🚀 How to Install Node.js and Run Your First Program

Node.js has transformed how we build modern backend applications using JavaScript. It lets you run JS code outside of the browser — right on your machine. If you're diving into full-stack development, or even learning backend concepts, Node.js is a great place to begin.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through:

• What Node.js actually is
• How to install it step-by-step on your system (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• How to check your installation
• How to write and run your first simple program

Let’s get started 👇

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📘 What is Node.js?

Node.js is a runtime environment built on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine. It allows you to execute JavaScript code on the server side (outside the browser).

💡 Unlike traditional backend languages like PHP, Java, or Python, Node.js uses a non-blocking, event-driven model — making it extremely efficient for I/O-heavy operations like APIs, file handling, and real-time applications.

Some use cases include:

• Building web servers and APIs
• Creating real-time apps like chat applications
• Scripting automation tools (like CLI apps)
• Creating full-stack apps (with frameworks like Express, Next.js, etc.)

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🛠️ How to Install Node.js

Installation steps depend on your operating system. Below are clean instructions for each platform.

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🪟 For Windows

1. Go to the official Node.js site:
   👉 https://nodejs.org

2. Click on the LTS (Long-Term Support) version.

3. Download the .msi installer.

4. Run the installer, and make sure to:

   • Keep the defaults selected.
   • Allow the "Add to PATH" option.
   • Let it install npm as well.

5. After installation, restart your system (recommended).

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🍏 For macOS

You can install Node.js using the macOS installer or a package manager like Homebrew.

Option 1: Using Installer

• Download .pkg file from https://nodejs.org
• Run and follow the installation steps

Option 2: Using Homebrew

brew update
brew install node