npm install narIdiomatic application packager utility for node.js to create self-contained executable applications that are ready-to-ship-and-run.
nar provides built-in support for creating, extracting, installing and running
applications easily from a simple configuration through
a featured command-line interface
or evented programmatic API.
To get started, see the features, basic usage or read the FAQs.
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- Simple and featured command-line interface
- Simple evented programmatic API
- Fully configurable from package.json
- Supports pre/post run hooks (based on [npm scripts][npm-scripts])
- Able to download and run archives from remote servers
- Able to install archives from local and remote servers (like npm does)
- Able to embed global dependencies
- Able to embed dependencies by type
- Able to embed node/io.js binary, also supporting multiple versions
- Able to install archives like npm does
- Able to create archives like raw binaries (fully self-contained)
- Integrable in your development workflow through [Grunt][grunt-plugin] or [Gulp][gulp-plugin]
- Uses tarball bitstream with gzip compression/decompression
- Transparent file checksum integrity verification
- Well tested (+270)
- Installation
- Basic usage
- Executables
- Configuration
- Options
- Hooks
- Command-line interface
- create
- extract
- run
- install
- get
- list
- Programmatic API
- FAQ
- Contributing
- Development
- License
``bash`
npm install -g nar
If you want to use the programmatic API, install it as direct package dependency
`bash`
npm install nar --save[-dev]
Creating a new archive (reading metadata from package.json)`bash`
nar create
Extracting archive files
`bash`
nar extract app-0.1.0.nar
Running an application archive
`bash`
nar run app-0.1.0.nar
Installing nar archive (default to node_modules)`bash`
nar install app-0.1.0.nar --save[-dev]
Installing from remote server is also supported
`bash`
nar install http://server.net/app-0.1.0.nar --save[-dev]
nar also provides support for creating executables binary-like archives whichnode/io.js
has binary embedded, and therefore, is not required
to have it already installed in the target OS
This is a useful feature when you need to deploy or test
node applications in fresh or isolated servers
Create the executable:
`bash`
nar create --executable
> Creates: myapp-0.1.0-linux-x64.nar
Then you can run it as simple as:
`bash`
chmod +x myapp-0.1.0-linux-x64.nar
./myapp-0.1.0-linux-x64.nar start --args-start='--port 8080 --env dev'
If you need to pass custom arguments to your application, instead
of use the --args-start flag, you could use the exec command directly`bash`
./myapp-0.1.0-linux-x64.nar exec --port 8080 --env dev
You can also embed a custom node binary per platform, processor architecture and version
`bash`
nar create --executable --os darwin --arch x64 --node 0.12.0
`bash`
nar create --executable --os darwin --arch x64 --io 1.1.0
Supported platforms:
- linux (x86, x64, armv7l)darwin
- (x86, x64, armv7l)sunos
- (x86, x64, armv7l)
Note: armv7l is only available in io.js and linux platform
Supported node versions:
- 0.8.x0.9.x
- 0.10.x
- 0.11.x
- 0.12.x
- 4.x
- 5.x
- 6.x
-
Supported io.js versions:
- 1.x2.x
- 3.x
-
Help: you can build and distribute nar executables with auto installer using the installer script
Example package.json with full configuration`json`
{
"name": "my-package",
"version": "1.0.0",
"archive": {
"dependencies": true,
"devDependencies": false,
"globalDependencies": ["npm", "bower", "http-server"],
"patterns": ["", "!test/"]
},
"scripts": {
"start": "node app --env ${ENV}"
},
"dependencies": {
"some": "~0.1.0"
}
}
Following options can be declared in your application package.json asarchive
properties members of the object
#### dependencies
Type: booleantrue
Default:
Include runtime dependencies in the archive, loaded from package.json
#### devDependencies
Type: booleanfalse
Default:
Include development dependencies in the archive, loaded from package.json
#### peerDependencies
Type: booleantrue
Default:
Include peer dependencies in the archive, loaded from package.json
#### globalDependencies
Type: arraynull
Default:
Include global dependencies in the archive.
It should define an array of strings with packages names
nar will resolve global installed packages (via [requireg][requireg])
and will add them to the archive
Global dependencies will be placed in .node/lib/node on archive extraction and them will berequire
available both via and PATH environment variable (for binary files)
#### binary
Type: booleanfalse
Default:
Include the node binary in the nar archive.
