run-node

What is run-node?

The run-node package is a utility that helps you run Node.js scripts with the correct version of Node.js. It ensures that the script is executed with the Node.js version specified in your project's configuration, such as in the .nvmrc file or the engines field in package.json.

What are run-node's main functionalities?

Run Node.js script with the correct version

This feature allows you to run a Node.js script using the version of Node.js specified in your project's configuration. The command ensures that the correct version of Node.js is used, which is particularly useful in environments where multiple versions of Node.js are installed.

npx run-node script.js

Compatibility with nvm and nvm-windows

The run-node package is compatible with both nvm (Node Version Manager) and nvm-windows. This means it can automatically detect and use the Node.js version specified in the .nvmrc file, making it easier to manage Node.js versions across different environments.

npx run-node script.js

Other packages similar to run-node

nvm

nvm (Node Version Manager) is a tool that allows you to manage multiple versions of Node.js on a single machine. It lets you switch between different versions of Node.js easily. Unlike run-node, nvm is a more comprehensive tool for managing Node.js versions, but it requires manual switching of versions.

n

n is another Node.js version manager that allows you to install and switch between different versions of Node.js. It is similar to nvm but has a simpler interface and fewer features. Like nvm, it does not automatically run scripts with the correct Node.js version, which is a feature provided by run-node.

volta

Volta is a JavaScript tool manager that ensures your projects always use the correct version of Node.js and other tools. It automatically installs and runs the correct version of Node.js specified in your project's configuration. Volta provides similar functionality to run-node but also includes management for other tools like npm and yarn.

README

run-node

Run the Node.js binary no matter what

You can't always assume running $ node file.js will just work. The user might have the node binary in a non-standard location. They might be using a Node.js version manager like nvm, which is sourced in a subshell and not available from the outside. Or they might have node installed as a local dependency in an npm project. It also depends from where you're trying to run it. For example, GUI apps on macOS doesn't inherit the $PATH, so the node binary would not be found. Most projects that depend on Node.js just end up telling the user to manually set the full path to the node binary in some project specific settings. Now every project has to do this. Ugh... I prefer things to just work. With this module it will.

This Bash script uses some tricks to find the Node.js binary on your system and run it.

Can be used from any environment that can spawn a process (Shell, Python, Ruby, Swift, Objective-C, etc).

npm

Install

$ npm install run-node

Usage

$ ./node_modules/.bin/run-node file.js

Or in an npm run script:

{
	"start": "run-node file.js"
}

If the node package is found in the local node_modules directory (for instance, if you have it installed as a devDependency of your npm project), this is the node binary that will be used.

Manually

Install

Download the run-node file:

$ curl -sSLO https://github.com/sindresorhus/run-node/raw/master/run-node && chmod +x run-node

Usage

./run-node file.js

Customizable cache path and error message

The cache path and error message are defined by the RUN_NODE_CACHE_PATH and RUN_NODE_ERROR_MSG environment variables. You could use them in a script or add them to your ~.bashrc.

Default config:

export RUN_NODE_ERROR_MSG="Couldn't find the Node.js binary. Ensure you have Node.js installed. Open an issue on https://github.com/sindresorhus/run-node"
export RUN_NODE_CACHE_PATH="/home/username/.node_path"

If the RUN_NODE_CACHE_PATH environment variable is defined explicitly, the script it points to will be sourced before looking for a node binary. You can use this script to override your PATH variable so that a specific node binary is found.

Maintainers

• Sindre Sorhus
• Mathias Fredriksson

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