Installation — Node.js and Project Folder Setup

This page teaches you how to install Node.js and prepare your project folder before running Finance App. If you have never installed a developer tool before, do not worry — every step is explained.

By the end of this page, you will have:

Node.js installed on your computer
The Finance App project folder extracted and ready
The project open in a terminal

What You Need Before You Start

Item	Why You Need It
A computer	Windows, macOS, or Linux
Internet connection	To download Node.js
About 15 minutes	To finish all steps
The Finance App ZIP file	Downloaded from Gumroad

What Is Node.js and Why Do You Need It?

Node.js is a free program that lets your computer run JavaScript projects like Finance App. Astro — the tool this theme is built on — needs Node.js to work.

You do not need to learn Node.js. You only need to install it.

Step 1 — Check if Node.js Is Already Installed

Before installing, check if your computer already has Node.js.

Open a terminal:
- Windows: press Win, type cmd, press Enter
- macOS: press Cmd + Space, type terminal, press Enter
- Linux: press Ctrl + Alt + T
Type this and press Enter:

node -v

What You Will See

A version number like v20.11.0 — Node.js is already installed. If the number is 18 or higher, skip to Step 2.
A version lower than 18 — you need to update Node.js. Continue reading.
An error like command not found — Node.js is not installed. Continue reading.

Step 2 — Install Node.js

If Node.js is not installed, or the version is lower than 18, install the latest LTS version.

Download the installer

Open your browser
Go to:

https://nodejs.org/

Click the button that says LTS (Long Term Support). This is the stable version.
Choose the installer for your operating system

Run the installer

Open the file you just downloaded
Follow the on-screen instructions. You can accept the default options.
Wait for the installation to finish

Restart your terminal

After installation, close the terminal and open a new one. This is important — the terminal needs to reload to recognize Node.js.

Verify the installation

In the new terminal, type:

node -v

You should see a version number like v20.11.0.

Then type:

npm -v

You should see another version number. npm comes with Node.js, so it installs automatically.

If both commands show a version number, Node.js is ready.

Step 3 — Prepare the Project Folder

Now that Node.js is installed, it is time to prepare the Finance App project folder.

Choose a location

Decide where you want to keep the project. Pick a folder you can easily find later. For example:

Operating System	Suggested Path
Windows	`C:\Users\YourName\Documents\finance-app`
macOS	`/Users/YourName/Documents/finance-app`
Linux	`/home/yourname/Documents/finance-app`

Extract the ZIP file

On Windows:

Right-click the downloaded ZIP file
Select Extract All…
Choose the destination folder you picked above
Click Extract

On macOS:

Double-click the ZIP file
macOS extracts it automatically into a folder next to the ZIP file
Move the extracted folder to the location you picked above

On Linux:

Right-click the ZIP file
Select Extract Here, or open a terminal and run:

unzip finance-app-v2.1.2.zip

Replace finance-app-v2.1.2.zip with the actual filename you downloaded.

Confirm the folder contents

Open the extracted folder. You should see:

package.json
astro.config.mjs
src/ folder
public/ folder
README.md

If you see these files, the folder is ready.

Step 4 — Open the Project in a Terminal

You need to open a terminal inside the project folder. This is where you will run commands.

Open a terminal

Windows: press Win, type cmd, press Enter
macOS: press Cmd + Space, type terminal, press Enter
Linux: press Ctrl + Alt + T

Navigate into the project folder

Type cd followed by a space, then the path to your project folder:

cd path/to/finance-app

For example, on Windows:

cd C:\Users\YourName\Documents\finance-app

On macOS or Linux:

cd ~/Documents/finance-app

Confirm you are in the right folder

Type:

ls

On Windows, use dir instead of ls.

You should see a list of files including package.json. If you see it, you are in the right place.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	What Happens	Fix
Installing Node.js but not restarting the terminal	`node -v` still shows “command not found”	Close the terminal and open a new one
Installing an old version	Some Astro features will not work	Install the latest LTS version from `https://nodejs.org/`
Extracting the ZIP inside another folder	Path gets long and confusing	Extract to a simple path like `Documents/finance-app`
Running commands from the wrong folder	Errors about missing files	Use `cd` to enter the project folder first
Using `sudo` on macOS or Linux	Files get root ownership and break later	Do not use `sudo`. Run commands as your normal user

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
`node -v` shows an old version	Install the latest LTS version from `https://nodejs.org/`
`node` command not found	Restart the terminal after installing Node.js
`npm` command not found	Reinstall Node.js — npm comes with it
`cd` command fails	Check the folder path. Make sure the folder exists
Permission denied on macOS or Linux	Run the terminal as your user, not as root. Avoid using `sudo`
ZIP file will not extract	Update your extraction tool, or try a different one

Next Step

Now that Node.js is installed and the project folder is ready, continue to the next page to install dependencies and start the development server.