This is useful when you want to deploy a fully self-contained application
which works in a sandboxed runtime environment
The included node binary will be, by default, the same as the used when your
create the archive (taken from process.execPath)
Hooks scripts that requires node will use the self-contained binary inside the archive.PATH
It will be accessible via environment variable.package.json
If you want to use node from hook scripts, you could simply use: node script.js
Note: the node binary is OS and platform specific.
Take this into account if you are going to deploy the archive in multiple platforms
#### binaryPath
Type: stringprocess.execPath
Default:
Custom node binary path to add into the archive
You must define the binary option as true in order to apply this.${HOME}/binaries/node
You can use interpolated environment variables expressions in
this option, like
Aditionally, you can also define the binaryPath value from the NAR_BINARY
environment variable
#### ignoreFiles
Type: booleantrue
Default:
Enable/disable ignore-like files processing in order to load
files patterns to discard from the archive
#### patterns
Type: array['**']
Default:
[Glob][glob] patterns for matching files to include or exclude in the archive.
OS level specific hidden files such as .DS_Store or Thumbs.db will be ignored by default
Aditionally, nar will ignore matched patterns defined in ignore-like files
nar supports application pre/post execution hooks, that are also supported by npm
You should define them from package.json in the scripts member (see [npm scripts][npm-scripts])
Supported hooks (by execution order):
- prestartstart
- stop
- poststop
-
Configuration example:
`json`
{
"name": "app",
"version": "1.0.0",
"scripts": {
"prestart": "mkdir -p temp/logs",
"start": "node app --env ${ENV}",
"stop": "rm -rf cache"
}
}
#### Aditional useful features
##### Environment variables in hook commands
You can consum environment variables from hook comands using the ${VARNAME} notation
##### Nar-specific execution environment
nar will expose the NODE_NAR environment variable in the hooks execution contexts and node application
You can make any environment runtime checks if your application needs a different behavior
dependending of the runtime environment
##### Ignoring files
nar will find ignore-like files in order to load
and match patterns of files to discard
Supported files by priority are (the first one found implies to ignore other ones):
- .narignore.buildignore
- .npmignore
- .gitignore
-
`bash
Usage: nar [options] [command]
Commands:
help
Output usage information
create [options] [path]
Create a nar archive
extract [options]
Extract archive
run [options]
Run archive files
list [options]
List archive files
install [options]
Install archive
get [options]
Download archive from HTTP server
Options:
-h, --help output usage information
-V, --version output the version number
Usage examples:
$ nar create
$ nar run app.nar
$ nar extract app.nar -o some/dir
$ nar list app.nar
$ nar install app.nar --save
$ nar get http://server.net/app.nar
Command specific help:
$ nar
`
buildCreate a new archive from an existent application
`bash
$ nar create
$ nar create some/path --debug
$ nar create path/to/package.json -o some/dir
$ nar create --dev-dependencies --global-dependencies 'npm, grunt-cli'
$ nar create --omit-dependencies
$ nar create --verbose
$ nar create --executable
`$3
Alias: eExtract archive files into directory
`bash
$ nar extract
$ nar extract app.nar
$ nar extract app.nar -o some-dir
$ nar extract app.nar --debug
`$3
Alias: x startRun nar archive application
`bash
$ nar run app.nar
$ nar run app.nar --no-hooks
$ nar run app.nar --no-clean --debug
$ nar run app.nar --verbose
$ nar run app.nar --args-start '--env ${ENV}'
$ nar run app.nar --args-stop '--path ${PATH}'
$ nar run http://server.net/app.nar
`$3
Alias: iInstall nar archive as dependency (defaults to
node_modules)`bash
$ nar install app.nar --save
$ nar install app.nar -o some/dir --save-dev
$ nar install app.nar --debug
$ nar install http://server.net/app-0.1.0.nar
$ nar install -g http://server.net/app-0.1.0.nar
`$3
Alias: g downloadDownload a remote archive
`bash
$ nar get http://server.net/app.nar
$ nar get http://server.net/app.nar --user john --password pa$s
$ nar get http://server.net/app.nar --proxy http://proxy:3128
$ nar get http://server.net/app.nar --strict-ssl --timeout 60000
`$3
Alias: l showList files from archive
`bash
$ nar list app.nar
$ nar list app.nar --no-table
`Programmatic API
nar provides a full featured programmatic API designed to easy to use from other node applicationsThe API is full asynchronous event based
`js
var nar = require('nar')var options = {
path: 'my/package.json', // defaults to ./package.json
dest: 'build/', // defaults to current directory
binary: true, // embed node binary to use it when run the archive
dependencies: true, // embed dependencies declared in package.json
devDependencies: true, // the same for dev dependencies
globalDependencies: ['npm', 'grunt-cli'] // and for globals :)
}
nar.create(options)
.on('error', function (err) {
throw err
})
