actions/setup-node
Setup Node
setup-node is a GitHub Action that downloads, installs, and configures a specified Node.js runtime in continuous integration workflows. It resolves version specifiers from semantic version ranges or aliases like "lts/*" against a remote manifest, selects the correct binary for the runner’s operating system and architecture, and can reuse previously installed versions from GitHub’s hosted tool cache.
The action accelerates repeat workflow runs by caching global package dependencies using a lock file as the cache key, restoring them automatically on subsequent runs. It manages version resolution through a semver range interpreter and fetches platform-aware binaries, ensuring reproducibility across different runner environments.
In addition to runtime installation and caching, setup-node provides the foundation for automating build, test, and lint steps in JavaScript and TypeScript projects. It installs dependencies via npm, Yarn, or pnpm and integrates with the workflow’s existing job steps to produce a fully configured Node.js environment.
The action is distributed as a reusable component in the GitHub Actions marketplace, requiring minimal configuration in a workflow YAML file to specify the Node.js version and optional cache settings.
Features
- Lock-File-Based Cache Keys - Caches package dependencies using lock-file hash keys to accelerate repeat workflow runs.
- Dependency Caches - Caches and restores global package dependencies using lock-file-based cache keys.
- Continuous Integration Tools - A reusable GitHub Action for setting up Node.js environments in automated CI pipelines.
- Architecture-Aware Binary Fetching - Downloads the correct Node.js binary for the runner's operating system and CPU architecture.
- Node.js CI Environment Setups - Configures a Node.js environment in CI pipelines, selecting runtime version and installing dependencies.
- Node.js Version Managers - Downloads and configures a specified Node.js version for use in CI workflows.
- Tool Cache Version Managers - Stores and restores Node.js binaries from a hosted tool cache for fast CI setup.
- SemVer Range Interpreters - Resolves semantic versioning ranges like '^12' or 'lts/*' to concrete Node.js versions.
- Version Manifest Resolvers - Resolves version specifiers like 'lts/*' against a remote manifest of available Node.js releases.
- GitHub Actions - A GitHub Action that downloads, installs, and caches Node.js for CI workflows.
- JavaScript and TypeScript Build Systems - Provides the Node.js runtime environment for automating build, test, and lint steps.
- Language Setup Actions - Configure Node.js environment.
