Introduction

It is important to manage your JavaScript dependencies and runtimes to ensure that you always have what you need to run the latest JS and Typescript projects. Below is a guide on how I set my JS dependencies and runtimes up.

Software

Below is software that I install and what I use them for. Keep in mind that the JS ecosystem changes all the time but this is how I do things at the moment.

• Volta - My default version manager for all things nodejs, npm and pnpm related
• Node.js - Managed through Volta (don't mix with a homebrew install, NVM, or a manual download, it might confuse your system on which nodejs and npm version to use)
• NPM - Can be managed through NVM, pnpm, or Volta but don't mix them. Just pick one solution to manage your npm version
• Pnpm - Stands for Performant NPM. Great for nodejs applications and I prefer to use this over NPM if I can. Can be managed through homebrew or Volta but don't mix them. I prefer to keep everything in Volta
• Bun - A runtime and package manager but distinctly separate from nodejs. Compatible with most nodejs applications such as next.js
• Deno - A runtime and package manager but distinctly separate from nodejs. Compatible with most nodejs applications such as next.js. Different than Bun but another great option

Screenshot to show you how I manage my JS stuff