How to Update Node.js To Latest Version [Updated]

List of content you will read in this article:

1. What is Node.js? [Definition]
2. History of Node.js
3. Node.js Highlights
4. Why Update Node.js?
5. How to Update Node.js Version?
6. Conclusion

Node.js has gained popularity due to its various advantages. Node.js has taken over web development among small and large enterprises. After the introduction of JavaScript, developers mostly preferred it due to its ubiquity in web development. It offers rich libraries for creating interactive and advanced interfaces but never deployed anything from the backend platform. However, Node.js is an alternative that multiple startups and enterprises have widely adopted. This article will guide you on how to update Node JS version to the latest version with screenshots.

Node.js has been introduced as a JavaScript runtime environment that helps build and run an infrastructure application. It provides a cross-platform and scalable way of executing the code. It is extremely efficient due to its event-driven I/O model. Before learning the different ways to upgrade Node, we should have basic information about Node.JS, like what Node.JS is, its advantages, history, and various versions.

What is Node.js? [Definition]

Node.js is a cross-platform JavaScript environment that allows server-side scripting. It ensures a non-blocking workflow, thus making it popular amongst developers to create dynamic web-based applications.

It provides a node package manager that is also known as npm. You can use its command-line feature to interact with the npm online repository for installing packages, version management, and dependency management. It is better to use the updated or the latest Node and npm to ensure improved performance and added functionalities. It is spreading its ways in creating real-time web-based applications, the Internet of Things, and managing microservices. It is being downloaded by over billions of developers and users globally. Due to its immense advantages, most developers are being adopted, and the skill is in great demand.

The essential advantages of Node are mentioned below:

You can create real-time and high-traffic applications with great ease and efficiency.
You can use Node.js to build JavaScript code for both the client and server sides.
It enhances the development process efficiency by bridging the gap between frontend and backend developers.
Npm offers various tools and modules for the developers to use and helps enhance productivity.
It ensures that the code will run much faster than any other alternative language.
Use for running microservices, which is considered the perfect solution among enterprise applications.

You will choose Node.js over other alternatives as it was developed for scalable applications. It provides a modern tooling solution and can create complex applications from other languages.

History of Node.js

However, this language is just 12 years old compared to JavaScript (26 years old) and the Internet (32 years old). Node.js language was written in 2009 by Ryan Dahl, which he initially introduced for Mac OS X and Linux systems. Node.js was developed and maintained by Dahl, and after some time, it got sponsored by Joyent.

In 2009, Dahl strongly criticized the Apache HTTP server’s limited possibility for managing thousands of multiple concurrent connections simultaneously. The blocked code within the simultaneous connections process might have led to various issues; that could be resolved by creating a code through sequential programming.

Dahl demonstrated the Node.js project at the inaugural European JSConf for the first time on November 8, 2009.

Node.js Highlights

2009	The starting of Node.js Creation of NPM (node package manager)
2010	The starting of Express The starting of socket.io
2011	Released version 1.0 of npm Adopted by companies Uber, Linked In, etc. The starting of hapi
2012	Node.js adoption continues and growing globally
2013	The first blogging platform using Node.js is Ghost. The start of Koa
2014	IO.js became a significant fork of Node.js, known as “The Big Fork,” introducing the support for ES6
2015	Foundation for Node.js began IO.js is merged back into Node.js Introduction of private npm modules
2016	The starting of Yarn The advent of Node.js 6
2017	Security has become the main concern for npm focuses more on security. Node’s official download site nodes version manager The introduction of Node.js 8 and HTTP/2 V8 introduces Node.js in its testing suite and makes Node.js a target for the JS engine officially
2018	The introduction of Node.js 10 ES modules .mjs experimental support
2019	The introduction of Node.js 12 - 13 version. Started the work on Deno for moving server-side JS into the next decade, ensuring the modern JavaScript support
2020	The starting of Node.js 14 - 15 GitHub acquired npm

Why Update Node.js?

If you're using Node.js in your web development, keeping it up to date is important. Not only will this ensure that you have the latest features and bug fixes, but it will also help keep your application secure. Here are a few reasons why you should upgrade Node.js to the latest version:

1. New features and bug fixes: As new versions of Node.js are released, they include new features and bug fixes. You'll get access to these new features and bug fixes by updating to the latest version.
2. Security: As security vulnerabilities are discovered in older versions of Node.js, they are patched in newer versions. You'll ensure your application is as secure as possible by updating it to the latest version.
3. compatibility: If you're using an older version of Node.js, there's a chance that it might not be compatible with newer versions of dependencies (such as Express). By updating to the latest version of Node.js, you can avoid any compatibility issues.

