CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptnode.jsmacosnativepackaging
luisgo
luisgo

Reputation: 2465

Package a Node.js application as an OS X application

I want to build an interface for a series of terminal commands that our developers use to manage their development environments. I'd like to try to build it in Node.js.

Now, I'm thinking I can create it as an HTML5/CSS 3/JavaScript application using Express.js, etc... and then would like to package it as a native OS X application. Meaning, an application that I can just send them, they double click on and run, but that either launches a Chrome browser and navigates to the localhost:port server that hits the script or simply starts the server and instructs the user to go to the URL. Either way is fine.

I am doing this because I need access to the local system to be able to configure a number of things and interact with any number of running (headless VMs). So I can't simply serve this from a server and have them visit the site.

Any ideas?

Upvotes: 22

Views: 21778

Answers (5)

Tracker1
Tracker1

Reputation: 19344

Option 1: Electron (formerly atom-shell)

This is the shell that GitHub's Atom and Microsoft's Code editors use. It’s very similar to node-webkit, though it will run the script first, and you have to create a view/window for the user. There are some other minor differences, but it's worth looking at.

Option 2: NW.js formerly node-webkit

The gist is that it basically extends the JavaScript engine for you to write a web-based application supporting Node.js' extended object model, and modules... you then package your package.json start.html modules and JavaScript files into a ZIP file (with the .nw extension) and run it with nw(.exe) .. there are Windows, Mac and Linux builds available.

Option 3: Neutralinojs Github

Neutralinojs is a lightweight and portable desktop application development framework. It lets you develop lightweight cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. You can extend Neutralinojs with any programming language (via extensions IPC) and use Neutralinojs as a part of any source file (via child processes IPC).

Option 4: MacGapNode (OS X only)

MacGap with Node.js integration (it seems to be getting stale)

Option 5: Tauri Github

Tauri is a toolkit that helps developers make applications for the major desktop platforms - using virtually any frontend framework in existence. The core is built with Rust and the CLI leverages Node.js making Tauri a genuinely polyglot approach to creating and maintaining great apps.

Aside: Services...

I can't speak for OS X on this as a .App, but it could well be possible to create a background service install in Node.js and a link to a "local" site on the desktop. Most browsers have an option to not show all the features (I know Firefox in particular does).

I know your question is to OS X in particular, but in Windows you can use NSSM to run anything as a service, and I have used it for Node.js-based services in Windows. I think some of the other options above are better depending on your needs though.

Removed:

This answer is copied for multiple questions, and these references are mostly for updating convenience.

Upvotes: 17

Martin Cleaver
Martin Cleaver

Reputation: 1914

Check out NW.js - it's a project sponsored by Intel to package up Node.js applications for the desktop.

Specifically, see Creating Desktop Applications With node-webkit.

Upvotes: 3

Motin
Motin

Reputation: 5053

Check out AppJS - "Build Desktop Applications for Linux, Windows and Mac using HTML, CSS and JavaScript"

It sounds like a good match :)

Upvotes: 3

TheHippo
TheHippo

Reputation: 63139

If you compile Node.js from source, every JavaScript file from Node.js' lib folder will be included into the binary. That same way could pack your code into the binary.

I am not familiar how Mac OS X packages are created, but at the end it does not seem to be very hard. Just pack your custom Node.js binary into one.

Upvotes: 2

coolaj86
coolaj86

Reputation: 77034

Here's a screencast + writeup on the subject of an installer (.pkg):

How to create an OS X pkg for NodeJS apps

As for the .app, I'm not sure yet, but I'm hot on the trail.

Also:

Upvotes: 10

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