Node.js
The JavaScript runtime. Required by many agentic tools, and installing it also gives you npm for one-line installs of hundreds of developer tools.
What it is
Node.js is an open-source JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 engine. It lets you run JavaScript code outside the browser (on your computer, on a server, or inside a command-line tool). Installing Node.js also installs npm, the Node Package Manager, which is how you install any JavaScript-based tool globally in one command.
Why the workshops use it
Many modern developer tools (including the npm-based install path for Claude Code) are distributed through npm. Installing Node.js once gives you npm, and npm gives you one-line installs for hundreds of tools.
If you use the Claude Code native installer (the Mac/Linux install.sh or the Windows PowerShell script), you do not strictly need Node.js for Claude Code itself. You will likely want npm anyway for other tools in the applied-AI ecosystem.
Is this safe?
Yes. Node.js is governed by the OpenJS Foundation, used by essentially every major tech company, and one of the most heavily audited open-source projects in existence. The installers distributed from nodejs.org are official binaries.
Install
brew install node
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS
Or download the LTS installer directly from nodejs.org for any platform and run it.
Verify
node --version
npm --version
Both should print version numbers.
Which version
Use LTS (Long-Term Support). LTS is the right choice for almost everyone. Only pick the "Current" version if a specific tool you depend on needs a newer version.