So if you're looking to upgrade Node.js to the latest version, follow the steps in this guide, and you'll be up and running in no time!

How to Update Node.js Version?

If you are working on Node.js, make sure you should have the latest Node.js version and packages installed on your system. If you already have Node.js installed and want to upgrade it to the newest available stable version, you can follow the steps below. As it is cross-platform, you can be installed on various platforms like Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Below are the different ways to upgrade Node version to its latest version according to your system.

Update Node.js on the Linux system
Update Node.js on Windows and macOS

1. How to Update Node.js on the Linux system

You can adopt any of the methods listed below to update node js version on a Linux-based system.

1.1 Using NVM (Node Version Manager)

NVM is a practical tool that helps manage multiple versions of Node.js. You can update the version by following the below steps.

Step 1: before the node update command, update the package repository using the below command.

sudo apt update

Step 2: Then, download the required dependencies by running the following command.

sudo apt install build-essential checkinstall libssl-dev

Step 3: Now, run this command to download the NVM.

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/creationix/nvm/v0.35.1/install.sh | bash

Step 4: Restart the terminal by closing and opening it again.

Step 5: Now you need to verify the success of the NVM installation using the command listed below:

nvm --version

Step 6: Before you upgrade Node.js version, check the existing version of your Node.js.

nvm ls

Step 7: To check the newly available releases for Node.js, you can run the following command.

nvm ls-remote

Step 8: You can now use the below command to install the latest version of Node.js, specifying the particular version.

nvm install [version.number]

1.2 Using NPM (Node Package Manager)

To update Node.js, you can use the official package manager of Node. It is a tool that enables you to install and manage the dependencies of the Node package. The npm command will help you check the existing Node version and install the latest release. You can follow the below-given steps and commands to upgrade Node.js version.

Step 1: Before moving ahead, clear the cache of the NPM using the following command:

npm cache clean -f

Step 2: Using the following command, you can install the version manager for the Node, where n is the Node’s version manager.

npm install -g n

1.3 Using Binary Packages

This method is least preferred unless it is the only way left to update the version. You can follow the below-mentioned steps:

Step 1: Navigate to Node’s official download page, and you will find a list of available packages to download. You can either download the source code or a pre-built installer for the installation of the latest version.

Step 2: If you are not comfortable with the above step for updating the version, then you can add the required version to the wget command mentioned below.

wget https://nodejs.org/dist/v12.13.1/node-v12.13.1-linux-x64.tar.xz

Step 3: You can install the ‘xz-utils’ for extracting the binary package using the command:

sudo apt-get install xz-utils

Step 4: You can run the following command to install the required package.

tar -C /usr/local –strip-components 1 -xJf node-v12.13.1-linux-x64.tar.xz

2. How to Update Node.js on Windows and macOS

You can follow the same ways to update Node version on Windows and macOS. There are two different ways to update the version.

Using installer
Using NPM

2.1 Using Installer

You can navigate to the official download site of the Node and install the latest version, as it will overwrite the existing version on your system.

Step 1: Visit the official site of Node.js to download and install the latest stable version.

Step 2: Once you decide which version to install, you can choose the required system (Windows or macOS) accordingly. The system will download and store the downloaded files in the specified directory.

Step 3: After the completion of the downloading process, you can run the installer.

Step 4: The Node.js prompt will open, and you can follow the steps.

Step 5: Now, accept the license and click next to proceed.

Step 6: You can fill in the path in the destination folder as per your choice where you want to install the Node.js.

Step 7: Now select how you want to install the Node feature and click next.

Step 8: Now click install, start the installation process, and then click finish.

Step 9: Run the following command to check the installed version of Node.js.

node -v

2.2 Using NPM

Another way to update the Node.js version is by using a command prompt with the npm command. The ‘n’ feature of Node.js allows you to interact with different versions of Node.js.

Step 1: Before you update, check the existing Node.js version using the command:

node -v

Step 2: Then clear the cache using this command:

npm cache clean -f

Step 3: Now install the ‘n’ globally using the command:

npm install -g n

Step 4: Use the ‘n’ module to install the latest stable version using any of the following commands.

sudo n stable

sudo n latest

n [version.number]

Conclusion

Node.js has been a very popular programming language for creating web-based applications over the years. To work with Node.js, you must have the latest stable version to experience new functionalities and make your web application more interactive. We hope that we can clear or help you to Update Node version to the latest version with various methods on the various operating systems. It is not cumbersome and can be done in a few simple steps.

If you have any suggestions or any other methods to do so, please share those with us via the comment box listed below.

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