Lesson 3 · Node.js on IBM i — From RPG Developer to Modern IBM i Developer

Installing Node.js on IBM i

Install a supported Node.js LTS release on IBM i, set the correct PATH, and verify that Node.js and npm are ready.

Saurabh Arora

IBM i Solution Architect | Technical Lead | Modernization & Integration Specialist

Published September 4, 20263 min read

Install Node.js on IBM i through IBM’s open-source package repository, choose a supported LTS release, and verify the runtime before creating an application.

Node.js is available for IBM i as an RPM package.

You can manage it through the Open Source Package Management interface in IBM i Access Client Solutions, or from an SSH terminal using the package manager.

For most production environments, IBM’s Node.js guidance recommends the package-manager approach.

Before you install

Confirm these items with your IBM i administrator:

• Open-source package management is configured.
• Your system is on a supported IBM i release.
• You have authority to install packages, or an administrator will install them.
• Your system or ACS workstation can reach the configured IBM repositories.
• SSH is available for development work.

Do not use a highly privileged profile for normal Node.js development simply because one is needed for installation.

Choose a supported LTS version

Node.js versions have support lifecycles. A production application should use a release that is currently in Active LTS or Maintenance LTS, not an end-of-life release copied from an old tutorial.

At the time this lesson was written, Node.js 24 is an LTS release and IBM’s IBM i repository includes the nodejs24 package.

Before installing, check what your repository currently provides:

yum list available 'nodejs*'

Then confirm the release status on the official Node.js release page.

Do not memorize the version number from this lesson. Use a supported LTS version available for your IBM i release, and make an upgrade plan before that release reaches end of life.

Option 1: install with ACS

In IBM i Access Client Solutions:

1. Open Tools.
2. Select Open Source Package Management.
3. Connect to the IBM i system.
4. Search for the appropriate nodejs LTS package.
5. Review the package and install it.

This is often the easiest approach when you are new to IBM i open-source package management.

Option 2: install from SSH

From an SSH terminal, install the selected package. For Node.js 24:

yum install nodejs24

The version-specific package allows more than one Node.js major version to exist on the system.

If your shell cannot find yum, use its fully qualified path or correct your PATH:

/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin/yum install nodejs24

Set your PATH

RPM-installed commands are placed under /QOpenSys/pkgs.

For the current session:

PATH=/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin:$PATH
export PATH

To use a particular major version for one user, place its version-specific directory first:

PATH=/QOpenSys/pkgs/lib/nodejs24/bin:/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin:$PATH
export PATH

Your administrator may instead use the alternatives utility to select the system-wide default when multiple versions are installed:

/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin/alternatives --config node

Changing a system-wide default can affect other applications, so treat that as a controlled administrative decision.

Verify the installation

Check both Node.js and npm:

node --version
npm --version
which node
which npm

The version commands should return installed version numbers. The which commands help confirm which executable your PATH selected.

If node resolves to an unexpected release, fix the PATH or the configured alternative before continuing.

Three problems to avoid

Installing an end-of-life release

Old tutorials frequently mention Node.js versions that no longer receive security fixes. Check the release schedule, not the age of the tutorial.

Using QShell

Use SSH for Node.js and package-manager work. QShell is a different environment and is a common source of confusing failures with modern open-source tooling.

Changing every user’s default without review

Multiple applications may depend on different Node.js versions. Test application compatibility before changing a shared default.

Before you continue

A successful installation gives you two essential commands:

node    Runs JavaScript programs
npm     Manages application packages

Verify the exact executables and use a supported LTS release.

In the next lesson, we will create a small project in the IFS and run the first Node.js program.