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Prerequisites

Set up your development environment for Zephyr Cloud development.

Get Started with Zephyr Mission Control

🚀 Install our browser extension first for the best development experience:

The Zephyr Mission Control extension provides:

  • Real-time deployment monitoring - See your builds deploy instantly
  • Environment management - Switch between dev, staging, and production
  • Debug tools - Inspect module federation and remote modules
  • One-click rollbacks - Instantly revert problematic deployments
  • Team collaboration - Share deployment status with your team

Required Software

Before you can start using Zephyr, make sure you have the following tools installed on your system:

Node.js

Zephyr requires Node.js version 18 or higher. We recommend using Node.js 24+ for the best experience.

Quick Check:

node --version
# Should output v18.0.0 or higher

If you don't have Node.js installed refer below to Node Version Manager

Package Manager

You'll need a package manager to install Zephyr plugins and dependencies. We recommend them in this order:

  1. pnpm (most recommended)
  2. bun (fast alternative)
  3. yarn (stable option)
  4. npm (comes with Node.js)

Git

Git is required for version control and some Zephyr workflows:

git --version
# Should output git version 2.x.x or higher

Install Git from git-scm.com if needed.

Node Version Management

Why Use a Version Manager?

Different projects may require different Node.js versions. Version managers allow you to:

  • Switch between Node.js versions instantly
  • Maintain project-specific Node versions
  • Avoid version conflicts between projects

Node Version Manager (nvm)

For macOS/Linux:

  1. Install nvm from nvm-sh/nvm:

  2. Restart your terminal or reload your profile

  3. Install and use Node.js 24:

    nvm install 24
nvm use 24
nvm alias default 24  # Set as default

  4. Verify installation:

    node --version  # Should show v24.x.x
nvm current     # Should show v24.x.x

For Windows:

Use nvm-windows:

  1. Download the installer from GitHub releases
  2. Install and restart your terminal
  3. Use similar commands: 
    nvm install 24
nvm use 24

fnm (Fast Node Manager)

A faster alternative to nvm:

Install fnm:

# macOS/Linux
curl -fsSL https://fnm.vercel.app/install | bash

# Windows (with Chocolatey)
choco install fnm

Use fnm:

fnm install 24
fnm use 24
fnm default 24

Project-Specific Node Versions

Create a .nvmrc file in your project root:

echo "24" > .nvmrc

Then use:

nvm use    # Uses version specified in .nvmrc
# or
fnm use    # With fnm

Package Manager Setup

Installing pnpm (Most Recommended)

pnpm is faster, more efficient, and uses less disk space than npm:

# Install pnpm globally
npm install -g pnpm@latest

# Verify installation
pnpm --version

Why pnpm?

  • Faster installations and less disk usage
  • Strict dependency resolution prevents phantom dependencies
  • Built-in monorepo support
  • Compatible with npm ecosystem

Installing bun (Fast Alternative)

bun is an extremely fast JavaScript runtime and package manager:

# Install bun (macOS/Linux)
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash

# Install bun (Windows)
powershell -c "irm bun.sh/install.ps1 | iex"

# Verify installation
bun --version

Why bun?

  • Extremely fast package installation
  • Built-in bundler and test runner
  • Drop-in replacement for npm/yarn
  • Native TypeScript support

Next Steps

Once your environment is set up:

  1. Create a Zephyr Account → Sign up at app.zephyr-cloud.io
  2. Build Your First App → Your First App
  3. Explore Integration Guides → Integration Guides

Need help? Join our Discord community or check our troubleshooting guide.