Recently I had to install Node.JS on a server and allow all users to be able to use it.

As I like the nvm concept to be able to easily install Node.Js, I would like to be able to install Node via NVM, and make Node.Js available for all users. I do not want users to be able to install their own version of Node.JS, and I want to control the Node.js global packages on that computer.

So we will do the following

Install some usefull packages

• as root user[source, bash]

  apt-get install git vim curl build-essential sudo
  

Install nvm as “root” / superuser

First you need to clone the nvm repository :

• clone nvm

  git clone https://github.com/creationix/nvm.git /opt/nvm
  

Then create the directory /usr/local/nvm

• create diretory

  mkdir /usr/local/nvm
  

The edit the ~/.bashrc and add the following line to the file :

• ~/.bashrc

  export NVM_DIR=/usr/local/nvm
  source /opt/nvm/nvm.sh
  

Then logout and login again, or type source ~/.bashrc to enable nvm

• try nvm

  nvm install 6.10.1
  

Now nvm is installed for root, but not all users.

To activate the node installation for users, we will add the script /etc/profile.d/nvm.sh :

• /etc/profile.d/nvm.sh

  #!/bin/bash
  VERSION=`cat /usr/local/nvm/alias/default`
  export PATH="/usr/local/nvm/versions/node/v$VERSION/bin:$PATH"
  

Then make that file runnable : chmod +x /etc/profile.d/nvm.sh

As user

Now connect as a user, and try to use node :

• try node

  node -v
  

You should see the node version installed before (6.10.1)

Then try to install a new version of node :

• try node

  nvm install 7.8.0
  

Result should be nvm : commande introuvable

Install some global packages

With node you may want to install some package globbaly (forever for example), and I think we should not allow users to install what they want so we may install global packages as root also.

As root run the command npm install -g nodemon yarn for example, then login as a user, and run nodemon index.js and it works.

So all global package should be installed as root (or other superuser).