In this blog post, we’ll walk through the steps necessary to install npm (Node Package Manager) on a Mac device. The Node.js package ecosystem, npm, is the largest ecosystem of open-source libraries in the world, and it is a crucial tool for any JavaScript developer.
Prerequisites
Before we can install npm, we need to install Node.js. Luckily, npm comes bundled with Node.js, so when you download Node.js, you automatically get npm installed on your system. Here’s how to do it.
Installing Node.js and npm
1. Download Node.js
First, visit the official Node.js website at https://nodejs.org/en/. Here, you will see two versions available for download: an LTS version and a Current version. The LTS version is recommended for most users as it receives long-term support, whereas the Current version has the latest features but may be less stable.
2. Install Node.js
Clicking on the download button will download a .pkg installer file. Open this file to start the installation process. The installer will guide you through installing Node.js and npm on your Mac.
3. Confirm Installation
After installation, you can confirm that Node.js and npm were properly installed by opening your terminal and running the following commands:
<strong>node -v</strong> <strong>npm -v</strong>
This will display the versions of node and npm installed on your system, respectively.
Using npm
With npm installed, you can now use it to install JavaScript packages on your Mac. For example, to install a package called ‘express’, you would run:
<strong>npm install express</strong>
You can also install packages globally by adding the -g flag:
<strong>npm install -g express</strong>
That’s all there is to it! Congratulations, you have successfully installed npm on your Mac and are ready to start exploring the world of JavaScript packages.