update NodeSource Node.js Packages via extrepo

NodeSource minor and patch updates arrive through regular APT operations:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade nodejs

To switch to a different major line (for example, from 22.x to 24.x), disable the old stream and enable the new one:

sudo extrepo disable node_22.x
sudo extrepo enable node_24.x
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nodejs

Confirm APT is using the NodeSource candidate:

apt-cache policy nodejs | sed -n '1,8p'

nodejs:
  Installed: 24.14.0-1nodesource1
  Candidate: 24.14.0-1nodesource1
  Version table:
 *** 24.14.0-1nodesource1 500
       500 https://deb.nodesource.com/node_24.x nodistro/main amd64 Packages

Update Node.js with NVM on Debian

NVM upgrades by installing the target version and switching aliases:

source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
nvm install 24
nvm alias default 24
nvm use 24

Now using node v24.14.0 (npm v11.9.0)
default -> 24 (-> v24.14.0)

Troubleshoot Node.js on Debian

Most Node.js setup issues on Debian come from shell initialization, npm prefix permissions, or NodeSource key and source-definition conflicts.

Fix “Command Not Found” After NVM Installation on Debian

If you see this after running the installer:

bash: nvm: command not found

Your current shell has not loaded the NVM initialization lines yet. Reload the right shell profile:

source ~/.bashrc

For Zsh users, source the Zsh configuration instead:

source ~/.zshrc

Verify that nvm is now available:

command -v nvm

nvm

Fix NodeSource Repository Signature or Source Conflicts on Debian

If apt update fails with key or source-definition conflicts after NodeSource changes:

sudo extrepo disable node_24.x
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/extrepo_node_24.x.sources
sudo rm -f /var/lib/extrepo/keys/node_24.x.asc
sudo extrepo enable node_24.x
sudo apt update

Verify the repository is active:

apt-cache policy nodejs | grep deb.nodesource -m 1

500 https://deb.nodesource.com/node_24.x nodistro/main amd64 Packages

Fix Permission Denied During Global npm Install on Debian

If global npm installs fail with an error like this:

npm ERR! code EACCES
npm ERR! syscall mkdir
npm ERR! path /usr/lib/node_modules

Check your current npm prefix:

npm config get prefix

/usr

If it points to a system directory, set a user-writable prefix:

mkdir -p ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.npm-global/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Verify the updated prefix:

npm config get prefix

/home/username/.npm-global

NVM also avoids this issue because it installs packages into user-owned paths by default.

Remove Node.js from Debian

Use the removal steps that match your installation method so stale repositories and shell fragments do not linger.

Remove Node.js Installed via APT

For the Debian repository, remove both packages since they are installed separately:

sudo apt remove --purge nodejs npm
sudo apt autoremove

Optionally remove the npm cache directory from your home folder:

rm -rf ~/.npm

If you used extrepo for NodeSource, also disable and clean its artifacts:

sudo extrepo disable node_24.x
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/extrepo_node_24.x.sources
sudo rm -f /var/lib/extrepo/keys/node_24.x.asc
sudo apt update

Confirm Node.js is removed from the system:

apt-cache policy nodejs
node --version

nodejs:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 20.19.2~dfsg-1
  Version table:
    20.19.2~dfsg-1 500
      500 http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie/main amd64 Packages
bash: node: command not found

Remove Node.js Installed via NVM

When using NVM, you can remove individual Node.js versions or uninstall NVM entirely.

source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
nvm current

Deactivate the current version before removing it:

nvm deactivate
nvm uninstall 24

To completely remove NVM and all installed Node.js versions, delete the NVM directory:

The next command permanently deletes NVM and every Node.js version installed through it, including globally installed npm packages under the NVM tree.

rm -rf ~/.nvm
rm -rf ~/.npm

Remove the NVM initialization block from ~/.bashrc (and ~/.zshrc if you use Zsh). Open the file and delete the three lines that begin with export NVM_DIR= and load nvm.sh:

nano ~/.bashrc

Find and delete the block that looks like this:

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

Save and close the file, then reload the shell configuration:

source ~/.bashrc

Confirm NVM and Node.js are no longer available:

command -v nvm
node --version

bash: node: command not found

FAQ on Installing Node.js on Debian

Conclusion

Node.js is running on Debian at the version your stack needs, whether that is distro-default packages, an LTS or Current stream from NodeSource via extrepo, or multiple majors managed through NVM. From here, install Yarn on Debian as an npm alternative, install Git on Debian for version control, set up Visual Studio Code on Debian for a full editing environment, and add Docker on Debian when you need containerized builds.