Node.js Setup for Contributors

Node.js is not required for the normal image-based quick-start or production Compose deployment. Those paths run the official frontend and backend containers.

Install Node.js when developing Multiforum or building images from source. Development uses Node.js 26 (the repositories pin 26.5.1 in .nvmrc and the Dockerfiles).

Component	Supported Node.js versions
Backend	26.x only (>=26.0.0 <27)
Frontend	24.13 or newer, below 27 (>=24.13.0 <27)

The frontend still supports Node 24.13+ for environments that deploy it on Node 24 (for example Vercel). The backend does not.

Install Node.js 26

Using nvm:

nvm install 26
nvm use 26

Using Homebrew on macOS:

brew install node@26

Verify the runtime:

node --version
npm --version

Source-build Compose override

To exercise local bootstrap while building the frontend and backend from source:

docker compose \
  --env-file .env.quickstart.example \
  -f docker-compose.yml \
  -f docker-compose.source.yml \
  up --build

For day-to-day application work, follow the Contributing Guide.