Download a specific version of Node.js (CLI).

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

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)

Hire me

Please reach out if you're looking for a Node.js API or CLI engineer (11 years of experience). Most recently I have been Netlify Build's and Netlify Plugins' technical lead for 2.5 years. I am available for full-time remote positions.

Example

# Download Node.js latest release
$ get-node
/home/user/.cache/nve/16.3.0/x64/bin/node

$ /home/user/.cache/nve/16.3.0/x64/bin/node
Welcome to Node.js v16.3.0.
Type ".help" for more information.
> .exit

# Download a specific Node.js release
$ get-node 8
/home/user/.cache/nve/8.17.0/x64/bin/node

$ /home/user/.cache/nve/8.17.0/x64/bin/node
> process.version
'v8.17.0'
> .exit

# Any version range can be used
$ get-node 8.12.0
$ get-node "<7"

# Download latest Node.js version
$ get-node latest

# Download latest LTS Node.js version
$ get-node lts

# Download Node.js version from `~/.nvmrc` or the current process version
$ get-node global

# Download current directory's Node.js version using its `.nvmrc` or `package.json` (`engines.node` field)
$ get-node local

# Download Node.js version from a specific file like `.nvmrc` or `package.json`
$ get-node /path/to/.nvmrc

# Specify the output directory
$ get-node --output=/home/user/.cache/node_releases/ 8
/home/user/.cache/node_releases/8.17.0/x64/bin/node

$ /home/user/.cache/node_releases/8.17.0/x64/bin/node --version
v8.17.0

# Use a mirror website
$ get-node --mirror=https://npmmirror.com/mirrors/node 8
/home/user/.cache/nve/8.17.0/x64/bin/node

# Do not use the cached list of available Node.js versions
$ get-node --fetch

# Always use the cached list of available Node.js versions even if it's more
# than one hour old
$ get-node --no-fetch

# Specify the CPU architecture
$ get-node --arch=s390x 8
/home/user/.cache/nve/8.17.0/s390x/bin/node

Install

npm install -g get-node-cli

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

To use this programmatically (from Node.js) instead, please check get-node.

Usage

get-node [OPTIONS] [VERSION]

VERSION 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

Alias: -o
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

Alias: -p
Type: boolean
Default: true

Whether to show a progress bar.

--mirror

Alias: -m
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

Alias: -f
Type: boolean
Default: undefined

The list of available Node.js versions is cached for one hour by default. With:

• --fetch: the cache will not be used
• --no-fetch: the cache will be used even if it's older than one hour

--arch

Alias: -a
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

Alias: -c
Type: string
Default: process.cwd()

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

See also

• get-node: Like get-node-cli but programmatically (from Node.js)
• 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!