✅ Step 1 – Update Your System Packages

Before installing anything, it’s a good practice to update your system to make sure all packages are up to date.

Run these commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

✅ Step 2 – Add Node.js 16.x Source Repository

Node.js 16 is not the latest version, so you need to add the NodeSource repository for Node.js 16.

Run this command:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_16.x | sudo -E bash -

🔎 Explanation

• curl downloads the setup script.
• sudo -E bash - runs the script to add NodeSource’s repo.
• setup_16.x ensures Node.js 16 is installed (which includes v16.20.2).

✅ Step 3 – Install Node.js and npm

Once the NodeSource repository is added, install Node.js (it will include npm automatically).

sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

✅ Step 4 – Verify Installation

After installation, check the versions to ensure you got the correct versions:

node -v
npm -v

Expected Output

v16.20.2
8.19.4

✅ Step 5 – Lock npm Version (if needed)

Sometimes npm might update to a newer version. To manually install or lock npm to v8.19.4, run:

sudo npm install -g npm@8.19.4

This forces npm to the exact version you want.

✅ Step 6 – Install Build Tools (Optional but Recommended)

Some npm packages (like those with native dependencies) need build tools to compile code. You can install them with:

sudo apt-get install -y build-essential

✅ Full Process Summary (All Steps Combined)

Here’s the complete list of commands you can copy and paste to install everything in one go:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_16.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

node -v
npm -v

sudo npm install -g npm@8.19.4

sudo apt-get install -y build-essential

node -v
npm -v

✅ Final Check

At the end, your terminal should show:

v16.20.2
8.19.4

This confirms both Node.js v16.20.2 and npm v8.19.4 are installed correctly.

📥 Optional – Create Installation Script (install_node.sh)

If you want a script file you can reuse, create a file called install_node.sh:

nano install_node.sh

Paste this inside:

#!/bin/bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_16.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

sudo npm install -g npm@8.19.4
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential

echo "Node.js version: $(node -v)"
echo "npm version: $(npm -v)"

Save it with CTRL+O, ENTER, then CTRL+X.

Make it executable:

chmod +x install_node.sh

Run it:

./install_node.sh

✅ Conclusion

This guide ensures you have:

✅ Node.js v16.20.2
✅ npm v8.19.4
✅ Optional build tools

Abhishek Singh

I’m Abhishek, a DevOps, SRE, DevSecOps, and Cloud expert with a passion for sharing knowledge and real-world experiences. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Cotocus and continue to contribute to multiple platforms where I share insights across different domains:

• DevOps School – Tech blogs and tutorials

• Holiday Landmark – Travel stories and guides

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• My Medic Plus – Health and fitness guidance

• TrueReviewNow – Honest product reviews

• Wizbrand – SEO and digital tools for businesses

I’m also exploring the fascinating world of Quantum Computing.