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Fixing node version issues

· 2 min read
Nikola Sekiw
Nikola Sekiw
Backend developer at Epinova

A quick guide to resolving common Node.js version errors when building a project

When running npm build, you might encounter an error like this:

Error: error:0308010C: digital envelope routines::unsupported

This often indicates a mismatch between your Node.js version and the requirements of the project you're working on. Here's how you can troubleshoot and fix it.

Step 1: Check Your Current Versions​

Start by checking which versions of Node.js, npm, and nvm you have installed:

$ nvm -v        # → 0.38.0
$ npm -v        # → 10.2.4
$ node -v       # → v18.19.1

Step 2: List and Manage Node Versions​

Use nvm (Node Version Manager) to list and switch between Node.js versions:

$ nvm list              # Lists all installed Node.js versions
$ nvm install 16.14.0   # Installs the required version
$ nvm use 16.14.0       # Switches to the installed version

Step 3: Clean Up and Reinstall Dependencies​

After switching Node versions, it's a good idea to remove existing node_modules and reinstall dependencies to avoid conflicts:

$ rm -rf node_modules   # Removes all installed packages
$ npm install           # Reinstalls dependencies
$ npm run develop       # Starts the development server

Summary​

If you're getting cryptic errors during npm build, it can be due to an incompatible Node.js version. Using nvm to switch to the correct version and reinstalling dependencies often resolves the issue.