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+# Installing Node.js, WebSocket and SerialPort
+
+To interface over mods, or with atkterminal, you'll need to install node.js, and then the packages serialport and ws (websocket).
+
+## Install Node.js
+
+Node.js is a runtime environment for javascript, so you can write and run js locally. [Download and install it here](https://nodejs.org/en/download/) - right now, I'm running v6.11.3, 8.11.3 should work as well. 
+
+To check that node is installed, you can use
+
+``node -v``
+
+## Install Serialport
+
+Node comes with a package controller called 'npm' - node package manager. You can use this to install dependencies for node programs. 
+
+Serialport is a package for node that allows it to interact with a hardware serial port.
+
+Navigate to the directory where you'll be running from (so, mods/ to run the *atkbridge* or automatakit/ for *atkterminal*). Do
+
+``npm install serialport``
+
+## Install WS (WebSocket)
+
+WebSockets are very simple web connections. In the *atkbridge* we use one to move data between the browser and local hardware.
+
+To install ws, do
+
+``npm install ws``
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