Windows Requirements

Antora is a portable application that runs on any Node.js installation. Since Node.js is distributed for and runs on Windows, that means Antora runs on Windows without any additional requirements.

On this page, you’ll learn:

  • How to install Chocolatey, the Windows package manager.

  • How to install Node.js.

If you’ve never installed Antora before, you’ll need to complete the steps on this page before you can install Antora and use it to generate a documentation site. Since Antora is built on Node.js, you’ll need Node.js (commands: node, npm, and npx) installed on your machine to install and run Antora.

Node.js

You can use any active LTS or maintenance LTS version of Node.js with Antora, but we recommend using the most recent active LTS version so that you benefit from the latest performance and security enhancements. The Node.js release schedule shows the active Node.js LTS versions.

To see if you have Node.js installed, and which version, open PowerShell and type:

$ node --version

You should see a version string, such as:

v16.20.2

If the command fails with an error, you don’t have Node.js installed. The best way to install Node.js on Windows is to use Chocolatey. If you don’t have Chocolatey on your machine, go to install Chocolatey to get it set up. Otherwise, skip directly to install nvm and Node.

If the command returns a version that isn’t an active LTS version, upgrade to the active Node.js LTS version using nvm.

If the command returns an active Node.js LTS version, you’re all set to install Antora.

Install Chocolatey

The best way to install the Node Version Manager (nvm) and Node.js is with Chocolatey, the package manager for Windows.

  1. Open a PowerShell terminal and run it as an Administrator by right clicking on the PowerShell icon and selecting Run as Administrator.

  2. Type the following command in the terminal:

    $ Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

You’re now ready to install nvm and Node.js.

Install nvm and Node.js

  1. Open a PowerShell terminal, right click on the PowerShell icon, and select Run as Administrator.

    If you just installed Chocolatey using the instructions in the proceeding section, use the same terminal (running as Administrator) that you already have open.

  2. To install the Node Version Manager (nvm) for Windows, enter the following command in the terminal:

    $ choco install -y nvm

  3. Close the terminal.

  4. Open a new, regular PowerShell terminal, and install Node.js using nvm.

    $ nvm install 16.20.2
    When using nvm for Windows, you must enter an exact version of Node.js (e.g., 16.20.2) until nvm-windows#214 is resolved.

Now that Node.js is installed, you’re ready to install Antora.

nvm and CI environments

You can install the LTS release of Node.js directly, without installing nvm, by entering the following command in the Administrator PowerShell:

$ choco install -y nodejs-lts

However, many CI environments use nvm to install the Node.js version used for the build job. By using nvm, you closely align your setup with the environment used to generate and publish your production site.

Upgrade Node.js using nvm

If you have nvm installed but your Node.js version is not an active LTS release, type the following command in your terminal:

$ nvm install 16.20.2
When using nvm for Windows, you must enter the full version of Node.js (i.e., nvm install 16.20.2).

Learn more

Once you’ve installed Node.js, you’re ready to install Antora.