If you’re working on multiple projects, and wish to quickly switch between different versions of Node due to compatibility, then Homebrew might come in handy.
Caution
[ 23 Jun 2023 Update | As recommended by @renzo.castillo ]
The instructions below assumes that you’re using the Bash Editor, if you’re unsure run echo $SHELL. For example if you’re using Zsh shell, then you’ll need to update your ~/.zshrc file instead of the noted ~/.bash_profile.
Approach 1 — Use of NVM
[ 29 Mar 2022 Update ]
I’d like to make a small update to this post, by also mentioning that there’s another approach to easily switch between different node versions, and that is to use Node Version Manager (NVM).
# Step 1 — Install NVM
# ====================
# Install NVM with homebrew
$ brew install nvm
# Create system directory for nvm
$ mkdir ~/.nvm
# Add the following to your ~/.bash_profile (or ~/.zshrc if you're using Zsh shell).
export NVM_DIR=~/.nvm
source $(brew --prefix nvm)/nvm.sh
# Read and execute your updated ~/.bash_profile
$ source ~/.bash_profile
# Verify nvm is installed
$ nvm --version
***
# Check all available remote versions
$ nvm ls-remote
# Install specific version
$ nvm install 16.14.2
# Check locally installed versions
$ nvm ls
# Use specific version
$ nvm use 16.14.2
***
# Set specific version to be default
nvm alias default 16
# Switch to default version on environment
$ nvm use defaultApproach 2— Use of Homebrew (Mac Only)
# Install LATEST stable version of node
$ brew install node
# Install OLD version of node
$ brew install node@8
# Check version of installed node
$ node -v
v10.4.1
***
# Unlink LATEST version of node
$ brew unlink node
# Link OLD version of node
$ brew link node@8
***
# Update your ~/.bash_profile (or ~/.zshrc if you're using Zsh shell) to point to OLD version.
$ echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/opt/node@8/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile
# Read and execute your updated ~/.bash_profile
$ source ~/.bash_profile
***
# Open a new terminal window and verify version
$ node -v
v8.16.1Disclaimer
It is worth mentioning too that if switching constantly between versions of Node and/or other tech, then you should consider use of environment management tools like Vagrant or Docker. Even with the benefits it provides, I have personally preferred the barebones environment setup on my work machine for better more responsive performance.
References
https://discourse.brew.sh/t/managing-brews-node-versions/2395
