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The JavaScript Awakening
Setting Up JavaScript
TechnologyThe JavaScript AwakeningAugust 22, 2026 · 6 min read

Setting Up JavaScript

You don't need to install anything to start. But it helps to know your options.

Written by

A Lazy Entrepreneur

You don't need to install anything to start writing JavaScript. Every browser already has a place to run it. But as you go further, you'll probably want a couple of other options too.

Here are three ways to run the code in this collection, from zero setup to a proper local environment.

Option 1: The Browser Console

The fastest way to try something right now — no downloads, nothing to install.

  1. 1
    Open any browser

    Chrome, Firefox, Edge — any of them work.

  2. 2
    Right-click anywhere on a page and choose Inspect

    or press F12 (or Cmd + Option + I on a Mac).

  3. 3
    Click the Console tab
  4. 4
    Type a line of JavaScript and hit Enter
javascript
console.log("Hello, World");

You should see the output right there. This is the quickest way to test a one-off idea, and it's exactly where you'll end up debugging real websites later — so it's worth getting comfortable here early.

Option 2: An Online Playground

Good for anything longer than a couple of lines, or anything you want to save and come back to later., or anything you want to save and come back to. A few free options that work well: PlayCode, JSFiddle, CodeSandbox, or Replit. They all do roughly the same thing — a code editor in your browser, with a button to run it and see the output. Pick whichever one feels comfortable. You can always switch later.

javascript
function greet(name) {
  console.log("Hello, " + name);
}

greet("Yasir");

Option 3: Locally, with Node.js

But eventually, you might want to run JavaScript without opening a browser at all. That's where Node.js comes in. Node.js gives JavaScript a runtime outside the browser, letting you run scripts, build servers, and create applications directly from your machine.

  1. 1
    Download Node.js from nodejs.org

    Pick the LTS version — it's the stable release recommended for most people..

  2. 2
    Install it like any other program
  3. 3
    Open a terminal and check it worked
bash
node -v

You should see a version number print out. If you do, you're set.

From here, you can go in two directions:

Run code directly in a live session (a REPL)

bash
node

This gives you a prompt where you can type JavaScript line by line, just like the browser console, but from your terminal.

Or write a file and run it

javascript
// script.js
console.log("Hello from Node");
bash
node script.js

This is the version you'll actually use once you start building things bigger than a few lines.

Which One Should You Actually Use?

  • Testing a quick idea → browser console.
  • Writing something longer, saving it, or sharing it → an online playground.
  • Running JavaScript outside the browser → Node.js, locally.**.

You don't have to pick one forever. Most of the code in this collection will work in all three — use whichever is easiest to reach for at the time.

Key Insight

So you've got somewhere to run JavaScript. Next question: what do you actually write once you're there?

Study Notes

Before you move on

No install needed
Every browser can run JavaScript through its console — nothing to download to get started.
Browser console
Right-click → Inspect → Console tab (or F12). Best for quick, one-off checks.
Online compilers
PlayCode, JSFiddle, CodeSandbox, Replit — browser-based editors, good for saving and sharing longer snippets.
Node.js
Lets JavaScript run outside the browser, directly on a machine — install the LTS version from nodejs.org.
node -v
Checks that the installation worked.
node (alone)
Opens a live REPL — type JavaScript line by line from the terminal.
node script.js
Runs a JavaScript file — the workflow for anything bigger than a few lines.
#javascript#setup#node-js

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