Standalone Node.js application

I am considering developing a desktop application composed of 2 parts:

• user interface (Java app for example)
• back-end Node.js server

The 2 parts connect through sockets. Don't ask why I know it's weird.

I will want to be able to provide to customers the application with an installer. I don't want that users have to install Node.js themselves.

Is there a way to have a Node.js server installed as standalone, i.e. no need to install Node.js globally on the system.

This is a question for any (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X...) environment.

Update 2017-05-04: And there's a new kid in town:

• PKG (by zeit)

Update 2016-11-14: Nowadays Electron and nwjs seem like the best options.

• Electron
• nwjs-builder

Original:

There are a number of steps you have to go through to create an installer and it varies for each Operating System. For Example:

• on Mac OS X you need to create a .pkg, there are instructions on how to do that here: <https://coolaj86.com/articles/how-to-create-an-osx-pkg-installer.html>
• on Ubuntu Linux you need to create a .deb, there are instruction on how to do that here: <https://coolaj86.com/articles/how-to-create-a-debian-installer.html>
• on Microsoft Windows you need to create a .exe or .msi, there are instruction on how do that using the innosetup installer here: <https://coolaj86.com/articles/how-to-create-an-innosetup-installer.html>

You can bundle the binaries with your application. Won't have to install anything to run a Node app. The binaries are available on the same page as the installers.

You'll just have to know where the binaries are, but I assume you've got an installer that can put them somewhere known.

// To start the node process
$ /path/to/binaries/npm install
$ /path/to/binaries/node myApp.js

Node-Webkit is an option, but it really isn't set-up to do a "server - client" type relationship.

Another option is packaging the node.js installers with you application installer. Then when the application boot you can spin up a node.js process. I know some developers have been doing this with titanium, here is a little bit more information information.

Hope this helps!

Here's an option: Light Table is a node app, but installs nicely and integrates the GUI (webkit) cleanly on most OSs.

To do this it leverages node-webkit. (Runs node code straight from an html page.) Here is the packaging documentation.

Worth mentioning Electron made by GitHub. Used for building Atom, Slack, Visual Studio Code and more.

I’ve just stumbled upon nexe – a tool which “creates a single executable out of your node.js app”.

I haven’t tried it out yet, but I guess that even works without an installer – producing just a single standalone binary.