Node see if Program is installed
"shell out" for native detection
In macOS / Linux / bash we'd typically use type -p or command -v (or which if you're doing it wrong).
In windows there's where that you can use like where node.exe.
require('child_process').exec('type -p mything', function (err, stdout) { console.log(stdout);});This naive approach can work if you're not trying to be cross-platform compatible and if you don't have to worry about sanitizing user input.
Use command-exists
On npm there's a package command-exists. I peeked at the code and it looks like it's probably the simplest cross-platform detection that covers edge cases at a small size:
https://github.com/mathisonian/command-exists/blob/master/lib/command-exists.js
var commandExists = require('command-exists');// invoked without a callback, it returns a promisecommandExists('ls').then(function (command) { // proceed}).catch(function () { // command doesn't exist});