Gremoire

Using Node.js with FNM on a VPS (And Verifying with GitHub Actions) ​

When managing a VPS (Virtual Private Server), it’s common to need different Node.js versions for various projects. Instead of installing Node.js globally or manually managing versions, you can use a lightweight tool like fnm — Fast Node Manager.

In this guide, you'll:

  • Install fnm on a VPS.
  • Use fnm to install and switch Node.js versions.
  • Automatically verify the setup using GitHub Actions.

Step 1: Install fnm on Your VPS ​

Connect to your VPS and run the following command to install fnm:

bash
curl -o- https://fnm.vercel.app/install | bash

This script installs fnm and adds it to your shell profile (e.g., .bashrc, .zshrc, etc.).

Then restart your shell: ​

bash
source ~/.bashrc # or source ~/.zshrc

Step 2: Install Node.js Using fnm ​

Once fnm is installed, you can use it to install a specific version of Node.js. For example, to install Node.js v22:

bash
fnm install 22

To activate this version in the current session:

bash
fnm use 22

Make sure it's working:

bash
node -v # Expected output: v22.14.0
npm -v  # Expected output: 10.9.2

Step 3: Automate Verification with GitHub Actions ​

To make sure everything is working remotely, you can trigger SSH commands to your VPS from GitHub using appleboy/ssh-action.

Create a .github/workflows/test-node-fnm.yml file: ​

yaml
name: Test SSH Connection

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: Deploy via SSH
        uses: appleboy/ssh-action@v1.0.0
        with:
          host: ${{ secrets.VPS_HOST }}
          username: ${{ secrets.VPS_USER }}
          key: "${{ secrets.VPS_SSH_KEY }}"
          script: |
            export PATH="/root/.local/share/fnm:$PATH"
            eval "$(fnm env)"
            fnm use 22
            echo "Node version:"
            node -v
            echo "NPM version:"
            npm -v

GitHub Secrets you need to add: ​

  • VPS_HOST: Your VPS public IP or domain.
  • VPS_USER: Your VPS username (e.g. root).
  • VPS_SSH_KEY: Your private SSH key (used to access the VPS, keep this safe).

Result ​

Every time you push to the main branch, GitHub Actions will:

  1. SSH into your VPS.
  2. Initialize fnm.
  3. Switch to Node.js v22.
  4. Output the Node and npm versions.

You’ll see these logs in your GitHub Actions run to confirm everything’s working.

Why fnm? ​

  • Blazing fast compared to alternatives like nvm.
  • Written in Rust, making it super lightweight and speedy.
  • Easy to integrate into CI/CD and SSH workflows.

Bonus Tip: Persist fnm Setup Across Sessions ​

To make fnm available automatically in every SSH session, add the following to your .bashrc or .zshrc:

bash
export PATH="/root/.local/share/fnm:$PATH"
eval "$(fnm env)"