How to Install Node.js on Ubuntu (26.04, 24.04, 22.04)

Mixing Node.js package sources on Ubuntu is one of the fastest ways to break your toolchain. Ubuntu ships an older version by default, NodeSource tracks upstream LTS releases through APT, and NVM lets you switch versions per project without touching system packages. This guide covers all three ways to install Node.js on Ubuntu so you pick the right one and verify it actually works before writing any code.

Install Node.js on Ubuntu

Compare the three methods before choosing one:

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
Ubuntu Repository	Ubuntu Repos	Distribution default	Automatic with apt upgrade	Stable baseline installs
NodeSource Repository	NodeSource	Current LTS or Current release	Automatic with apt upgrade	Developers tracking active Node.js lines
Node Version Manager (NVM)	NVM GitHub	Any supported Node.js release	Manual with nvm install	Per-project version switching

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 Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 22.04 LTS.

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 Ubuntu release.

Before installing, update the package index and apply any pending security updates:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

New to sudo? See the guide on adding a user to sudoers on Ubuntu before continuing.

Method 1: Install Node.js from Ubuntu Repository

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

Default Node.js Versions in Ubuntu Repositories

Ubuntu Release	Default nodejs	Default npm	Upstream Status
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS	22.x	9.2.x	Maintenance LTS
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS	18.x	9.2.x	End-of-life
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS	12.x	8.5.x	End-of-life

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

sudo apt install -y nodejs npm

Verify both installed correctly:

node --version
npm --version

# Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
v22.22.0
9.2.0

# Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
v18.19.1+dfsg
9.2.0

# Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
v12.22.9
8.5.1

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

Ubuntu 22.04 ships Node.js 12, which reached end-of-life in April 2022. Ubuntu 24.04 ships Node.js 18, which is also end-of-life. For current projects on either release, use Method 2 (NodeSource) or Method 3 (NVM). See the official Node.js end-of-life schedule for details.

Method 2: Install Node.js from NodeSource Repository on Ubuntu

NodeSource publishes dedicated Node.js APT packages for every major release line, so you can pin to Node.js 22, 24, or a future release and receive upstream security patches without waiting for Ubuntu’s packaging cycle.

Install Node.js Prerequisites

Install curl, CA certificates, and gpg, which are required to download and verify the NodeSource repository:

sudo apt install -y curl ca-certificates gpg

Import NodeSource GPG Key

Download and store the NodeSource GPG key to verify package authenticity. First, create the keyrings directory if it does not exist:

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings

Next, download the GPG key and convert it to the binary format APT requires:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/gpgkey/nodesource-repo.gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor --batch --yes -o /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg

Set NodeSource Node.js Version on Ubuntu

Create the repository configuration file. Set NODE_MAJOR to your target major version, then paste the block. NodeSource uses nodistro as a universal suite name that works across all supported Ubuntu releases:

NODE_MAJOR=24
cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://deb.nodesource.com/node_$NODE_MAJOR.x
Suites: nodistro
Components: main
Signed-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg
EOF

Choose from the currently supported Node.js versions:

• NODE_MAJOR=20: Maintenance LTS (Iron), nearing end-of-life and best avoided for new projects
• NODE_MAJOR=22: Maintenance LTS (Jod)
• NODE_MAJOR=24: Active LTS (Krypton), recommended for most new projects
• NODE_MAJOR=25: Current release with latest features and a shorter support window

To use Node.js 22 on Ubuntu 24.04 instead, set NODE_MAJOR=22 in the command block above before running apt update and apt install.

Node.js 24 (Krypton) is the current Active LTS release and recommended for most new projects. Choose Node.js 22 or 20 if your existing project requires them. Check the Node.js releases page for current support schedules.

Install Node.js from NodeSource

Update the package index to pick up the new repository:

sudo apt update

# Example output on Ubuntu 24.04
Hit:1 https://deb.nodesource.com/node_24.x nodistro InRelease
Hit:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble InRelease
Hit:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-updates InRelease
Reading package lists... Done

Confirm nodejs is being offered by NodeSource before installation:

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

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 -y nodejs

node --version
npm --version

v24.14.0
11.9.0

Method 3: Install Node.js with Node Version Manager (NVM) on Ubuntu

NVM installs Node.js into your home directory and keeps each version isolated. No repository setup, no sudo, and the same commands work on Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04, and 26.04.

Install NVM on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, and 22.04

NVM is a shell function, not a system binary. Download and run the 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 appends NVM initialization lines to your shell config. Load them into your current session without restarting the terminal:

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. Zsh users should source ~/.zshrc instead of ~/.bashrc.

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 Ubuntu

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.

Update Node.js on Ubuntu

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

Update Ubuntu Repository Node.js Packages

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

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

Verify installed versions:

node --version
npm --version

# Example on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
v22.22.0
9.2.0

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

Update NodeSource Node.js Packages

For NodeSource installs, rewrite the repository file with your target major line, then upgrade:

NODE_MAJOR=24
cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://deb.nodesource.com/node_$NODE_MAJOR.x
Suites: nodistro
Components: main
Signed-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg
EOF
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade 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 Ubuntu

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 Ubuntu

Most Node.js setup issues on Ubuntu come from shell initialization, npm prefix permissions, or NodeSource key and repository validation.

Fix “Command Not Found” After NVM Installation on Ubuntu

If you see this after running the installer:

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 Permission Denied During Global npm Install on Ubuntu

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=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Verify the updated prefix:

npm config get prefix

/home/your-user/.npm-global

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

Fix NodeSource Repository Key Errors on Ubuntu

If apt update shows errors such as:

W: GPG error: https://deb.nodesource.com/node_24.x nodistro InRelease: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 2F59B5F99B1BE0B4
E: The repository 'https://deb.nodesource.com/node_24.x nodistro InRelease' is not signed.

First confirm the key file exists:

ls -l /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2794 Dec 17 12:00 /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg

If the file is missing or corrupted, re-import the key and refresh APT metadata:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/gpgkey/nodesource-repo.gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor --batch --yes -o /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg
sudo apt update

Hit:1 https://deb.nodesource.com/node_24.x nodistro InRelease
Reading package lists... Done

If curl is missing on minimal installs, install it first with sudo apt install -y curl ca-certificates and then repeat the key import.

Remove Node.js from Ubuntu

The removal process depends on which installation method you used.

Remove Node.js Installed via APT

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

sudo apt remove --purge -y nodejs npm
sudo apt autoremove -y

Optionally remove the npm cache directory from your home folder:

rm -rf ~/.npm

For a NodeSource installation, npm is bundled in nodejs, so only one package needs removing. Also clean up the repository files:

sudo apt remove --purge -y nodejs
sudo apt autoremove -y
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.sources
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg
sudo apt update

Remove the npm cache directory:

rm -rf ~/.npm

Confirm Node.js is removed from the system:

apt-cache policy nodejs
node --version

nodejs:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 22.22.0+dfsg+~cs22.19.6-1ubuntu2
  Version table:
    22.22.0+dfsg+~cs22.19.6-1ubuntu2 500
      500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute/universe 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

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

After you install Node.js on Ubuntu, the runtime, npm, and your chosen version management approach are ready for production or development use. From here, install TypeScript on Ubuntu for type-safe builds, install Git on Ubuntu for version control, install Yarn on Ubuntu as an npm alternative, or install Docker on Ubuntu for containerized deployments.