Fixing NPM's Unexpected Token = Error by Upgrading Node.js

Learn how to resolve the frustrating "Unexpected token =" error in NPM by upgrading Node.js on your Ubuntu machine. --- This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/70035880/ asked by the user 'MarvinsRoom' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/14530588/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/70035925/ provided by the user 'Tiko' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/10336740/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions. Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: How can I fix NPM which always says unexpected token = Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/licensing The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ) license. If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com. --- How to Fix NPM's "Unexpected Token =" Error If you're using NPM and continuously facing the error message Unexpected token =, you're not alone. Many users may encounter this problem, particularly after a system update. This can be frustrating, especially when you want to start a project or run a package manager command. In this guide, we'll explore the reasons behind this issue and guide you through a straightforward solution to get NPM back on track. Understanding the Problem The issue mainly arises from the version mismatch between Node.js and NPM. In your case, it appears that the NPM version you're using is quite recent (npm -v: 8.1.4), but it does not support the older Node.js version (node -v: v10.19.0) installed on your machine. Here's a snippet of the error message you might see: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] The key takeaway is that newer versions of NPM require more up-to-date versions of Node.js, which is why you're facing the Unexpected token = syntax error. Step-by-Step Solution Upgrade Node.js To resolve this issue, upgrading your Node.js version is imperative. Since you’re on Ubuntu, the best way to upgrade Node.js is by using Node Version Manager, commonly known as nvm. NVM allows you to manage multiple Node.js versions seamlessly. 1. Install nvm (Node Version Manager) If you haven't installed nvm yet, you can do so easily by running the following command in your terminal: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] 2. Install the Latest Node.js Version After installing nvm, the next step is to install the latest stable version of Node.js. You can do this by executing: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] In this command, 16 refers to the major version of Node.js you want to install. You can always check for the latest version on the official Node.js website or use nvm ls-remote to see available versions. 3. Set the Latest Version as Default Once the installation is complete, you should set the newly installed version to be the default. Run the following command: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Verify the Installation To ensure everything is working correctly, you can verify your installed versions of Node.js and NPM: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Make sure that NPM is now compatible with the upgraded Node.js version. Conclusion By following the above steps, you should be able to fix the annoying Unexpected token = error in NPM. Upgrading Node.js helps ensure that you are running a version compatible with the latest features and functions provided by NPM. Remember that keeping your development environment up to date not only fixes problems but can also enhance performance and add new functionalities. If you encounter any issues while following the steps or have further questions, feel free to leave a comment below! Happy coding!