How to Install Yarn on Ubuntu Linux
You install Yarn on Ubuntu Linux to manage JavaScript dependencies efficiently.
Yarn is a popular JavaScript package manager, often seen as a faster and more reliable alternative to npm, designed to automate the installation, updating, configuration, and management of npm packages.
This tutorial guides you through installing Yarn, specifically version 1.22.19 (as of its last major release) or newer, on your Ubuntu system. You’ll learn how to get Yarn running quickly so you can leverage its features like package caching for faster installations.
By following these steps, you ensure that your JavaScript projects maintain consistent dependencies across different environments, preventing the “it works on my machine” problem.
How to install and use Yarn on Ubuntu Linux
As described above, Yarn is a fast, reliable, and secure JavaScript dependency manager that automates installing, updating, configuring, and managing npm packages.
Below is how to install it on Ubuntu Linux.
Add Yarn APT Repository
Before installing Yarn, you should first install its package repository.
You’ll first need to add the repository’s GPG key to authenticate packages being installed from there. Run the commands below to add the Yarn repository’s GPG key to Ubuntu.
sudo apt update sudo apt install curl curl -sS https://dl.yarnpkg.com/debian/pubkey.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
Next, run the commands below to add the repository
echo "deb https://dl.yarnpkg.com/debian/ stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/yarn.list
That’s all you need to install Yarn.
After that, run the commands below to install Yarn
sudo apt update sudo apt install yarn
If you already have Node.js installed, simply run the commands below to install Yarn, but skip Node.js packages and dependencies.
sudo apt install --no-install-recommends yarn
Verify Yarn is Installed
To verify if Yarn is installed, run the commands below to print out the version number installed on your system.
yarn --version
The output should be something similar to the line below:
1.10.1
Now that you have Yarn installed on your Ubuntu system, here are some of the most common commands you’ll need.
To create a new Yarn project, use the yarn init command as shown below:
yarn init myproject
The init script will ask you several questions. You can either answer or press to use the default values.
yarn init v1.10.1 question name (richard): question version (1.0.0): question description: question entry point (index.js): question repository url: question author: question license (MIT): question private: success Saved package.json Done in 13.40s.
After that, the script will create a basic package.json file containing the information you provided above.
Upgrading dependencies
If you want to upgrade dependencies, simply run the commands below for each package and version you want to upgrade or update.
yarn upgrade yarn upgrade [package_name] yarn upgrade [package_name]@[version_or_tag]
If you do not provide a package name, Yarn will update all the project dependencies.
For more about using Yarn, check this page.
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to install Yarn on Ubuntu 20.04 | 18.04. If you find any error above, please use the comment form below to report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Yarn and why should I use it?
How do I add the Yarn APT repository on Ubuntu?
What commands do I need to install Yarn on Ubuntu?
How can I verify that Yarn is installed correctly?
What is the command to create a new Yarn project?
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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