Should I Still Upload Node_modules If I'm Hosting My Website Somehwere

How to Host Node.js Applications on Plesk Obsidian

• By Alexei Yuzhakov
• April 12, 2022
• Product and technology

If you are because providing Node.js application hosting every bit a service to your customers or if you would like to use Plesk to automate hosting Node.js applications you are developing, nosotros've got good news for you. Plesk comes with a Node.js extension that allows you to install and manage apps quickly and easily. Other key functions include:

• Using the latest releases of Node.js (LTS and Current),
• Choice of parcel manager: NPM or Yarn,
• Viewing application logs in Plesk web interface using Log Browser,
• Very simple spider web interface for other related direction functions

In this article, nosotros'll describe in item how to work with Node.js apps in the context of Plesk Obsidian, the latest version of Plesk.

Prerequisites

The first thing you need to do is install Plesk Obsidian. I chose Debian as the server OS for this article. You lot can apply either a Linux distro or Windows – but note that there could be some small-scale differences if you become with a dissimilar Os. Bold Plesk is already installed, let'southward install the Node.js extension.

Log in to Plesk, go to "Tools and Settings", and click "Updates and Upgrades". Next, become to "Add together/Remove Components". Observe the "NodeJS support" component. Select it, and keep with the Node.JS installation. In a few minutes, all the necessary components will exist installed and y'all'll be ready to go!

Hosting a 'Hello Earth' App

To make sure everything works, permit's try to host a sample Node.js app, such equally a "Hi, World" app. You lot can download one here. Copy/pasting the contents of the app.js file manually is an pick. But I advise trying out another Plesk extension instead – namely, the Git extension.

First, you have to create a subscription (a domain with hosting). Then, you need to create a target directory where the app will be stored. Select your subscription, go to the "Files" tab, and create a directory named "hello-world". Side by side, get to the "Domains" tab, choose the website, and click the "Git" button.

Local Repo Set up

At present, you'll learn how to gear up a local repo every bit a mirror of a remote one, and deploy the code to the previously created directory. Set this URL as the remote Git repo URL, and modify the target to the "hello-globe" directory. The settings should look like this:

Differences Betwixt 'Document Root' and 'Application Root'

The next step is to alter the "Document root" for the domain. Observe that I'll be talking about  "Document root" and "Application root": they aren't one and the same. When we're talking well-nigh web apps (e.g. Node.js based apps or similar), the "Document root" is the location where the static avails tin be constitute. Meanwhile, the "Application root" is the root directory where the app itself is located. In almost cases, the "Certificate root" is a directory inside the "Application root" directory (e.k. "public").

Y'all need to change the document root at present. To do so, go to "Domains", select your website and go to "Hosting Settings":

Alter the existing document root to 'hello-world/public' (without quotes) and click the 'Ok' button to save the changes.

Enable Node.js Support

The final thing to practice earlier you run the app is to enable Node.js support on the domain. Go to "Domains", choose the website and click "Node.js". Hither you'll see some information about your app and a row of buttons on pinnacle. Click "Enable Node.js", and in a few seconds, your screen volition expect like this:

First, let's click on the "Awarding URL" link to make certain that the app is running. If you come across a "Hi, World!" message, congratulations! Your Node.js app is upward and running.

App with Dependencies

Real-globe Node.js apps always have external dependencies defined in the packet.json file and installed in the node_modules directory.

Let's take a look at an Express-based app – you tin can download it from the repository hither. Either repeat the steps in a higher place to prepare a repository in Plesk, or download/upload the source code manually. Once you're done, the Node.js settings screen should look similar this – bold yous uploaded the code to the "express-demo" directory:

Installing Dependencies

Earlier you lot try accessing the app, you demand to initialize it first. Permit'due south begin by installing dependencies – luckily, in Plesk, it's as easy as clicking the "NPM install" button. This volition install all app dependencies co-ordinate to the packet.json file.

Note: you tin also use Yarn package manager. The extension will endeavour to determine the package director you need based on the application files. Or you can specify it explicitly in the extension interface.

So, you lot need to tune the app startup file. Plesk uses the Phusion Rider application server to serve Node.js apps. Our demo app repository contains a file named "server.js". This file is non a part of a typical Limited-based app and contains just a few lines of lawmaking, only information technology's nonetheless necessary for the app to run:

const app = crave('./app'); const http = require('http');  http.createServer(app).mind(procedure.env.PORT);

Y'all tin employ the thought behind this file when hosting other Node.js apps (eastward.g. based on a unlike framework). The last thing you need to do is to alter the "Application Startup File" setting to "server.js".

Now, try browsing the domain on which you installed the app – you should see the Express welcome message.

By default, the app is running in the "production" fashion. If you modify the app, don't forget to restart information technology past clicking the "Restart" button.

Knowing how to debug Node.js apps in case whatsoever bug announced is essential for a Node.js developer. Here are a few tips that can salvage you a lot of grief:

Viewing Hosted Application Logs

The starting time thing to practice when troubleshooting a Node.js app is to check the log files. To find the log records including console output for your awarding, open up "Log Browser" for your website. You tin can focus the listed records using the dropdown at the right.

Bring Error Messages to the Browser

When developing an app, information technology's very handy to see the error messages directly on the site – they are withal getting logged. Go to the Node.js app settings screen and alter the Application Manner to "development". Adjacent time an effect pops up, the error will be shown in the browser window. Like this:

Node.js and Windows

Node.js support is available in both Plesk for Linux and Plesk for Windows. But hosting Node.js apps on Windows has a few caveats you need to have into business relationship.

First, Node.js support in Plesk Obsidian is implemented with the help of the iisnode module (if you would like to learn more almost the iisnode project, you can find the documentation here). Second, while in Plesk for Linux you lot can select a dissimilar Node.js version for every domain. In Plesk for Windows, a single Node.js version is used server-wide – you tin select the Node.js version during the installation.

Testing Node.js Back up

Another difference is the location of the main entry point. In Plesk for Linux, it must exist located in the parent directory of the domain'due south "Document root". In Plesk for Windows, it must be placed directly in the "Document root" directory.

To test Node.js support, allow'south utilize the Express-based demo app from hither. Create a directory called "node-express" on your domain using FTP access or the built-in File Manager. Then deploy the contents of the "node-express" GitHub repository. Afterward that, click the "Hosting Settings" link (within Domains -> Website proper name) and set the domain's "Certificate root" directory to "node-express".

Then, go to Node.js app settings and change the "Application Startup File" to "server.js". Finally, install the dependencies using the "NPM install" button. In one case the dependencies are installed, you can browse your site to make sure that the app is running. Some additional tuning of rewrite rules may be required, but equally you can meet, it's possible to launch Node.js app fifty-fifty on Windows hosting.

…So that'due south it, folks! Plesk Obsidian and Node.js support extension make hosting Node.js apps every bit simple as one, two, three. You can also read Php vs Node.js and Node.js vs Cerise on Railscomparison articles for more information. At present, give information technology a endeavour and let us know how you did in the comments!

Alexei Yuzhakov

Alexei has been part of the Plesk team since 2005 and is the Plesk Core squad's Unit Manager. He's passionate about programming, product development and driving tech teams.

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Source: https://www.plesk.com/blog/product-technology/node-js-plesk-onyx/

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