Using start to run node application on startup

Question

I have a problem with the node_module-path. Can someone let me know what I'm doing wrong?

Running

exec sudo -u www-data /usr/bin/node /etc/node/app.js

gives me

Error: Cannot find module 'connect'

I have this config (/etc/init/applicationserver.conf):

start on started mountall
stop on shutdown

respawn
respawn limit 99 5

script
    export HOME="/"
    export NODE_PATH="/usr/lib/node_modules"

    exec sudo -u www-data /usr/bin/node /etc/node/app.js >> /var/log/applicationserver.log 2>&1
end script

post-start script

end script

It seems like it can't find the modules installed. I've verified that connect is under /usr/lib/node_modules and if I export NODE_PATH from root or my account it works fine.

Answer 1

Hmm, not the best way to be starting something in general. A wrapper script with the correct ownership could do the same work without sudo.

You're problem is in the use of sudo, regardless of the context as an upstart job. The environmental vars you're defining aren't being passed on. Add the '-E' switch to sudo to correct this.

If you used a wrapper owned by www-data to start that process you wouldn't have this problem because you wouldn't have needed sudo. There are lots of example jobs that create vars and pass them on to the new child process. It's a basic property of fork/clone.