.on('info', function (nar) {
console.log(nar.name)
})
.on('entry', function (file) {
console.log('Adding file:', file.name)
})
.on('end', function (path) {
console.log('Archive created in:', path)
})
`$3
Fired events: end, error, entry, archive, message, info, startCreate new archive based a the given
package.json and additional defined options##### Options
You can pass any configuration options and the following options:
- path
string Path to package.json or application directory. Required
- dest string Extract destination path. Default to random temporal directory
- file string Archive file name. Default to package name + version, taken from package.json
- patterns array List of glob patterns to match files to include or exclude. See node-glob$3
Same as
nar.create(), but this generate an executable binary-like archiveAditional executable options supported are:
- os
string Node.js OS binary platform to embed. Detault to runtime OS
- arch string Node.js OS binary architecture to embed. Default to runtime OS arch
- node string Node.js version to embed. Default to the current node runtime version$3
Fired events: end, error, entry, archive, message, info, startExtract archive files into an output directory
##### Options
- path
string Path to nar archive. Required
- dest string Extract destination path. Default to random temporal directory
- tmpdir string Temporal directory to use. Default to random temporal directory$3
Fired events: end, error, entry, archive, command, info, start, stdout, stderr, exitRead, extract and run an application. It will read [command scripts][npm-scripts] hooks in
package.json##### Options
- path
string Path to nar archive. Required
- dest string Extract destination path. Defaults to random temporal directory
- args object Aditional argument to pass to hooks. Keys must have the same hook name
- hooks boolean Enable/disable run command hooks. Defaults to true
- clean boolean Clean app directory on exit. Defaults to true$3
Options: pathFired events:
end, error, entryRead and parse a given .nar archive, emitting the
entry event for each existent file##### Options
- path
string Path to nar archive. Required$3
Fired events: end, download, downloadEnd, error, entry, start, progressInstall archive as dependency in
node_modules directory.
It can aditionally download the archive from remote server##### Options
- path
string Path to nar archive. Required if url is empty
- url string URL to download the archive. Required if path is empty
- filename string Downloaded filename. Defaults taken from URI path
- dest string Install destination path. Defaults to random node_modules
- clean boolean Clean downloaded archive after install. Defaults to true
- proxy string Proxy server URL. Default taken from environment variable http_proxy
- auth object user and password for HTTP basic authentication
- timeout number HTTP request timeout in ms. Defaults to 10000
- headers object Define aditional HTTP request headers
- strictSSL boolean Performs HTTP request with valid SSL servers. Defaults to false
- save boolean Save installed package as runtime dependency in package.json. Default to false
- saveDev boolean Save installed package as development dependency in package.json. Default to false
- savePeer boolean Save installed package as peer dependency in package.json. Default to false
- global boolean Install package as global dependency. Default to false$3
Alias: downloadFired events:
end, error, download, progressDownload archive from remote server.
It supports basic HTTP authentication and proxy
##### Options
- path
string Path to nar archive. Required if url is empty
- url string URL to download the archive. Required if path is empty
- dest string Install destination path. Defaults to random node_modules
- filename string Downloaded filename. Defaults taken from URI path
- clean boolean Clean downloaded archive after install. Defaults to true
- proxy string Proxy server URL. Default taken from environment variable http_proxy
- auth object user and password for HTTP basic authentication
- timeout number HTTP request timeout in ms. Defaults to 10000
- strictSSL boolean Performs HTTP request with valid SSL servers. Defaults to false$3
Type: string$3
Complete list of available events for subscription
- end
([result]) Task was completed successfully
- error (error) Some error happens and task cannot be completed
- entry (entry) On read/write file, usually fired from file streams
- archive (archive) Emit the archive that is being processed
- message (message) General information status message, useful for debugging purposes
- download () Starts a download process
- command (command) Hook command to execute when run an application
- info (config) Expose the nar archive config
- start (command) On application start hook command
- stdout (string) Command execution stdout entry. Emits on every chunk of data
- stderr (string) Command execution stderr entry. Emits on every chunk of data
- exit (code, hook) When a hook command process endsFAQ
##### Which kind of archive is nar?
nar archives are just a tarball containers with gzip compression.
