Instructor: Before we can get started with this course,
we actually need to install Node.js
on our local development computer.
And this process is actually exactly the same
for all operation systems.
So in this video, I will use Mac OS,
but on Windows or Linux, it's really just the same.
Now installing other technologies
like the MongoDB database,
works very differently on Windows.
And so by then, I will have one video for Mac
and one for Windows, all right?
Anyway, let's now go add and install Node.js.
So in your web browser, head over to nodejs.org,
and then on the website, you should see these two
big green buttons here to download Node.js
for your current operating system.
So up here, you should see automatically selected
the OS that you're currently running.
And if not, you can just head over here to DOWNLOADS
and then select your operation system from there, okay?
Then here, you can select which Node.js version
you would like to install.
So, right now, the long term support version is version 10,
and so that's actually the one
that I'm using in this course.
But right now, the current version,
so the newest one basically, is 12, okay?
But Node just recommends for most users
the Long-Term Support version
and also by the time I started recording this course,
version 10 was actually the current one.
And so therefore, in this course, we're using version 10
and so you can go ahead
and download this version now as well, all right?
Now if you're watching this video in the far future,
then another version might already be here, the LTS version.
So let's actually take a look here at the schedule.
And so you see that they actually have a timeline here
for all the versions in the future.
So right now version 10 is the active version,
but if you're like watching this video for example in 2021,
well then you should probably go with Node.js 14, okay?
Now, what's also important to note here
is that you should only use the even version numbers
for a production project.
So that's 10, 11, 14, and so on and so forth.
And in case you're worrying that I'm using an old version
in this course, in case you're watching this
in the far future, then let me tell you
that Node actually doesn't change that much,
in terms of what we're gonna do here in this course,
from one version to the other, okay?
So probably, you will be perfectly fine
by using Node 12 or Node 14.
And everything will be working in the exact same way, okay?
And only in case you run in any problem,
you can then go ahead and install Node 10
and see if your problem disappears by doing that, okay?
So again, don't worry all too much
about outdated versions here.
All right?
Anyway, let's now actually download this version 10 here
so that I can take you here through the process.
So once that arrives, just open it, and then as always,
just click Continue everywhere.
You must agree.
And then install it.
Okay.
And with this, you should now have Node.js installed
on your local computer.
Now just to test it, let's close the window here.
All right.
And then open up your terminal, okay?
So, I'm using Terminal.app on Mac OS
and on Windows, you can use the Command Prompt
or the PowerShell.
Both work just fine, okay?
So in order to test if we have Node.js installed,
just write node and then -v, which stands for version.
Hit Return.
And so that should then give you the version number
of your current installation.
And in case you see an error here, then you should probably
try to reinstall Node.js.
Now, if you're taking this course,
I'm assuming that you're already familiar with the basic use
of the Terminal, or of the command line.
So you should know basic commands, like ls,
to take a look at all the files in a current directory.
On Windows, that's actually D-I-R,
so which stands for directory, and again,
that will give you a list of all the files or folders
in the current location, okay?
So in the Terminal, you're always in a location.
In my case, I'm currently in the Home folder.
And then you can basically move around
in your folder structure.
For example, if I wanted to move to my Desktop,
I could use cd Desktop, hit Return,
and now I'm in the Desktop.
Then I can go back with cd ..,
and so now I'm back here in this main folder.
And actually, we don't need to know much more
about the Terminal or the command line, okay?
So we won't use much more than what I just showed you
in this two minutes.
Great.
So now that you have Node.js installed
on your development computer,
we are ready to move on.
And so I hope to see you soon in the next video.