How to setup a private dedicated Node.js Ubuntu Server?

Question

I found an old PC and i want to use it as a dedicated Node.js test machine.

Basically i wanna write my apps on a win machine then copy them over samba to the node folder and launch them via ssh. Later, I would add an upstart script and copy it with samba to the server so that when i reboot the app starts automatically every time.

1. What do I need to install in order to properly run Node.js apps on my network on a dedicated Ubuntu server? Here is the list I came up with, please correct me if I'm wrong. Is there anything else?
   • ssh
   • samba (ftp or sftp should be the way to go but as it's a closed internal network and i have to access it from various os's samba is the simplest way to share files not considering security issues..most of the time i use a simple text editor)
   • "basic ubuntu server" files?
   • "LAMP" (?)
   • node.js
   • node package manager.
2. how do i install the latest Node.js, npm, and the init files on Ubuntu server. I saw that there was no simple sudo apt-get install nodejs npm.
3. What kind of script do I need to launch my apps and where do i put them (prefer native scripts)?

EDIT

After some testing i'm at a good point now, and here is what i did:

1. I installed ubuntu from a minimal CD
2. when it comes to choose the packages i selected ONLY ssh & samba
3. update the system
4. install the dependencies that u need to run node.js
5. install latest node from git
6. setup samba in my case i created the folder /var/nodejs for the scripts
7. put your testApp.js in the nodejs folder
8. start your testApp.js from ssh. *it won't work

3-update the system

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

4-dependancies

sudo apt-get install g++ curl libssl-dev apache2-utils git-core make

5-install node

git clone git://github.com/ry/node.git
cd node
./configure
make
sudo make install

6-setup samba sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

[nodejs]
comment = nodejs
workgroup = WG
security = USER
path = /var/nodejs
server string =Node JS
browsable = yes
read only = no
writeable = yes
create mask = 0777

7-testApp.js

var http = require('http');
http.createServer(function (req, res) {
  res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
  res.end('Hello Node.js\n');
}).listen(80, "192.168.0.1");
console.log('Server running at http://192.168.0.1:80/');

8-Now everything should run...but:

You can run nodejs only as administrator appending "sudo" in front of the launch command else as a normal user u don't have access to most of the ports under 1000.

A. How can i lauch my app on port 80 without using sudo?

And obviously if u launch you app with the command sudo node /var/nodejs/testApp.js if u close the terminal the app will stop.

For that we use a init script.

After some reading i found that upstart is natively installed in ubuntu server and it's probably the best way to launch your apps.

B. I know u need to put the script into /etc/init/ with your appname and .conf extension.but how does that work?

Answer 1

what do i need to install to properly run node.js apps on my network on a dedicated ubuntu server?

You just need to install nodejs. nodejs can run on any port, so you don't need Apache or anything else.

how do i install the latest nodejs,npm,and the init files on ubuntu server

Try to follow the steps outlined in this guide: http://howtonode.org/how-to-install-nodejs . Use the instructions for Ubuntu.

when i reboot the app starts automatically every time

One way to do this is to write a small script that will run on boot. The script would contain the instruction:

nodejs /path/to/app/app.js

Check out this SO answer on how to run a script on boot: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3036/files-and-scripts-that-execute-on-boot

Answer 2

By your question, you sound about as lazy and impatient as I am, therefore use PPAs instead of building from the source. Just follow the node.js ubuntu directions.

In-fact I'm so lazy, I refuse to type in port numbers, hence I proxy all my node.js applications with nginx. (This is also the best way, and only way I can tell to have multiple servers "listening" on port 80). [Nginx's install guide.] Once you get nginx up, follow Chris Lea's guide.(http://wiki.nginx.org/Install) for the proxy.

BTW if you installed apache, make sure you purge it sudo apt-get purge apache*. This will most likely break your php apps, but that's why you're running node right? Just google how to run php with nignx.

Now for upstart & monit. Just follow this guide. NOTE: The guide has a typo so read the comments carefully.

As for samaba, you're on your own there.

TL;DR

Answer A: guide

Answer B: sudo cp my-node-app.conf /etc/init; sudo service my-node-app start

Edit 1

Upstart is Ubuntu's native utiltiy for starting background processes. Read all about it here.

#!upstart
description "node-app"
author      "me"

env PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin

respawn
start on runlevel [23]

script
    #set enviroment vars here
    export NODE_ENV=production
    #Uncommit if you need a pid file for monit
    #echo $$ > /var/run/node-app.pid
    exec /usr/bin/node /path/to/app.js 2>&1 >> /path/to/log/file/app.log
end script

#Logs start and stop time timestamps to the file
pre-start script
  echo "[`date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%T.%3NZ`] (sys) Starting" >> /path/to/log/file/app.log
end script

pre-stop script
  #Uncomment if you need a pid file for monit
  #rm /var/run/yourprogram.pid
  echo "[`date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%T.%3NZ`] (sys) Stopping" >> /path/to/log/file/app.log
end script

Now start and stop your process by using service:

sudo service node-app start

Switch start with stop or status if needed.

If you are not using monit, just remove the pid lines. I really recommend using monit because you can configure it to give you email alert if your process dies or an error occurs in the log file.