Upgrade Node.js 14 to Node.js 16 (with ansible example)

My project was using the NodeSource installer for version 14.x to install Node.js, npm, and npx.  A couple weeks ago that stopped working (~September 2022) because the NodeSource nodejs-14.10.1 installer was no longer available.   When using the NodeSource nodejs-16.15.0 installer version, npm and npx wasn't being installed (* Note below).  Because of this I had to find another method to install Node.js.

Another Node Installer method Node.js recommends is to use the Node.js installer.  I chose the https://nodejs.org/download/release/v16.15.0/node-v16.15.0-linux-x64.tar.xz archive file and it worked (Node.js, npm, and npx was installed)!

Steps to upgrade:

1. Verify prior versions

$ node -v

v14.10.1

$ npm -v

6.14.8

$ npx -v

6.14.8

2. Stop PM2 (PM2 is the node manager used)

pm2 kill

3. The NodeSource installer uses the yum repo file, verify it exists

ls -la /etc/yum.repos.d/nodesource*.repo

4. Uninstall NodeSource installed Node.js Enterprise Linux Packages

(steps taken from https://github.com/nodesource/distributions)

To completely remove Node.js installed from the rpm.nodesource.com package:

# use `sudo` or run this as root

yum remove nodejs (reply y)

rm -r /etc/yum.repos.d/nodesource*.repo

yum clean all

5. Install Node.js using Node.js archive tar file

(steps taken from https://github.com/nodejs/help/wiki/Installation#how-to-install-nodejs-via-binary-archive-on-linux)

   mkdir -p /usr/local/lib/nodejs

   wget https://nodejs.org/download/release/v16.15.0/node-v16.15.0-linux-x64.tar.xz

   tar -xJvf node-v16.15.0-linux-x64.tar.xz -C /usr/local/lib/nodejs 

   Chose to use symbolic link to /usr/bin since this path is already in my PATH environment variable:

   ln -s /usr/local/lib/nodejs/node-v16.15.0-linux-x64/bin/node /usr/bin/node

   ln -s /usr/local/lib/nodejs/node-v16.15.0-linux-x64/bin/npm /usr/bin/npm

   ln -s /usr/local/lib/nodejs/node-v16.15.0-linux-x64/bin/npx /usr/bin/npx

6. Verify install

$ node -v

v16.15.0

$ npm version

8.5.5

$ npx -v

8.5.5

7. Start PM2

pm2 start

I then ansiblized step 5 from the solution above.  Tar and unzip had to be installed on the system for the ansible unarchive module to work.

# If Node.js is not installed use Node.js archive file to install

- block:

    - name: Define Node.js version variable

      shell: echo "v16.15.0"

      register: command_output_nodejs_version

    - name: Define Node.js install folder location

      shell: echo "/usr/local/lib/nodejs"

      register: command_output_nodejs_install_dir

    - set_fact:

        nodejs_version: "{{command_output_nodejs_version.stdout}}"

        nodejs_install_dir: "{{command_output_nodejs_install_dir.stdout}}"

    - name: Boolean if Node.js install folder exists

      stat:

        path: "{{nodejs_install_dir}}"

      register: command_output_path_exists

    - set_fact:

        nodejs_install_dir_exists: "{{command_output_path_exists.stat.exists}}"

    - debug:

        msg: nodejs_version {{nodejs_version}}, nodejs_install_dir {{nodejs_install_dir}}, nodejs_install_dir_exists {{nodejs_install_dir_exists}}

- block:

    - name: Create Node.js install folder

      file:

        path: "{{nodejs_install_dir}}"

        state: directory

    - name: Download and unarchive Node.js {{nodejs_version}} file

      unarchive:

        src: "https://nodejs.org/download/release/{{nodejs_version}}/node-{{nodejs_version}}-linux-x64.tar.xz"

        dest: "{{nodejs_install_dir}}"

        remote_src: yes

    - name: Create symbolic link for node in /usr/bin

      file:

        src: "/usr/local/lib/nodejs/node-{{nodejs_version}}-linux-x64/bin/node"

        dest: "/usr/bin/node"

        state: link

    - name: Create symbolic link for npm in /usr/bin

      file:

        src: "/usr/local/lib/nodejs/node-{{nodejs_version}}-linux-x64/bin/npm"

        dest: "/usr/bin/npm"

        state: link

    - name: Create symbolic link for npx in /usr/bin

      file:

        src: "/usr/local/lib/nodejs/node-{{nodejs_version}}-linux-x64/bin/npx"

        dest: "/usr/bin/npx"

        state: link

  when: not nodejs_install_dir_exists

- debug: msg="Node.js {{nodejs_version}} already installed"

  when: nodejs_install_dir_exists

* Note: I stumbled upon NodeSource nodejs-16.15.0 installer failing to install npm and npx because of the below error:

"TypeError [ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE]: The \"file\" argument must be of type string. Received null".

The true problem was exposed here - "Calling [NPM] to install pm2-logrotate@2.7.0".  Verifying the npm version failed since npm wasn't found.