Update Node.js instructions for version managers

[MikeMcC399]

Issue

App > Get Started > Install Cypress > System requirements > Installing Node.js contains text:

Best Practice

Use a Node.js package manager to install Node.js. Package managers for Node.js allow you to switch between different versions easily.

The link to "Node.js package manager" https://nodejs.org/en/download/package-manager/all is no longer in use by the https://nodejs.org website and so its contents, which is a list of various Node.js version managers, need to be regarded as no longer maintained even if the page is currently still visible. Its local language translations have all been deleted.

Node.js redesigned their Download Node.js landing page and no longer link to the list Installing Node.js via Package Managers.

Instead, Download Node.js suggests using specific Node.js version managers depending on the target operating system (Windows, macOS or Linux).

The current suggestions from Node.js no longer include Node.js Snap for Linux.

Node.js Snap for Linux is not suitable for use with Cypress due to its limited permissions. Several issues arise: Unless node is run as root with sudo, Cypress installation with npm fails. Global installation of pnpm fails. Corepack is not installed by default by the snap package, making it different to Node.js installations by other means. To remedy this and install Corepack manually requires root permissions.

Change

• Remove the link on App > Get Started > Install Cypress > System requirements > Installing Node.js to Node.js package manager and move the Best Practice section up on the page.

• Change the terms

  • "Node.js package manager" to "Node.js version manager"
  • "Node.js Snap for Linux package manager" to "Node.js Snap for Linux version manager"

  to align with the term change on the Download Node.js site.

• Recommend against using the Node.js Snap for Linux version manager

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[jennifer-shehane]

Much cleaner!

[MikeMcC399]

@jennifer-shehane

Much cleaner!

I think so too! I will have some other suggestions to submit soon for better documenting package manager usage. I needed this PR merging first though, to give a clean base.