Setup Node.JS

Installing Node

On Ubuntu you can install Node.JS from the command line using apt-get.

You should already have it installed on your laptop if you completed the codeX intro.

The installation instructions are as follows:

• sudo apt-get install node-legacy (this will instal Node as node and the nodejs command)
• sudo apt-get install npm

Open a terminal window:

• type node and press enter - you should now be in a Node.JS console - you should get no errors. Use ctrl-C to get out of it
• type npm you should see some information about npm on the console

Now you are ready to use JavaScript from the command line.

Node.JS JavaScript from the command line

Let’s create a JavaScript file and run it from the command line:

• Create a file called hello.js
• Copy this text into the file: console.log('hello world!');
• Save the file
• Now run it using nodejs hello.js
• What happens?

So what happened? You liberated your JavaScript knowledge from the command line.

Now prove this to yourself and write some JavaScript that uses:

• an if statement
• a for loop
• a small function
• what else you need to get comfortable

If you can, create about 5 different JavaScript (.js) files to get more comfortable with JavaScript on the command line.

You can run the scripts using nodejs filename.js