Install Node.js on Linux

Required runtime for the three main AI coding tools.

Important

Claude Code, CodeX, and Gemini CLI all require Node.js 18+. If Node.js 18 or later is already installed, you can skip this page. Check with node -v.

Ubuntu/Debian

Use the NodeSource Repository (Recommended)

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

# Verify installation
node --version
npm --version

CentOS/RHEL

curl -fsSL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo bash -
sudo yum install -y nodejs

# Verify installation
node --version
npm --version

Fedora

sudo dnf install -y nodejs npm

# Verify installation
node --version
npm --version

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S nodejs npm

# Verify installation
node --version
npm --version

Use nvm (Recommended for Advanced Users)

nvm lets you manage multiple Node.js versions:

# Install nvm
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash

# Reload shell configuration
source ~/.bashrc

# Install Node.js LTS
nvm install --lts

# Set default version
nvm use --lts
nvm alias default node

FAQ

Permission Issues

If you encounter permission problems, configure npm to use a user-level directory:

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

Node.js Version Is Too Old

If your distribution-provided Node.js is too old, use the NodeSource repository or nvm to install the latest LTS version.

Next Steps

Environment Ready

You can now install Claude Code, CodeX, or Gemini CLI.

• Install Claude Code
• Install CodeX
• Install Gemini CLI