# Node.js

Source: https://docs.openclaw.ai/install/node

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On this page
- [Node.js](#node-js)
- [Check your version](#check-your-version)
- [Install Node](#install-node)
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
- [openclaw: command not found](#openclaw-command-not-found)
- [Permission errors on npm install -g (Linux)](#permission-errors-on-npm-install-g-linux)

​Node.js
OpenClaw requires **Node 22 or newer**. The [installer script](/install#install-methods) will detect and install Node automatically — this page is for when you want to set up Node yourself and make sure everything is wired up correctly (versions, PATH, global installs).
​Check your version
Copy```
node -v

```

If this prints `v22.x.x` or higher, you’re good. If Node isn’t installed or the version is too old, pick an install method below.
​Install Node

 macOS Linux Windows
**Homebrew** (recommended):Copy```
brew install node

```

Or download the macOS installer from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org/).**Ubuntu / Debian:**Copy```
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

```

**Fedora / RHEL:**Copy```
sudo dnf install nodejs

```

Or use a version manager (see below).**winget** (recommended):Copy```
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS

```

**Chocolatey:**Copy```
choco install nodejs-lts

```

Or download the Windows installer from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org/).
Using a version manager (nvm, fnm, mise, asdf)

Version managers let you switch between Node versions easily. Popular options:

**fnm** — fast, cross-platform
**nvm** — widely used on macOS/Linux
**mise** — polyglot (Node, Python, Ruby, etc.)

Example with fnm:Copy```
fnm install 22
fnm use 22

```

Make sure your version manager is initialized in your shell startup file (`~/.zshrc` or `~/.bashrc`). If it isn’t, `openclaw` may not be found in new terminal sessions because the PATH won’t include Node’s bin directory.
​Troubleshooting
​`openclaw: command not found`
This almost always means npm’s global bin directory isn’t on your PATH.
1Find your global npm prefix

Copy```
npm prefix -g

```

2Check if it's on your PATH

Copy```
echo "$PATH"

```

Look for `<npm-prefix>/bin` (macOS/Linux) or `<npm-prefix>` (Windows) in the output.3Add it to your shell startup file

 macOS / Linux Windows
Add to `~/.zshrc` or `~/.bashrc`:Copy```
export PATH="$(npm prefix -g)/bin:$PATH"

```

Then open a new terminal (or run `rehash` in zsh / `hash -r` in bash).Add the output of `npm prefix -g` to your system PATH via Settings → System → Environment Variables.
​Permission errors on `npm install -g` (Linux)
If you see `EACCES` errors, switch npm’s global prefix to a user-writable directory:
Copy```
mkdir -p "$HOME/.npm-global"
npm config set prefix "$HOME/.npm-global"
export PATH="$HOME/.npm-global/bin:$PATH"

```

Add the `export PATH=...` line to your `~/.bashrc` or `~/.zshrc` to make it permanent.ScriptsSession Management Deep Dive⌘I