How To Install Yarn on AlmaLinux 9

In the ever-evolving world of web development, efficient package management is crucial for streamlined workflows and robust project structures. Yarn, a fast, reliable, and secure dependency management tool, has gained significant popularity among developers. This guide focuses on installing Yarn on AlmaLinux 9, a powerful and stable Linux distribution that’s ideal for development environments.

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting your journey, understanding how to properly set up Yarn on AlmaLinux 9 will significantly enhance your development experience. Let’s dive into the world of Yarn and explore its installation process step by step.

What is Yarn?

Yarn, short for “Yet Another Resource Negotiator,” is an open-source package manager developed by Facebook in collaboration with Exponent, Google, and Tilde. It was created to address some of the shortcomings of npm (Node Package Manager) and has since become a popular alternative in the JavaScript ecosystem.

Key advantages of Yarn include:

• Faster installation of packages
• Enhanced security through checksum verification
• Reliable and reproducible builds with lock files
• Offline mode for working without an internet connection
• Improved network performance and resilience

Since its initial release in 2016, Yarn has undergone significant improvements and is now in its second major version, Yarn 2 (Berry). However, for this guide, we’ll focus on installing and using Yarn 1, which is still widely used and supported.

Understanding AlmaLinux 9

AlmaLinux is a free, open-source Linux distribution that serves as a stable, community-driven alternative to CentOS. Version 9, released in May 2022, is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9 and offers long-term support until 2032.

Key features of AlmaLinux 9 include:

• Enhanced security with OpenSSL 3.0 and SELinux improvements
• Updated core components and development tools
• Improved performance and scalability
• Web console for easy system management

These features make AlmaLinux 9 an excellent choice for developers looking for a stable and secure platform for their projects.

Prerequisites

Before we begin the installation process, ensure that your system meets the following requirements:

• AlmaLinux 9 installed and updated
• Root or sudo access to the system
• Basic knowledge of Linux command-line operations
• A stable internet connection for downloading packages

It’s also recommended to have some familiarity with package managers and JavaScript development, although this guide will walk you through each step in detail.

Updating AlmaLinux 9

Before installing any new software, it’s crucial to ensure your system is up-to-date. This step helps prevent potential conflicts and ensures you have the latest security patches. To update AlmaLinux 9, run the following commands:

sudo dnf check-update
sudo dnf upgrade -y

The first command checks for available updates, while the second applies them. The “-y” flag automatically answers “yes” to any prompts during the upgrade process.

Installing Node.js

Yarn requires Node.js to function, so we’ll need to install it first. There are multiple ways to install Node.js on AlmaLinux 9, but we’ll focus on two popular methods: using the default repositories and using the NodeSource repository.

Method 1: Using Default Repositories

To install Node.js from the default AlmaLinux repositories, run:

sudo dnf install nodejs

This method is straightforward but may not always provide the latest version of Node.js.

Method 2: Using NodeSource Repository

For the latest stable version of Node.js, you can use the NodeSource repository:

curl -fsSL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash -
sudo dnf install nodejs

This method allows you to install a more recent version of Node.js.

After installation, verify Node.js and npm are correctly installed:

node --version
npm --version

These commands should display the installed versions of Node.js and npm, respectively.

Installing Yarn

Now that we have Node.js installed, we can proceed with installing Yarn. There are two primary methods to install Yarn on AlmaLinux 9: using npm or using the Yarn repository.

Method 1: Installing Yarn via npm

The simplest way to install Yarn is through npm, which we installed along with Node.js:

sudo npm install -g yarn

This command installs Yarn globally on your system, making it available for all users.

Method 2: Installing Yarn via the Official Repository

For a more controlled installation, you can use the official Yarn repository:

curl -sL https://dl.yarnpkg.com/rpm/yarn.repo | sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/yarn.repo
sudo dnf install yarn

This method ensures you’re installing Yarn directly from the official source.

After installation, verify Yarn is correctly installed:

yarn --version

This command should display the installed version of Yarn.

Configuring Yarn

After installing Yarn, you may want to configure some global settings. Yarn uses a .yarnrc file for configuration. To create or modify global configurations, use the following commands:

yarn config set init-license MIT
yarn config set init-version 0.1.0

These commands set the default license to MIT and the initial version to 0.1.0 for new projects. You can customize these settings according to your preferences.

To view your current global configuration:

yarn config list

This command displays all configured settings for Yarn on your system.

Basic Yarn Commands

Now that Yarn is installed and configured, let’s explore some essential commands:

• yarn init: Initializes a new project and creates a package.json file
• yarn add [package]: Adds a package to your project as a dependency
• yarn add [package] --dev: Adds a package as a development dependency
• yarn install: Installs all dependencies listed in package.json
• yarn upgrade: Upgrades packages to their latest version based on the specified range
• yarn remove [package]: Removes a package from your project

For example, to add the popular lodash library to your project:

yarn add lodash

This command adds lodash to your project and updates the package.json and yarn.lock files accordingly.

Managing Dependencies with Yarn

Effective dependency management is crucial for maintaining a healthy project. Yarn provides several features to help you manage your project’s dependencies efficiently:

Adding Dependencies

To add a new dependency:

yarn add [package]@[version]

For example, to add a specific version of React:

yarn add react@17.0.2

Updating Dependencies

To update dependencies to their latest versions within the range specified in package.json:

yarn upgrade

To upgrade a specific package:

yarn upgrade [package]

Removing Dependencies

To remove a dependency:

yarn remove [package]

Working with yarn.lock

The yarn.lock file ensures that the same dependencies are installed consistently across different environments. Always commit this file to your version control system along with package.json.

Yarn Workspaces

Yarn Workspaces is a feature that allows you to manage multiple packages within a single repository, often referred to as a monorepo. This is particularly useful for large projects or when developing related packages.

To set up Yarn Workspaces:

1. Create a root package.json file with the following structure:

   {
     "private": true,
     "workspaces": ["packages/*"]
   }

2. Create a “packages” directory in your project root
3. Add your individual package directories inside the “packages” folder

With this setup, you can run Yarn commands from the root directory, and they will apply to all workspaces.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

While installing and using Yarn on AlmaLinux 9, you might encounter some issues. Here are solutions to common problems:

Permission Errors

If you encounter permission errors, avoid using sudo with Yarn commands. Instead, fix npm’s permissions:

sudo chown -R $USER:$GROUP ~/.npm
sudo chown -R $USER:$GROUP ~/.config

Network-Related Problems

If you’re behind a proxy or facing network issues, configure Yarn to use a specific registry:

yarn config set registry https://registry.npmjs.org/

Version Conflicts

If you encounter version conflicts between packages, try clearing Yarn’s cache:

yarn cache clean

However, npm has made significant improvements in recent versions, narrowing the gap with Yarn. The choice between Yarn and npm often comes down to personal preference and specific project requirements.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Yarn. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing Yarn Package Manager on your AlmaLinux 9 system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Yarn website.