arch

What is arch?

The 'arch' npm package is a simple utility that allows you to detect the architecture of the processor on which the Node.js process is running. It can be used to determine whether the system is running on a 32-bit or a 64-bit architecture, which can be useful for conditional logic based on system architecture, such as choosing the correct binary to execute or the right dependency to install.

What are arch's main functionalities?

Detecting processor architecture

This feature allows you to detect the architecture of the processor. The 'arch()' function returns a string indicating the architecture, such as 'x64' for 64-bit or 'x86' for 32-bit systems.

"use strict";
const arch = require('arch');
console.log(arch()); // 'x64' or 'x86' depending on the system architecture

Other packages similar to arch

os

The 'os' package is a core Node.js module that provides operating system-related utility methods. It includes the 'os.arch()' method, which can be used to get the operating system CPU architecture, similar to what 'arch' provides. However, 'os' is more comprehensive as it offers additional information about the system, such as platform, release, and uptime.

systeminformation

The 'systeminformation' package provides detailed information about the system hardware and software. It includes functionality to determine the system architecture, but it goes much further by offering a wide range of system insights, such as CPU load, memory usage, disk layout, network interfaces, and more. It is more feature-rich compared to 'arch', which focuses solely on detecting the processor architecture.

README

arch

Better os.arch() for node and the browser -- detect OS architecture

This module is used by WebTorrent Desktop to determine if the user is on a 32-bit vs. 64-bit operating system to offer the right app installer.

In Node.js, the os.arch() method (and process.arch property) returns a string identifying the operating system CPU architecture for which the Node.js binary was compiled.

This is not the same as the operating system CPU architecture. For example, you can run Node.js 32-bit on a 64-bit OS. In that situation, os.arch() will return a misleading 'x86' (32-bit) value, instead of 'x64' (64-bit).

Use this package to get the actual operating system CPU architecture.

BONUS: This package works in the browser too.

install

npm install arch

usage

var arch = require('arch')
console.log(arch()) // always returns 'x64' or 'x86'

In the browser, there is no spec that defines where this information lives, so we check all known locations including navigator.userAgent, navigator.platform, and navigator.cpuClass to make a best guess.

If there is no affirmative indication that the architecture is 64-bit, then 32-bit will be assumed. This makes this package perfect for determining what installer executable to offer to desktop app users. If there is ambiguity, then the user will get the 32-bit installer, which will work fine even for a user with a 64-bit OS.

For reference, x64 means 64-bit and x86 means 32-bit.

Here is some history behind these naming conventions:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IA-32
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64

Node.js proposal - os.sysarch()

Note: There is a proposal to add this functionality to Node.js as os.sysarch().

license

MIT. Copyright (c) Feross Aboukhadijeh.