Answer by CSEngineer for nodejs vs node on ubuntu 12.04

Best way to install nodejs is through NVM (Node Version Manager)

Delete previous versions :

$ sudo apt-get purge node

$ sudo apt autoremove

Also delete all node_modules by $ sudo rm -rf node_modules in the directory containing this folder.

Node & Nodejs are technically the same thing. Just the naming changed.

First Install or update nvm

to run as root

$ sudo su 

Then

$ curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/creationix/nvm/v0.31.7/install.sh | bash

OR

$ wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/creationix/nvm/v0.31.7/install.sh | bash

Check nvm to path

$ source ~/.profile

$ nvm ls-remote

if you get error regarding the listing then install git.

$ sudo apt-get install git

Re-run :

$ nvm ls-remote

$ sudo nvm ls-remote

$ nvm install version-you-require 

Checking Version

# node --version

nvm use version-you-require

INFORMATION COURTESY :

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-install-node-js-with-nvm-node-version-manager-on-a-vps