Installing Node.js

Node.js can be easily installed by visiting the official Node website and accessing the Downloads section at http://nodejs.org/download/.

Once there, be sure to download the correct version depending on your OS and CPU (32 bit or 64 bit).

Mac OS X installation instructions

To determine which version of Node you want to download, you first need to determine your processor type: 32 or 64 bit. You can do this by executing the following command from a terminal:

$ sysctl hw | grep 64bit
hw.cpu64bit_capable: 1

If you get 1 in the response, then you are running a 64-bit CPU. If the response is 0, then you are running the 32-bit version. Fortunately, there is a universal installer specifically for Mac available from the Node website; however, if you wanted to download the binary, at least now you know which to get.

Once the download is complete, double-click on the .pkg file, which will launch the Node installer (as shown in the following screenshot):

Proceeding through each step of...