Install Node.js on Linux

The required runtime environment for the three major AI coding tools.

Important

Claude Code and Codex CLI both require Node.js 18+. If Node.js 18 or later is already installed, you can skip this section.

Verification command: node -v

Ubuntu/Debian

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 config
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 issues, configure npm to use a user directory:

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

Version is too old

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

Next Steps

✅ Environment ready!

You can now continue installing Claude Code, Codex CLI, Codex Desktop, or OpenCode.

• Install Claude Code
• Install Codex CLI
• Install Codex Desktop
• Install OpenCode