REA setup fails: Node.js version not supported

What you see

You run npx rea-agents setup, nothing gets installed, the output says status: needs_human, and the last line asks you to install a different Node.js.

The error

status: needs_human
plannedActions: []
appliedActions: []
...
remediation: "Install Node.js 22.x (>=22.23.4), 24.x (>=24.22.1), or 26.12.1+ and rerun setup."

{"name": "node", "ok": false, "classification": "missing_dependency", "detail": "22.17.1", "remediation": "Install Node.js 22.x (>=22.23.4), 24.x (>=24.22.1), or 26.12.1+."}

Tested 2026-10-27 on macOS 15.6.1 with REA 6.8.0. This output came from the machine's system Node.js 22.17.1.

Why it happens

Your Node.js is older than REA requires. REA 6.8.0 supports 22.x (22.23.4 or later), 24.x (24.22.1 or later) or 26.12.1 or later; 23, 25 and prereleases are not supported either.

Note that npx rea-agents --version still prints a version on an old Node.js, so it working doesn't mean your runtime is supported.

How to fix it

1. Check your current version:

   TerminalCopy

   node -v

2. Install a supported release: the 24 LTS from nodejs.org, or use your version manager. With nvm:

   TerminalCopy

   nvm install 24
   nvm use 24

3. Open a new terminal and confirm the version changed:

   TerminalCopy

   node -v

4. Run setup again:

   TerminalCopy

   npx rea-agents setup

5. A desktop agent opened from the Dock or Start menu can get a different PATH than your terminal and still find the old Node.js. If setup succeeds but the agent can't start REA, restart the agent fully, then see Launchers and PATH in the official docs.