Install nvm (Node Version Manager) on Ubuntu

What nvm is

nvm (Node Version Manager) installs and manages many Node.js versions for one user. You can switch between them in a second. That is helpful when projects need different versions.

Step 1: Update the system

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install curl

sudo apt install curl -y

Step 3: Download and install nvm

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

Check the nvm project page for the newest version number. Then load it into your shell:

source ~/.bashrc

Step 4: Check nvm

nvm --version

The answer is a version number such as 0.40.3.

Step 5: Install Node.js

The latest version:

nvm install node

node -v

The latest LTS (long-term support) version:

nvm install --lts

Common nvm commands

Command	What it does
`nvm ls`	Lists the installed versions
`nvm ls-remote`	Lists the versions you can install
`nvm use <version>`	Switches to a version
`nvm uninstall <version>`	Removes a version
`nvm alias default 18.17.1`	Sets the default version for new shells
`nvm current`	Shows the active version

Uninstall nvm

Remove the folder and the lines it added to your shell file:

rm -rf ~/.nvm

Then delete the three nvm lines from ~/.bashrc (and ~/.profile if present), and open a new terminal.

Quick recap

Install with the script, then source ~/.bashrc.
nvm install --lts installs Node.js.
nvm use <version> switches.