How to install and run lessc on top of node.js and Windows?

Hi I am learning LESS and I would like to install lessc on my Windows 7.

Following this tutorial http://verekia.com/less-css/dont-read-less-css-tutorial-highly-addictive

The first step is I dowloaded and installed node.js (node-v0.10.5-x64.msi).

Then in a console, I ran

npm install less -g

I got the following:

npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/less
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/less
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/ycssmin
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/ycssmin
C:\Users\Me\AppData\Roaming\npm\lessc -> C:\Users\Me\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\less\bin\lessc
less@1.3.3 C:\Users\Me\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\less
+-- ycssmin@1.0.1

Then I ran the following in the same console:

lessc style.less > style.css

But I got

'lessc' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

I am not sure where I got wrong. I googled but it seems there is too much stuff, not sure which one is right. Did many tests without any success.

Could someone tell me how to do it or give me a pointer to some place with detailed and latest install info for Windows?

curious1

In a console, run the following:

node C:\Users\Me\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\less\bin\lessc style.less > style.css

style.less must be in the console's directory.

to get lessc working you have to add

C:\Users\Me\AppData\Roaming\npm

to the path

I guess you could add the bin folder in system properties -> advanced ->environment variables and append the whole path to the bin folder by edited the Path variable.

step 1: npm install less -g

step 2: npm i less --save-dev

If you just installed node.js, the windows PATH variable won't be updated within any running CMD windows. Try closing CMD and reopening it!

If you are using windows, don't forget to open the command line console as an administrator.

Ravindra

After spending around number of hours hunting around to compile less files, I got very simple answer:

download node-v0.10.26-x64.msi for windows users -> install it -> then
go to any folder(in command prompt) where *.less files are located and run the command "lessc styles.lsss > styles.css". (Example: in command prompt, less is my less folder where *.less files exist) D:\less>lessc styles.less > styles.css
now you will get styles.css files created automatically. Open and see styles.css file

Well, you must have NodeJS installed on your machine, use this link to download and install it.

Once installed make sure to restart your machine. Then check whether it is properly installed by running "node -v" and "npm -v" in CMD.

Once that is done run "npm install less -g" and you are ready to compile your less files.

Just go into the directory where your files are and run "lessc style.less style.css"