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Yes — pnpm requires Node.js. pnpm is a JavaScript package manager, so it cannot run without Node.js.

Minimum requirement

• Node.js ≥ 16 (recommended: LTS, currently 18 or 20)

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Why Node.js is required

• pnpm is written in JavaScript
• It uses Node’s runtime, filesystem, and networking APIs
• Even when installed via Corepack or a script, Node.js must already exist

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Recommended way to install Node.js on Ubuntu

✅ Use nvm (best & safest)

This avoids system-level issues and lets you switch Node versions easily.

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash

Reload shell:

source ~/.bashrc   # or ~/.zshrc

Install Node LTS:

nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts

Verify:

node -v
npm -v

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Then install pnpm (recommended)

Once Node is installed:

corepack enable
corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate

Verify:

pnpm -v

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Summary

✔ Node.js must be installed first ✔ Use nvm + Corepack for the cleanest setup ✔ Avoid Ubuntu’s apt nodejs (often outdated)

If you want, tell me:

• your Ubuntu version
• whether this is for frontend, backend, or monorepo

I’ll suggest the best Node + pnpm setup for your case.