[totally-not-ai]

Summary

Vaadin uses a globally installed Node.js only when its major version is supported, and it skips a global Node.js whose major version is newer than that, just like one that is too old. It then installs its own Node.js into ~/.vaadin, which also fails when the build machine can't reach the download server. The docs said "Node.js 24 or later" and recommended the latest LTS version, so readers on a newer Node.js didn't expect this.

What changed

• Supported Technologies lists Node.js 24 and says that later major versions aren't supported. The page now describes supported versions rather than minimum versions.
• The Node.js page recommends a supported major version instead of the latest LTS, and its resolution order says that a global Node.js that's too old or too new is skipped.
• The prepare-frontend goal description, the Gradle plugin pages and the upgrading guides use the same wording.
• The Node.js page says that Vaadin uses the Node.js in node.folder whatever its version, so it's the way to run a newer major version at your own risk. The npm requirements note mentions node.folder as well. The version comparison table lists Node 24 for Vaadin 25.

Test summary

• Checked the statements, including the node.folder handling, against the Node.js resolution in Flow 25.3 (supported major version 24, global Node.js outside the range is skipped).

Working on behalf of Olli

[github-actions]

This pull request targets v25.3, a release branch. A change made only there is lost when the next release branch is cut from main. This pull request is therefore labeled target/main: after it's merged, a bot cherry-picks it to main.

If the change applies only to this release, remove the label.

[github-actions]

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URL: https://docs-preview-pr-6627.fly.dev

Changed pages

Added content is highlighted in green; removed content is marked in red on each page.

• building-apps/architecture/licensing-and-maintenance — modified, +1/-1 lines, 1 removal marker(s)
• compatibility — modified, +4/-4 lines, 3 removal marker(s)
• flow/configuration/development-mode/node-js — modified, +2/-2 lines, 2 removal marker(s)
• flow/configuration/gradle — modified, +1/-1 lines, 1 removal marker(s)
• flow/production/production-build — modified, +1/-1 lines, 1 removal marker(s)
• getting-started/starters/gradle — modified, +1/-1 lines, 1 removal marker(s)
• hilla/reference/gradle — modified, +1/-1 lines, 1 removal marker(s)
• upgrading — modified, +1/-1 lines, 1 removal marker(s)
• upgrading/25-2-to-25-3 — modified, +1/-1 lines, 1 removal marker(s)

Base branch changes

Not marked in the preview: v25.3 is a maintenance branch, not a stacked pull request branch. Everything highlighted in the preview belongs to this PR.

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