Setting up Node.js on an Amazon EC2 instance - AWS SDK for JavaScript
PrerequisitesProcedureCreating an Amazon Machine Image (AMI)Related resources

The AWS SDK for JavaScript V3 API Reference Guide describes in detail all the API operations for the AWS SDK for JavaScript version 3 (V3).

Setting up Node.js on an Amazon EC2 instance

A common scenario for using Node.js with the SDK for JavaScript is to set up and run a Node.js web application on an Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instance. In this tutorial, you will create a Linux instance, connect to it using SSH, and then install Node.js to run on that instance.

Prerequisites

This tutorial assumes that you have already launched a Linux instance with a public DNS name that is reachable from the internet and to which you are able to connect using SSH. For more information, see Step 1: Launch an instance in the Amazon EC2 User Guide.

Important

Use the Amazon Linux 2023 Amazon Machine Image (AMI) when launching a new Amazon EC2 instance.

You must also have configured your security group to allow SSH (port 22), HTTP (port 80), and HTTPS (port 443) connections. For more information about these prerequisites, see Setting up with Amazon EC2 in the Amazon EC2 User Guide.

Procedure

The following procedure helps you install Node.js on an Amazon Linux instance. You can use this server to host a Node.js web application.

To set up Node.js on your Linux instance

  1. Connect to your Linux instance as ec2-user using SSH.

  2. Install node version manager (nvm) by typing the following at the command line.

    Warning

    AWS does not control the following code. Before you run it, be sure to verify its authenticity and integrity. More information about this code can be found in the nvm GitHub repository.

    curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash

    We will use nvm to install Node.js because nvm can install multiple versions of Node.js and allow you to switch between them.

  3. Load nvm by typing the following at the command line.

    source ~/.bashrc

  4. Use nvm to install the latest LTS version of Node.js by typing the following at the command line.

    nvm install --lts

    Installing Node.js also installs the Node Package Manager (npm) so you can install additional modules as needed.

  5. Test that Node.js is installed and running correctly by typing the following at the command line.

    node -e "console.log('Running Node.js ' + process.version)"

    This displays the following message that shows the version of Node.js that is running.

    Running Node.js VERSION

Note

The node installation only applies to the current Amazon EC2 session. If you restart your CLI session you need to use nvm again to enable the installed node version. If the instance is terminated, you need to install node again.The alternative is to make an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) of the Amazon EC2 instance once you have the configuration that you want to keep, as described in the following topic.

Creating an Amazon Machine Image (AMI)

After you install Node.js on an Amazon EC2 instance, you can create an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) from that instance. Creating an AMI makes it easy to provision multiple Amazon EC2 instances with the same Node.js installation. For more information about creating an AMI from an existing instance, see Creating an amazon EBS-backed Linux AMI in the Amazon EC2 User Guide.

For more information about the commands and software used in this topic, see the following webpages: