I think you missed this step:

source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh

You can run this command on the bash OR you can put it in the file /.bashrc or ~/.profile or ~/.zshrc to automatically load it

https://github.com/creationix/nvm

Answer from Deepak Lamichhane on Stack Overflow
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GitHub
github.com › coreybutler › nvm-windows › issues › 955
Error installing 'latest' node version · Issue #955 · coreybutler/nvm-windows
April 11, 2023 - As shown above, the previous version (19.8.1) worked fine, as did nvm install lts. It seems to be an issue specific to the latest nodejs version. The version nvm reports matches what Nodejs's website claims is the latest. I did not try installing any other versions aside from latest, lts and the two explicit version numbers above.
Published   Apr 11, 2023
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Better Stack
betterstack.com › community › questions › nvm-command-not-found
Node Version Manager Install - Nvm Command Not Found | Better Stack Community
After restarting the terminal, check if NVM is installed and accessible by running the following command: ... If you see the version number, NVM is installed correctly.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/node › nvm is completely broken, how can i fix it?
r/node on Reddit: NVM is completely broken, how can I fix it?
March 24, 2022 -

FINAL EDIT: SOLVED! Refer to farverio's comment below regarding asdf as well as FreeAsInBeard's link for installation instructions. Many thanks to both of you guys!

Partially solved, explanation at the end of the post.

I've installed NVM and when I run 'nvm -v' it shows '0.39.1'.

I've run 'nvm install node' which was successful. However, upon running 'node -v' I get the 'Command 'node' not found' error.

Also, upon running 'nvm ls' I see a bunch of Node versions supposedly installed, but when I try to run 'nvm use <specific version>' I get the 'N/A: version "<specific version> -> N/A" is not yet installed. You need to run "nvm install <specific version> to install it before using it.' even though I've previously installed the specified version and it shows when I run 'nvm ls'.

How can I install NVM properly? I've watched a lot of tutorials and read a lot of posts, but none bring up the problem with being unable to actually use NVM (e.g., 'nvm use <specific version>' error).

Even after NVM reports successful Node installation it seems as it, in fact, wasn't successful. I feel as if I should completely remove NVM before reinstalling, although I might be wrong.

How can I remove NVM completely, install it properly and test it out?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm running Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS.

Partial solution:

I've (seemingly) successfully removed NVM by running 'rm -rf ~/.nvm' but now I'm afraid of installing it again for the hundredth time because of it not working when I did so before.

Any guides on how to properly install NVM and test it out?

EDIT: Formatting.

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GitHub
github.com › nvm-sh › nvm › issues › 2136
Version 'node' not found · Issue #2136 · nvm-sh/nvm
December 16, 2019 - Version 'node' not found - try nvm ls-remote to browse available versions. Note that nvm ls-remote outputs N/A. it installs latest stable version · * Trying 104.20.23.46...
Published   Dec 16, 2019
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Linode
linode.com › docs › guides › how-to-install-use-node-version-manager-nvm
How to Install and Use NVM (Node Version Manager) | Linode Docs
November 29, 2023 - Node also displays the exact version ... NVM responds with the error message Version '15.0.2' not found - try 'nvm ls-remote' to browse available versions....
Find elsewhere
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GitHub
github.com › nvm-sh › nvm
GitHub - nvm-sh/nvm: Node Version Manager - POSIX-compliant bash script to manage multiple active node.js versions
If you are unable to update to the latest version of nvm, our partners provide commercial security fixes for all unsupported versions: ... See LICENSE.md. Copyright OpenJS Foundation and nvm contributors.
Starred by 90.4K users
Forked by 9.7K users
Languages   Shell 98.0% | Makefile 1.2%
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Latenode
community.latenode.com › other questions › npm
Error during NVM installation on Windows: npm file not found - NPM - Latenode Official Community
January 11, 2025 - I am attempting to use NVM to set up Node.js, but I encounter an issue when installing a specific version. When I run the command nvm install 14.17.3, it fails to locate the npm file, indicating that the .zip file for npm is missing from the designated folder.
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Bobby Hadz
bobbyhadz.com › blog › nvm-command-not-found
nvm: command not found error [Solved] | bobbyhadz
Copied!# 👇️ using curl curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash # 👇️ using wget wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash · Running either of the commands above will download the nvm script and run it. The script clones the nvm repository to ~/.nvm and tries to add 2 lines of code to the correct profile (~/.bash_profile, ~/.zshrc, ~/.profile, ~/.bashrc) to load nvm on system boot. NOTE: if you are on Windows, follow the instructions in my how to install NVM on Windows article.
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DreamHost
help.dreamhost.com › hc › en-us › articles › 360029083351-Installing-a-custom-version-of-NVM-and-Node-js
Installing a custom version of NVM and Node.js – DreamHost Knowledge Base
If you do not, make sure the .bashrc file was updated as explained above and try running this command again. Edit your .bash_profile and add the following line. ... Update your .bash_profile so you can use this new version of nvm. ... Run the following command to confirm nvm is now installed.
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C# Corner
c-sharpcorner.com › article › installing-node-version-manager
Installing Node Version Manager
February 3, 2025 - Error open C:\insall\nvm\settings.txt: The system cannot find the file specified. Issue 3. Error while creating node.zip. Access is denied. Could not download node.js · Users are getting the below message when trying to install the latest version / any particular version.
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Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com › en-us › windows › dev-environment › javascript › nodejs-on-wsl
Install Node.js on Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2)
To verify installation, enter: command -v nvm ...this should return 'nvm', if you receive 'command not found' or no response at all, close your current terminal, reopen it, and try again.
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GitHub
github.com › coreybutler › nvm-windows › issues › 708
`nvm use` reports that the version was not installed or could not be found · Issue #708 · coreybutler/nvm-windows
December 16, 2021 - Issue: How To Reproduce: nvm install 16 Downloading node.js version 16.13.1 (64-bit)... Extracting... Complete Installation complete. If you want to use this version, type nvm use 16.13.1 nvm use 1...
Published   Dec 16, 2021
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LogRocket
blog.logrocket.com › home › how to install and use nvm
How to install and use NVM - LogRocket Blog
March 10, 2025 - To achieve this, use the nvm alias default &lt;version> command. Replace &lt;version> with the version number or alias (like lts/* for the latest LTS) you want to use. For example: ... After setting the default, new terminal windows or tabs ...
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Whoa
whoa.fyi › fix-nvm-not-showing-latest-versions-of-node
How To Fix NVM not showing latest versions of node
August 20, 2023 - If you're trying to use nvm to upgrade to use a more recent version of node, but you're not seeing a later version, it's likely due to your local nvm not having the most recent versions available. nvm keeps a list of versions you can install, ...