Server support blog

Unfortunately I could not find proper node.js RPM available, so I had to resort to building it from source. Completely against RH ideology but what else you can do?

For reason of personal preference node.js developers resorted to python as the configuration generator (I guess they are so innovative and ahead of their time that autoconf/automake just isn’t going to cut it for them – knowing/using this ancient technology is totally below them). But I digress, the problem is that they also insisting on python 2.6 which is not Centos 5 stock version.
So, let’s begin:

1. You will need to install EPEL repo and install python26 RPM out of it.
   
   Shell

   # yum -y install python26 Loaded plugins: downloadonly, fastestmirror Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile * base: pubmirrors.reflected.net * epel: mirror.us.leaseweb.net * extras: mirror.cogentco.com * ius: mirrors.ircam.fr * updates: mirror.7x24web.net Excluding Packages in global exclude list Finished Setting up Install Process Resolving Dependencies --> Running transaction check ---> Package python26.x86_64 0:2.6.8-1.el5 set to be updated --> Processing Dependency: libpython2.6.so.1.0()(64bit) for package: python26 --> Running transaction check ---> Package python26-libs.x86_64 0:2.6.8-1.el5 set to be updated --> Finished Dependency Resolution Dependencies Resolved ================================================================================ Package Arch Version Repository Size ================================================================================ Installing: python26 x86_64 2.6.8-1.el5 epel 6.5 M Installing for dependencies: python26-libs x86_64 2.6.8-1.el5 epel 695 k Transaction Summary ================================================================================ Install 2 Package(s) Upgrade 0 Package(s) Total download size: 7.2 M Downloading Packages: (1/2): python26-libs-2.6.8-1.el5.x86_64.rpm | 695 kB 00:01 (2/2): python26-2.6.8-1.el5.x86_64.rpm | 6.5 MB 00:01 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 2.7 MB/s | 7.2 MB 00:02 Running rpm_check_debug Running Transaction Test Finished Transaction Test Transaction Test Succeeded Running Transaction Installing : python26-libs 1/2 Installing : python26 2/2 Installed: python26.x86_64 0:2.6.8-1.el5 Dependency Installed: python26-libs.x86_64 0:2.6.8-1.el5 Complete!

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   # yum -y install python26 Loaded plugins: downloadonly, fastestmirror Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile * base: pubmirrors.reflected.net * epel: mirror.us.leaseweb.net * extras: mirror.cogentco.com * ius: mirrors.ircam.fr * updates: mirror.7x24web.net Excluding Packages in global exclude list Finished Setting up Install Process Resolving Dependencies --> Running transaction check ---> Package python26.x86_64 0:2.6.8-1.el5 set to be updated --> Processing Dependency: libpython2.6.so.1.0()(64bit) for package: python26 --> Running transaction check ---> Package python26-libs.x86_64 0:2.6.8-1.el5 set to be updated --> Finished Dependency Resolution   Dependencies Resolved   ================================================================================ Package               Arch           Version                Repository    Size ================================================================================ Installing: python26              x86_64         2.6.8-1.el5            epel         6.5 M Installing for dependencies: python26-libs         x86_64         2.6.8-1.el5            epel         695 k   Transaction Summary ================================================================================ Install       2 Package(s) Upgrade       0 Package(s)   Total download size: 7.2 M Downloading Packages: (1/2): python26-libs-2.6.8-1.el5.x86_64.rpm              | 695 kB     00:01     (2/2): python26-2.6.8-1.el5.x86_64.rpm                   | 6.5 MB     00:01     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total                                           2.7 MB/s | 7.2 MB     00:02     Running rpm_check_debug Running Transaction Test Finished Transaction Test Transaction Test Succeeded Running Transaction   Installing     : python26-libs                                            1/2   Installing     : python26                                                 2/2   Installed:   python26.x86_64 0:2.6.8-1.el5                                                   Dependency Installed:   python26-libs.x86_64 0:2.6.8-1.el5                                               Complete!

2. Get latest node.js from the developers node.js download and unpack it at your $SRC directory (mine is usually at /usr/local/src).
   
