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.

Answer 3

What i would do:

• install ubuntu

• install apache and SVN, with svn repos accessible via http://

• create a svn for each project

• create a svn commit hook to autodeploy scripts to a folder

/svn//hooks/post-commit

REPOS="$1"
REV="$2"

cd /var/target/path
svn cleanup /var/target/path/
svn checkout -q --force file:///svn/ /var/target/path
svn cleanup /var/target/path/
exit 0

/svn//hooks/post_commit.sh

#!/bin/bash

REPOS="$1"
REV="$2"

# Files and directories can be distinguished, as directory paths are displayed with a trailing "/" character.

LOOK=/usr/bin/svnlook
SVN=/svn/
DEV=/var/target/path/

@mkdir /var/tmp/svn
cd /var/tmp/svn
  for changes in `$LOOK changed $REPOS | awk '{print $1 "=" $2;}'`;
  do
        len=${#changes}
        idx=`expr index "$changes" =`;
        directory=${changes:$idx};
        action=${changes:0:$idx-1};
        if [ ${changes:len-1} = '/' ]
        then
            case "$action" in
                "A" ) \
                    mkdir --mode=775 -p $DEV/$directory;
                    chown nobody:nobody $DEV/$directory;
                    chmod 775 $DEV/$directory;
                    ;;
                "D" ) \
                    rmdir $DEV/$directory;
                    ;;
            esac
        else
            case "$action" in
                "A"|"U"|"UU" ) \
                    $SVN export --force --non-interactive -r HEAD -q file://$REPOS/$directory;
                    BASE=`basename $directory`;
                    DIR=`dirname $directory`;
                    chown nobody:nobody $BASE;
                    chmod 775 $BASE;
                    mkdir --mode=775 -p $DEV/$DIR;
                    cp -f --preserve=ownership $BASE $DEV/$DIR;
                    unlink $BASE;
                    ;;
                "D" ) \
                    rm -f $DEV/$directory;
                    ;;
            esac
        fi
  done
echo Updated dev subdomain
exit 1

• install nodejs
• install nodemon with npm install -g nodemon (out of my head - please check the manual)
• create an upstart file for the node js script in /etc/init

description "nodejs with nodemonn"
author "etc"

start on startup

respawn

script
   cd /var/target/project/dir/
   exec nodemon /var/target/project/dir/main.js
end script

• now all you have to do is work on the code and commit

• when you commit the code is updated and the nodejs script is restarted

• have fun coding !

I don't think samba is required, unless you want to develop on the server via samba. If you want to do that just skip the svn part and install samba, but setup nodemon upstart scripts - it will save you alot of hassle os ssh-ing.

I work this way because it allows me to write and test locally and then comit code to dev/test/prod servers quick and easy.

To solve the port 80 issue, just setup a firewall rule to redirect incoming tcp/80 to tcp/8080 (for instance) and listen in your nodejs script on that port. More information here: https://serverfault.com/questions/112795/how-can-i-run-a-server-on-linux-on-port-80-as-a-normal-user

p.s. i did not add a complete step-by-step instruction for each item because there are plenty of guides out there that would a much better job than i can

Answer 4

on Ubuntu: startup booting Nodejs + socket.io by ubuntu user:

more /etc/init/noded.conf

# Ubuntu upstart file at /etc/init/noded.conf

description "noded.conf" 

author      "Nguyen Thanh Binh"

start on runlevel [2345]

stop on runlevel [06]

respawn

script

su - ubuntu -c "NODE_ENV=test exec sudo /usr/bin/node /home/ubuntu/server.js" >> /home/ubuntu/log.log &


end script

Answer 5

You can use forvere module to start a nodejs application in the background. for full info see this http://blog.nodejitsu.com/keep-a-nodejs-server-up-with-forever.

and I am just running an Ubuntu dedicated server with nodejs and it's working without a problem