It's equivalent to a file with
tar.gz extension, so you can extract
it with tar, 7zip or file compression tools ans inspect the archive contentsExample using
tar
`bash
$ tar xvfz app-0.1.0.nar
`Note: this is not applied for
nar executables, since they have another format
and not just a tarball file interface##### Is required to have installed node or nar in order to work with nar archives?
No. From version
0.3.0 you can create executable binary-like applications containers
and there is no more required to have previously installed node or nar in order
to run, install or extract an applicationYou can create an executable archive simply passing a flag
`bash
$ nar create --executable
`Then you could run it like a binary:
`bash
$ ./app-0.1.0-linux-x64.nar [run|extract|install] [options]
`If you don't create your archive with this option, you must to have
nar
(and consequently node) installed in the target computer##### nar executables runs in Windows?
No.
nar executables only can run in POSIX operative systems (GNU/Linux, Darwin or SunOS)Is not planned to support it due to technical limitations in Windows OS
##### There is the maximum file size for nar archives?
V8 JavaScript engine (which node uses) has a heap memory limit of 1 GB. This is teorically the maximum fize limit, however, it can variadic depend on the number of files and its sizes, and also based on your machine memory resources and OS (if you are running Windows) when creating, running or extracting
nar archivesHowever,
nar was tested in real projects creating archives which contains thousands of files and which the generated archive has more than 100 MB of file size##### Which binary is used in nar executables?
The node binary that is begin used when the
nar archive is createdTo be exactly, the binary that
process.execPath points to
That means, if you create an executable archive in OSX and then deploy it into a GNU/Linux server, it will fail.
If you want to create a
nar archive for different OS, you must create a nar executable
passing the target OS and, optionally, the processor architecture or node.js version, like this:`bash
nar create --executable --os linux --arch x64 --node 0.11.9
`##### When will be used embedded node binary in the archive?
When you use the
run command, if the archive you are running has a node binary embedded
and therefore it was created with the binary option set true,
your application will use it transparently##### Which MIME type is recommened to serve nar files?
One of the following types will be valid:
-
application/x-gzip
- application/x-compress
- application/x-compressed
- application/octet-stream##### Can I download archives which requires server authentication?
Of course. You could use both methods:
Passing credentials via optional flags:
`
$ nar get https://server.net/archive.nar --user john --password p@s$
`Or using the
HTTP_USER and HTTP_PASSWORD environment variables
`
$ HTTP_USER=john HTTP_PASSWORD=p@s$ nar get https://server.net/archive.nar
`Contributing
Wanna help? Cool! It will be really apreciated :)
nar is completely written in LiveScript language.
Take a look to the language [documentation][livescript] if you are new with it.
and follow the LiveScript language conventions defined in the [coding style guide][coding-style]You must add new test cases for any new feature or refactor you do,
always following the same design/code patterns that already exist
Development
Only node.js is required for development
Clone/fork this repository
`
$ git clone https://github.com/h2non/nar.git && cd nar
`Install dependencies
`
$ npm install
`Compile code
`
$ make compile
`Run tests
`
$ make test
`Publish a new version
`
$ make publish
``MIT © Tomas Aparicio
[livescript]: http://livescript.net
[coding-style]: https://github.com/gkz/LiveScript-style-guide
[travis]: http://travis-ci.org/h2non/nar
[gemnasium]: https://gemnasium.com/h2non/nar
[npm]: http://npmjs.org/package/nar
[npm-scripts]: https://www.npmjs.org/doc/misc/npm-scripts.html
[glob]: https://github.com/isaacs/node-glob
[requireg]: https://github.com/h2non/requireg
[grunt-plugin]: https://github.com/h2non/grunt-nar
[gulp-plugin]: https://github.com/h2non/gulp-nar