NPM Project As A Service

(No root required) Adds npm project to start on system boot (with/without forever) or on scheduled (such as npm/git updates daily).

Installation

There are 3 ways to use npm-as-service

Install globally: (for user level versions of npm such as nvm)

npm install npm-as-service -g

Install globally as root: (for system level versions of npm such as n and npm from system repos)

sudo npm install npm-as-service -g

Use in your project only:

npm install npm-as-service --save
PATH=$PATH:node_modules/.bin

Usage

Start your project on boot

In your project root where package.json is located run:

npm-service install

If you don't have a package.json in your project root you can run:

npm init

You must then edit your package.json to specify your start command

package.json: (minimal)

{
  ...
  "main": "index.js",
  ....
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node ${npm_package_main}",
   }
   ...
}

package.json: (using forever)

{
  ...
  "main": "index.js",
  ....
  "scripts": {
    "start": "npm stop --silent; forever start --workingDir \"${PWD}\" \"${PWD}/${npm_package_main}\"",
    "stop": "forever stop --silent \"${PWD}/${npm_package_main}\"",
   }
   ...
}

Automaticly (daily) update your project including security issues with dependencies

npm-service install --cmd npm update --crontab_time @daily
npm-service install --cmd npm audit fix --crontab_time @daily

How to remove services

npm-service remove
npm-service remove --cmd npm update --crontab_time @daily
npm-service remove --cmd npm audit fix --crontab_time @daily

More help:

$ npm-service --help
Usage: npm-as-service [options] [command]

Options:
  -V, --version      output the version number
  -h, --help         display help for command

Commands:
  install [options]  install npm package as a service
  remove [options]   remove npm package as a service
  help [command]     display help for command

Install help:

$ npm-service install --help
Usage: npm-as-service install [options]

install npm package as a service

Options:
  -c, --cmd <command...>            The command to use for cron (default: ["npm","start"])
  --prefix <path>                   npm --prefix (default: "/home/owner/Documents/repos/npm-as-service")
  -t, --crontab_time <time>         Comma separated time specification list or nickname {m h dom mon 
                                        dow,@reboot,@yearly,@annually,@monthly,@weekly,@daily,@hourly}. see "man crontab(5)" 
                                        (default: "@reboot")
  -p, --cron_paths <PATH:PATH:...>  Extra environment paths for cron. For example where npm is located. 
                                        (default: "/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin")
  -l, --cron_log <PATH>             Path to cron log
  -v, --verbose                     Verbose debug output
  -h, --help                        Display help for command