vim-ale

To update or switch versions, run webi node@<tag>.
(you can use @lts for long-term support, @beta for pre-releases, or @x.y.z for a specific version)

Files

These are the files / directories that are created and/or modified with this install:

~/.config/envman/PATH.env
~/.local/opt/node/
~/.npmrc

Cheat Sheet

Node is great for simple, snappy HTTP(S) servers, and for stitching APIs together with minimal fuss or muss.

Installing node via webi will:

pick a compatible version from the Node Releases API
download and unpack to $HOME/.local/opt/node/
update your PATH in $HOME/.config/envman/PATH.env
absolutely leave system file permissions alone
- (no dreaded sudo npm permission errors)

Hello World

node -e 'console.log("Hello, World!")'
> Hello, World!

How to Lint and Fmt Node Code

Just by installing these alone, most code editors (vim, VS Code, etc) can automatically use them for JavaScript:

npm install --location=global fixjson@1 jshint@2 prettier@3

To run them manually on your code;

prettier (fmt)

touch .prettierrc.json .prettierignore
prettier -w '**/*.{md,js,jsx,html}'

jshintrc (lint)

touch .jshintrc .jshintignore
jhint -c ./.jshintrc *.js */*.js

fixjson
(turns JavaScript Objects with comments, trailing commas, etc into actual json)
```
fixjson -i 2 -w ./package.json
```

A Simple Web Server

server.js:

var http = require('http');
var app = function (req, res) {
  res.end('Hello, World!');
};
http.createServer(app).listen(8080, function () {
  console.info('Listening on', this.address());
});

node server.js

Generate a Secure Random Key

This generates a hex-encoded 128-bit random key.

node -p 'crypto.randomBytes(16).toString("hex")'

This generates a url-safe base64 256-bit random key.

node -p 'crypto.randomBytes(32).toString("base64")
            .replace(/\+/g, "-").replace(/\//g, "_").replace(/=/g, "")'

An Express App

mkdir my-server
pushd my-server/
npm init
npm install --save express

app.js:

'use strict';

var express = require('express');
var app = express();

app.use('/', function (req, res, next) {
  res.end('Hello, World!');
});

module.exports = app;

server.js:

'use strict';

var http = require('http');
var app = require('./app.js');

http.createServer(app).listen(8080, function () {
  console.info('Listening on', this.address());
});

npm start

How to Reverse Proxy to Node

You can use caddy:

./Caddyfile:

localhost {
    # Reverse Proxy to your Node app's API
    handle /api/* {
        reverse_proxy localhost:3000
    }

    # Handle static files directly with Caddy
    handle /* {
        root * ./public/
        file_server
    }
}

caddy run --config ./Caddyfile

See the Caddy Cheat Sheet for more info, such as how to use X-SendFile to .

How to Allow Node to bind on 80 & 443

You can... but should you?

Are You Sure?

Typically you should use caddy as a Reverse Proxy (see above).

Yes

On macOS all programs have permissions to use privileged ports by default.

On Linux there are several ways to add network capabilities for privileged ports:

Use setcap-netbind

webi setcap-netbind
setcap-netbind caddy

Use setcap directly

my_caddy_path="$( command -v caddy )"
my_caddy_absolute="$( readlink -f "${my_caddy_path}" )"

sudo setcap cap_net_bind_service=+ep "${my_caddy_absolute}"

Add the --set-cap-net-bind option to serviceman (see below)

Update the systemd config directly:

CapabilityBoundingSet=CAP_NET_ADMIN CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE
AmbientCapabilities=CAP_NET_ADMIN CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE

How to run a Node app as a User Service

Also called "Login Item", "Startup Item" or "User Unit", this is how you run a Node app as a Non-System (Unprivileged) Service on Mac, Windows, and Linux:

Install serviceman
```
webi serviceman
```

Use Serviceman to create a Launch Agent (macOS), Startup Item (Windows), or User Unit (Linux):

my_username="$( id -u -n )"

serviceman add --user --name my-node-project -- \
    caddy run --config ./Caddyfile --envfile ~/.config/caddy/env

Manage the service

On macOS

# Manage (-w to disable/enable on login)
launchctl unload -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/my-node-project.plist
launchctl load -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/my-node-project.plist

# View Logs
tail -f ~/.local/share/my-node-project/var/log/my-node-project.log

On Windows

# Manage
serviceman stop caddy
serviceman start caddy

# View Logs
type ~/.local/share/my-node-project/var/log/my-node-project.log | more

On Linux

# Manage
systemctl --user disable my-node-project
systemctl --user stop my-node-project
systemctl --user enable my-node-project
systemctl --user start my-node-project

# View Logs
journalctl --user -xef -u my-node-project

How to run a Node app as a System Service

pushd ./my-node-project/

my_username="$( id -u -n )"
sudo env PATH="$PATH" \
    serviceman add --system --path "$PATH" --cap-net-bind \
    --name my-node-project --username "${my_username}" -- \
        npm run start

... with auto-reload in Dev

pushd ./my-node-project/

sudo env PATH="$PATH" \
    serviceman add --system --path "$PATH" --cap-net-bind \
    --name my-node-project --username "$(id -u -n)" -- \
        npx -p nodemon@3 -- nodemon ./server.js

View Logs & Restart

sudo journalctl -xef -u my-node-project
sudo systemctl restart my-node-project