Here is How to Install a Node.js Application

Installing a Node.js Application

Pre-Installation Settings

Before you begin, ensure your hosting provider has installed the necessary EasyApache 4 packages for your server.

Required and Recommended Packages

Note: AlmaLinux 9 and Rocky Linux 9 default to Node.js 16. To use a different version, configure it manually.

Installing the Application

1. Log in via SSH:
   Log in to the server as a cPanel user.
2. Create Application Directory:
   Run the following command to create a directory for your application:

   mkdir nodejsapp

3. Navigate to the Directory:

   cd nodejsapp

4. Create app.js:
   Use a text editor to create a file named app.js (recommended). Example Configuration for app.js:

   const http = require('http');
   const hostname = '127.0.0.1';
   const port = 3000;

   const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
     res.statusCode = 200;
     res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain');
     res.end('Hello World! NodeJS \n');
   });

   server.listen(port, hostname, () => {
     console.log(`Server running at http://${hostname}:${port}/`);
   });

Testing the Application

1. Start the Application:
   Use the following command, replacing ** with your Node.js version:

   /opt/cpanel/ea-nodejs**/bin/node app.js

Example Output:

   Server running at http://127.0.0.1:3000

2. Verify the Application:
   In another terminal, run:

   curl http://127.0.0.1:3000

Expected Output:

   Hello World! NodeJS

3. Stop the Test Application:
   Press CTRL + C or run the following commands:

   ps aux | grep app.js
   kill -9 PIDNUMBER

4. Export the Node.js Path (Optional):
   Add the following line to your .bashrc file, replacing ## with your Node.js version:

   export PATH=/opt/cpanel/ea-nodejs##/bin/:$PATH

Registering the Application

1. Open the Application Manager in cPanel:
   Navigate to cPanel » Home » Software » Application Manager.
2. Register the application and access it via:

   http://example.com/nodejsapp

Restarting the Application

To apply changes:

1. Create a restart.txt file in the tmp directory:

   touch appDir/tmp/restart.txt

2. Restart the application after modifying it.

Using a Custom Startup File

If you create a startup file with a different name, update the Apache configuration:

1. Create the file:

   /etc/apache2/conf.d/userdata/ssl/2_4/user/domain.nodejs.conf

2. Add the following configuration:

   DocumentRoot /user/example.com/public
   PassengerStartupFile index.js
   PassengerAppType node
   PassengerAppRoot /nodejsapp/example.com

3. Rebuild and restart Apache:

   /usr/local/cpanel/scripts/rebuildhttpdconf
   /usr/local/cpanel/scripts/restartsrv_httpd

Troubleshooting

1. Check application logs:

   /home/user/nodejsapp/logs

2. For port issues, refer to Phusion Passenger’s documentation on reverse port binding.

Author: shadjavist

Humble gentleman who never believes in impossibility