Install Node.js and npm

A common follow-up to launching a CentOS or RHEL node is installing Node.js to run an application. Use the package source that matches your OS version and what your application needs. Skip the old Node.js 6.x setup scripts; they are obsolete.

Log into the node as root first. See Connect to a Linux node.

Check which Node.js stream your OS offers

dnf module list nodejs

Install Node.js and npm together

dnf install -y nodejs npm

On an older CentOS image that still uses yum, install with:

yum install -y nodejs npm

Check the Node.js and npm versions

node -v

npm -v

Confirm the install with a small test server

Create a file:

vim test_server.js

Add this content:

const http = require("http");
http
  .createServer((req, res) => {
    res.writeHead(200, { "Content-Type": "text/plain" });
    res.end("Welcome");
  })
  .listen(3001, "127.0.0.1");
console.log("Server running at http://127.0.0.1:3001/");

Start it:

node test_server.js

You see Server running at http://127.0.0.1:3001/, and visiting that address inside the node returns Welcome. Node.js and npm are ready to use.

If a change here leaves the node unreachable, see Troubleshooting node networking and connectivity.