MariusR
MariusR

Reputation: 1594

Running Node.Js on Android

So I know this has been questioned quite a lot. To be exact for example in these questions:

  1. Run NodeJs server in Android
  2. How to run my node.js project on android?
    and
  3. NodeJS on IOS/Android

Every option presented has a problem though:

With the time that past since these questions have been posted and as the "best option" JXCore seem to be now unusable:
Is there a way to run a node.js application (a server in my case) on an Android device?

if you're wondering why I'd want this: I made a WebApp with a Node.Js server and I now want a version you can launch locally from your phone without requiring an Internet connection. This means the server needs to run on an Android phone.

Upvotes: 131

Views: 231022

Answers (6)

W. B.
W. B.

Reputation: 63

Node.js Frontend for Android

  • releases include signed apks
  • Android 4.4+
  • open source (GPLv2)
  • no root
  • frontend for Node.js for Mobile Apps by Janea Systems
    • which was announced earlier in this thread by one of its developers
    • which is a game-changer; great work!
  • at a high level:
    • the "exec in same process" tab:
      • includes a list of Node.js apps that are intended to run for a short period of time while the application remains open, and may only be executed one at a time
    • the "fork to separate process" tab:
      • includes a list of Node.js apps that are each executed in a separate foreground service in a distinct process, and are intended to hold long-running daemons (ex: various types of servers)

screenshots animation

Upvotes: 2

Saeed Heidarizarei
Saeed Heidarizarei

Reputation: 8916

Dory - node.js

Great New Application
No Need to root your Phone and You Can Run your js File From anywere.

  • node.js runtime(run ES2015/ES6, ES2016 javascript and node.js APIs in android)
  • API Documents and instant code run from doc
  • syntax highlighting code editor
  • npm supports
  • linux terminal(toybox 0.7.4). node.js REPL and npm command in shell (add '--no-bin-links' option if you execute npm in /sdcard)
  • StartOnBoot / LiveReload
  • native node.js binary and npm are included. no need to be online.

Update instruction to node js 8 (async await)

  1. Download node.js v8.3.0 arm zip file and unzip.

  2. copy 'node' to android's sdcard(/sdcard or /sdcard/path/to/...)

  3. open the shell(check it out in the app's menu)

  4. cd /data/user/0/io.tmpage.dorynode/files/bin (or, just type cd && cd .. && cd files/bin )

  5. rm node

  6. cp /sdcard/node .

  7. (chmod a+x node

(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.tempage.dorynode&hl=en)

Upvotes: 22

Alexis Campailla
Alexis Campailla

Reputation: 1044

You can use Node.js for Mobile Apps.

It works on Android devices and simulators, with pre-built binaries for armeabi-v7a, x86, arm64-v8a, x86_64. It also works on iOS, though that's outside the scope of this question.

Like JXcore, it is used to host a Node.js engine in the same process as the app, in a dedicated thread. Unlike JXcore, it is basically pure Node.js, built as a library, with a few portability fixes to run on Android. This means that it's much easier to keep the project up to date with mainline Node.js.

Plugins for Cordova and React Native are also available. The plugins provide a communication layer between the JavaScript side of those frameworks and the Node.js side. They also simplify development by taking care of a few things automatically, like packaging modules and cross-compiling native modules at build time.

Full disclosure: I work for the company that develops Node.js for Mobile Apps.

Upvotes: 23

Pyro
Pyro

Reputation: 1517

I just had a jaw-drop moment - Termux allows you to install NodeJS on an Android device!

It seems to work for a basic Websocket Speed Test I had on hand. The http served by it can be accessed both locally and on the network.

There is a medium post that explains the installation process

Basically: 1. Install termux 2. apt install nodejs 3. node it up!

One restriction I've run into - it seems the shared folders don't have the necessary permissions to install modules. It might just be a file permission thing. The private app storage works just fine.

Upvotes: 125

Doz Parp
Doz Parp

Reputation: 309

the tutorial of how to build NodeJS for Android https://github.com/dna2github/dna2oslab/tree/master/android/build
there are several versions v0.12, v4, v6, v7

It is easy to run compiled binary on Android; for example run compiled Nginx: https://github.com/dna2github/dna2mtgol/tree/master/fileShare

You just need to modify code to replace Nginx to NodeJS; it is better if using Android Service to run node js server on the backend.

Upvotes: 2

pathik devani
pathik devani

Reputation: 530

J2V8 is best solution of your problem. It's run Nodejs application on jvm(java and android).

J2V8 is Java Bindings for V8, But Node.js integration is available in J2V8 (version 4.4.0)

Github : https://github.com/eclipsesource/J2V8

Example : http://eclipsesource.com/blogs/2016/07/20/running-node-js-on-the-jvm/

Upvotes: 12

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