How to Install Node and Npm on an Ec2 Linux Server

I really just wanted a server to play around with crontab and have it run node.js scripts. c9.io was not cutting it anymore so I signed up for the free tier on AWS. Their basic linux box is called "Ec2" in the dashboard (here's a guide for creating a new Ec2 linux instance on Amazon AWS). Once you create the server, you'll need to download the keyfile (and usually change the keyfile's permissions). Once you've ssh'ed into the box, you're ready to get node and npm!

When I'm setting up a box with node I also like to reference this excellent guide for installing npm and node.js on a linux instance. The last command for npm "sudo make install" was not working for me, but thankfully someone in the comments pointed out that you need to do this instead: sudo env PATH=$HOME/local/node/bin:$PATH make install.

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If you need more details reference that awesome post above. If you're trying to just fly through it below is the important stuff- just the linux commands you'll want to run (tested on AWS Free tier Linux Red Hat):

Update the Linux OS

sudo yum update

Install git and Node.js

sudo yum install gcc-c++ make

sudo yum install openssl-devel

sudo yum install git

git clone git://github.com/joyent/node.git

cd node

Build Latest Version of Node.js from Github Project

Note: use git tag -l to list all versions. You usually want to choose the latest version.

git checkout v0.6.8

./configure

make

sudo make install

Add /usr/local/bin to the secure_path

sudo su

vi /etc/sudoers

Scroll down and find "Defaults   secure_path". Add this to the end of the value: ​:/usr/local/bin

Install NPM

git clone https://github.com/isaacs/npm.git

cd npm

sudo env PATH=$HOME/local/node/bin:$PATH make install

Huzzah!

That's all! Now you can install npm packages and run javascript node files as usual!

sudo npm install forever -g

sudo npm install express -g