Update CI Node.js version to 24 to match .nvmrc

[nickmoreton]

Summary

• Updates the Node.js version in .github/workflows/ci.yml from version 20 to version 24 to match the version specified in .nvmrc
• This fixes the inconsistency between local development and CI environments

Motivation

The .nvmrc file specifies Node.js version 24, but the CI workflow was using version 20. This mismatch could lead to differences in behavior between local development and CI, potentially causing issues where code works locally but fails in CI (or vice versa).

Test plan

• Verify CI tests pass with Node.js 24
• Confirm all npm dependencies are compatible with Node.js 24
• Check that frontend asset building works correctly

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[claude]

Pull Request Review

Summary

This PR updates the Node.js version in the CI workflow from 20 to 24 to match the .nvmrc file. This is a straightforward and important consistency fix.

✅ Code Quality & Best Practices

Excellent - This change follows best practices by:

• Ensuring consistency between local development (.nvmrc) and CI environments
• Preventing the "works on my machine" problem
• Using a single source of truth for the Node.js version

Recommendation: Consider using the .nvmrc file directly in the workflow to avoid future drift:

- name: Set up Node.js
  uses: actions/setup-node@v4
  with:
    node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
    cache: 'npm'

This would eliminate the need to manually sync versions in the future.

✅ Potential Bugs or Issues

No issues identified - The change is minimal and safe. Node.js 24 is a stable LTS release (released October 2024).

✅ Performance Considerations

Neutral to positive - Node.js 24 includes performance improvements over version 20:

• Enhanced V8 JavaScript engine
• Better module loading performance
• Improved startup time

All dependencies in package.json are compatible with Node.js 24:

• sass@1.94.2 - ✅ Compatible
• esbuild@0.27.0 - ✅ Compatible
• sharp@0.34.5 - ✅ Compatible (has prebuilt binaries for Node 24)
• concurrently@9.2.1 - ✅ Compatible

✅ Security Concerns

Positive impact - Upgrading to Node.js 24 is a security improvement:

• Node.js 24 includes latest security patches
• Better alignment with current LTS support timeline
• Node.js 20 will exit maintenance in April 2026, while Node.js 24 is supported until April 2027

Note: Ensure the deployment environment also uses Node.js 24 for full consistency.

⚠️ Test Coverage

The PR includes a test plan checklist, which is good practice. Before merging, verify:

• ✅ CI tests pass with Node.js 24 (will be validated by this PR's CI run)
• ✅ npm dependencies compatibility (verified above)
• ✅ Frontend asset building (will be tested in CI workflow step "Build frontend assets")

📋 Additional Recommendations

1. Update documentation: If there's any documentation mentioning Node.js version requirements, update it to reflect version 24
2. Consider using node-version-file: As mentioned above, this would prevent future version drift
3. Update other workflows: Check if there are any other GitHub Actions workflows or Docker configurations that might also need the Node.js version updated

Final Verdict

✅ APPROVE - This is a well-motivated, low-risk change that improves environment consistency. The change is correct and all dependencies are compatible with Node.js 24.

The CI tests passing will confirm everything works as expected with the new Node version.