Install Node and pnpm

What you're about to do

Install Node.js (the tool that runs JavaScript apps on your computer) and pnpm (the tool that downloads the building blocks your app needs).

Why it matters

Your app is built with JavaScript. Node lets your computer run JavaScript. pnpm is how your app gets the pre-built pieces it depends on (auth, payments, etc.). Without these two, the app can't run.

What you'll need

Your code editor open. 5–10 minutes.

Open the terminal

This is where it gets unfamiliar, so we'll go slow.

A terminal is a program that lets you type commands to your computer instead of clicking buttons. You only need a handful of commands for this whole journey.

The easiest way to open a terminal: open the one built into your code editor.

In Cursor or VS Code:

Open Cursor (or VS Code) if it's not already open
At the very top menu bar, click Terminal → New Terminal
A panel opens at the bottom of the editor showing a command prompt

You should see something like a blinking cursor next to text that looks like:

yourname@yourcomputer ~ %

(On Windows it might look like PS C:\Users\yourname>.)

This is where you'll type commands. That's it.

Install Node.js

We'll use a tool called Homebrew, which is the standard way to install developer tools on Mac. If you don't have Homebrew yet, you'll install it first.

In your terminal, paste this and press Enter:
```
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
```
It will ask for your Mac password. Type it (you won't see the characters as you type — that's normal) and press Enter. The install takes 1–3 minutes.
Once Homebrew is installed, paste this and press Enter:
```
brew install node
```
Wait 1–2 minutes for it to finish.

Install pnpm

This is the same command on Mac and Windows.

In your terminal, paste this and press Enter:

npm install -g pnpm

Wait 30 seconds. When you see the command prompt again (the blinking cursor with % or >), it's done.

How to verify it worked

Type these commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each. Each one should show a number.

node --version

You should see something like v20.10.0 or v22.5.0. The exact number doesn't matter — as long as you see a version number that starts with v18 or higher, you're good.

pnpm --version

You should see something like 9.5.0 or 10.2.1. Again, the number doesn't matter.

If both commands show numbers, you're done with this step.

What to do if something went wrong▾

Problem: command not found: node

You probably closed your terminal too early. Close your code editor completely, reopen it, open a new terminal, and try node --version again.

If that doesn't work on Windows, your installer may not have finished properly. Visit nodejs.org again and re-run the installer.

Problem: command not found: brew (Mac)

The Homebrew install probably didn't finish. At the end of the Homebrew install, it usually prints two lines starting with echo and eval — you need to run those to make brew available. Scroll up in your terminal, copy those lines, paste them, and press Enter. Then try brew install node again.

Problem: Permission errors when installing pnpm.

Try this command instead: sudo npm install -g pnpm. On Mac it will ask for your password. Type it (invisibly) and press Enter.

If you're stuck, click Support at the top of this page.

Continue to Step 3