   Shell

   # cd /usr/local/src wget http://nodejs.org/dist/v0.8.7/node-v0.8.7.tar.gz tar xzf node*gz cd node*7

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   # cd /usr/local/src wget http://nodejs.org/dist/v0.8.7/node-v0.8.7.tar.gz tar xzf node*gz cd node*7

3. Next step would be to use python26 to generate node.js build configs and install it under /usr prefix as other common daemons
   
   Shell

   # python26 ./configure --prefix=/usr { 'target_defaults': { 'cflags': [], 'default_configuration': 'Release', 'defines': [], 'include_dirs': [], 'libraries': []}, 'variables': { 'host_arch': 'x64', 'node_install_npm': 'true', 'node_install_waf': 'true', 'node_no_strict_aliasing': 1, 'node_prefix': '/usr', 'node_shared_openssl': 'false', 'node_shared_v8': 'false', 'node_shared_zlib': 'false', 'node_use_dtrace': 'false', 'node_use_etw': 'false', 'node_use_openssl': 'true', 'target_arch': 'x64', 'v8_no_strict_aliasing': 1, 'v8_use_snapshot': 'true'}} creating ./config.gypi creating ./config.mk # make >>../nodejs-build.log 2>&1 && make install

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   # python26 ./configure --prefix=/usr { 'target_defaults': { 'cflags': [],                        'default_configuration': 'Release',                        'defines': [],                        'include_dirs': [],                        'libraries': []},   'variables': { 'host_arch': 'x64',                  'node_install_npm': 'true',                  'node_install_waf': 'true',                  'node_no_strict_aliasing': 1,                  'node_prefix': '/usr',                  'node_shared_openssl': 'false',                  'node_shared_v8': 'false',                  'node_shared_zlib': 'false',                  'node_use_dtrace': 'false',                  'node_use_etw': 'false',                  'node_use_openssl': 'true',                  'target_arch': 'x64',                  'v8_no_strict_aliasing': 1,                  'v8_use_snapshot': 'true'}} creating  ./config.gypi creating  ./config.mk # make >>../nodejs-build.log 2>&1 && make install

   
   It’s ready now.
4. At some point in the future you might need node.js startup script to serve your js content. Here is the one I have:
   
   Shell

   #!/bin/sh # # chkconfig: 235 99 99 # description: Node.js /home/nodejs/sample/app.js # . /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions USER="apache" DAEMON="/usr/bin/node" ROOT_DIR="/home/some/root/dir" SERVER="$ROOT_DIR/server.js" LOG_FILE="$ROOT_DIR/app.js.log" LOCK_FILE="/var/lock/subsys/node-server" do_start() { if [ ! -f "$LOCK_FILE" ] ; then echo -n $"Starting $SERVER: " runuser -l "$USER" -c "$DAEMON $SERVER >> $LOG_FILE &" && echo_success || echo_failure RETVAL=$? echo [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && touch $LOCK_FILE else echo "$SERVER is locked." RETVAL=1 fi } do_stop() { echo -n $"Stopping $SERVER: " pid=`ps -aefw | grep "$DAEMON $SERVER" | grep -v " grep " | awk '{print $2}'` kill -9 $pid > /dev/null 2>&1 && echo_success || echo_failure RETVAL=$? echo [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && rm -f $LOCK_FILE } case "$1" in start) do_start ;; stop) do_stop ;; restart) do_stop do_start ;; *) echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart}" RETVAL=1 esac exit $RETVAL

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   #!/bin/sh   # # chkconfig: 235 99 99 # description: Node.js /home/nodejs/sample/app.js #   . /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions   USER="apache"   DAEMON="/usr/bin/node" ROOT_DIR="/home/some/root/dir"   SERVER="$ROOT_DIR/server.js" LOG_FILE="$ROOT_DIR/app.js.log"   LOCK_FILE="/var/lock/subsys/node-server"   do_start() {         if [ ! -f "$LOCK_FILE" ] ; then                 echo -n $"Starting $SERVER: "                 runuser -l "$USER" -c "$DAEMON $SERVER >> $LOG_FILE &" && echo_success || echo_failure                 RETVAL=$?                 echo                 [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && touch $LOCK_FILE         else                 echo "$SERVER is locked."                 RETVAL=1         fi } do_stop() {         echo -n $"Stopping $SERVER: "         pid=`ps -aefw | grep "$DAEMON $SERVER" | grep -v " grep " | awk '{print $2}'`         kill -9 $pid > /dev/null 2>&1 && echo_success || echo_failure         RETVAL=$?         echo         [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && rm -f $LOCK_FILE }   case "$1" in         start)                 do_start                 ;;         stop)                 do_stop                 ;;         restart)                 do_stop                 do_start                 ;;         *)                 echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart}"                 RETVAL=1 esac   exit $RETVAL

   
   You will have to adjust ROOT_DIR and node.js user to accommodate your situation and register the service with chkconfig.

Update:
As of nodejs release 0.8.8 usage of python26 on ./configure script is not enough anymore. In order to properly install you have to create PYTHON environment variable and point it to python26.
So instead of

It will have to be