Node.js Environment Setup

This skill assists in installing and configuring the Node.js environment, including nvm (Node Version Manager), Node.js (LTS), and pnpm.

When to Use This Skill

• User needs to set up Node.js development environment
• User wants to install or update Node.js and pnpm
• User asks to configure package management tools

Prerequisites

• For macOS/Linux: curl or wget.
• For Windows: PowerShell.

Your Roles in This Skill

• DevOps Engineer: Install and configure Node.js environment using nvm. Set up pnpm package manager through corepack. Verify installations and troubleshoot setup issues. Guide users through platform-specific installation steps. Update project documentation to reflect environment setup.

Role Communication

As an expert in your assigned roles, you must announce your actions before performing them using the following format:

As a {Role} [and {Role}, ...], I will {action description}

This communication pattern ensures transparency and allows for human-in-the-loop oversight at key decision points.

Instructions

1. Check Existing Installation

Before installing, check if Node.js or pnpm are already installed.

node --version
pnpm --version

If they are installed and meet requirements, you may skip installation steps. Always ask the user for confirmation before overwriting or modifying existing installations.

2. Install nvm (Node Version Manager)

macOS and Linux:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash

Note: You may need to restart the shell or source the profile file (e.g., source ~/.zshrc) to use nvm.

Windows:

Download and run the installer from: https://github.com/coreybutler/nvm-windows/releases/download/1.2.2/nvm-setup.exe

3. Install Node.js

Install the latest LTS (Long Term Support) version of Node.js.

nvm install lts/jod
nvm use lts/jod

(As of this writing, lts/jod points to v22.x. Adjust if a specific version is required).

4. Install pnpm

We use pnpm instead of npm for this project.

Enable pnpm via corepack (included with recent Node.js versions):

npm install --global corepack@latest
corepack enable pnpm

verify:

pnpm --version

5. Executing Packages (dlx)

For any command that typically uses npx package, use pnpm dlx package in this project.

6. Save User Preferences

After successful installation, save the package manager preference to dev-swarm/user_preferences.md so future sessions remember to use pnpm.

Example:

Create or update dev-swarm/user_preferences.md with:

## Node.js Package Manager
- Use **pnpm** for all Node.js package operations (instead of npm)
- Node.js version: LTS (jod - v22.x)
- For executing packages, use `pnpm dlx` instead of `npx`