How to Install npm Command on Generic Linux

If you are using a Generic Linux distribution and you find that the npm command is not available, don’t worry. npm is a package manager for JavaScript programming and it is commonly used to install libraries and tools for Node.js projects.

Why npm is not available

Some Linux distributions may not come with npm pre-installed due to different package management systems or default software configurations.

Installation Steps

To install npm on Generic Linux, follow these steps:

1. Update the package repository:

   sudo apt update
   

2. Install npm using the package manager:

   sudo apt install npm
   

3. Verify npm installation:

   npm --version
   

If the above steps do not work because npm is not available in the default package repositories of your Generic Linux distribution, you can try the following alternative solution.

Alternative Solution

You can install Node.js using a package manager like NVM (Node Version Manager) and npm will be installed along with it. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Install NVM:

   curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash
   

2. Close and reopen your terminal to start using NVM.

3. Install Node.js using NVM:

   nvm install node
   

4. Verify npm installation:

   npm --version
   

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined above, you should now have npm installed and ready to use on your Generic Linux system. npm is a powerful tool for managing dependencies in your JavaScript projects, and having it available can greatly enhance your development workflow.