Download a specific version of Node.js.

The Node.js release is downloaded, uncompressed and untared to an executable file ready to run.

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Features

Fast:

• the download is cached
• the best compression algorithm available on your machine is used
• everything is streamed

Reliable:

• the binary is checked against official checksums
• can be safely run concurrently
• atomic writes

Features include:

• Linux/Mac/Windows support
• works with old Node.js versions
• progress bar
• using version ranges
• specifying a mirror website for nodejs.org
• helpful error messages
• can guess the current project's version using its .nvmrc or package.json (engines.node field)

Example

import getNode from 'get-node'

// Download a specific Node.js release
const { path, version } = await getNode('8')
console.log(path) // /home/user/.cache/nve/8.17.0/node
console.log(version) // 8.17.0

// Download Node.js latest release
const { path, version } = await getNode('latest')
console.log(path) // /home/user/.cache/nve/16.3.0/node
console.log(version) // 16.3.0

// Any version range can be used
await getNode('8.12.0')
await getNode('<7')

// Download latest LTS Node.js version
await getNode('lts')

// Download Node.js version from `~/.nvmrc` or the current process version
await getNode('global')

// Download current directory's Node.js version using its `.nvmrc` or
// `package.json` (`engines.node` field)
await getNode('local')

// Download Node.js version from a specific file like `.nvmrc` or `package.json`
await getNode('/path/to/.nvmrc')

// Specify the output directory
const { path } = await getNode('8', {
  output: '/home/user/.cache/node_releases/',
})
console.log(path) // /home/user/.cache/node_releases/13.0.1/node

// Use a mirror website
await getNode('8', { mirror: 'https://npmmirror.com/mirrors/node' })

// Specify the CPU architecture
await getNode('8', { arch: 'x32' })

Install

npm install get-node

node >=18.18.0 must be globally installed. However any Node version can be downloaded.

This package is an ES module and must be loaded using an import or import() statement, not require(). If TypeScript is used, it must be configured to output ES modules, not CommonJS.

To use this module as a CLI instead, please check get-node-cli.

Usage

getNode(versionRange, options?)

versionRange: string
options: object?
Return value: Promise<object>

versionRange can be:

• any version range such as 12, 12.6.0 or <12
• latest: Latest available Node version
• lts: Latest LTS Node version
• global: Global Node version
  • Using the home directory .nvmrc or package.json (engines.node field)
  • Some similar files used by other Node.js version managers are also searched for
  • If nothing is found, defaults to the current process's Node version
• local: Current directory's Node version
  • Using the current directory or parent directories .nvmrc, package.json (engines.node field) or similar files
  • Defaults to the global version
• a file path towards a .nvmrc, package.json (engines.node field) or similar files

Options

output

Type: string
Default: global cache directory such as /home/user/.cache/nve/.

Output directory for the node executable.

It the directory already has a node executable, no download is performed. This enables caching.

progress

Type: boolean
Default: false

Whether to show a progress bar.

mirror

Type: string
Default: https://nodejs.org/dist

Base URL to retrieve Node.js binaries. Can be customized (for example https://npmmirror.com/mirrors/node).

The following environment variables can also be used: NODE_MIRROR, NVM_NODEJS_ORG_MIRROR, N_NODE_MIRROR or NODIST_NODE_MIRROR.

fetch

Type: boolean
Default: undefined

The list of available Node.js versions is cached for one hour by default. If the fetch option is:

• true: the cache will not be used
• false: the cache will be used even if it's older than one hour

arch

Type: string
Default: process.arch

Node.js binary's CPU architecture. This is useful for example when you're on x64 but would like to run Node.js x32.

All the values from process.arch are allowed except mips and mipsel.

cwd

Type: string | URL
Default: .

When using the local alias, start looking for a Node.js version file from this directory.

signal

Type: AbortSignal

Cancels when the signal is aborted.

Return value

The returned Promise resolves to an object with the following properties.

path

Type: string

Absolute path to the node executable.

version

Type: string

Normalized Node.js version.

See also

• get-node-cli: get-node as a CLI
• nve: Run a specific Node.js version (CLI)
• nvexeca: Run a specific Node.js version (programmatic)
• preferred-node-version: Get the preferred Node.js version of a project or user
• node-version-alias: Resolve Node.js version aliases like latest, lts or erbium
• normalize-node-version: Normalize and validate Node.js versions
• all-node-versions: List all available Node.js versions
• fetch-node-website: Fetch releases on nodejs.org
• global-cache-dir: Get the global cache directory

Support

For any question, don't hesitate to submit an issue on GitHub.

Everyone is welcome regardless of personal background. We enforce a Code of conduct in order to promote a positive and inclusive environment.

Contributing

This project was made with ❤️. The simplest way to give back is by starring and sharing it online.

If the documentation is unclear or has a typo, please click on the page's Edit button (pencil icon) and suggest a correction.

If you would like to help us fix a bug or add a new feature, please check our guidelines. Pull requests are welcome!

Thanks go to our wonderful contributors: