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contentType: howto
Set up your development environment
This document lists the essential dependencies for developing a node, as well as guidance on setting up your editor.
Requirements
To build and test a node, you need:
- Node.js and npm. Minimum version Node 18.17.0. You can find instructions on how to install both using nvm (Node Version Manager) for Linux, Mac, and WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) here{:target=_blank class=.external-link}. For Windows users, refer to Microsoft's guide to Install NodeJS on Windows{:target=_blank class=.external-link}.
- A local instance of n8n. You can install n8n with
npm install n8n -g, then follow the steps in Run your node locally to test your node.
You should also have git{:target=_blank class=.external-link} installed. This allows you to clone and use the n8n-node-starter{:target=_blank class=.external-link}.
Editor setup
n8n recommends using VS Code{:target=_blank class=.external-link} as your editor.
Install these extensions:
- ESLint{:target=_blank class=.external-link}
- EditorConfig{:target=_blank class=.external-link}
- Prettier{:target=_blank class=.external-link}
By using VS Code and these extensions, you get access to the n8n node linter's warnings as you code.