LP Devs Blog

Build a simple http server in Ubuntu using Nodejs and ExpressJs

Posted on March 22, 2017

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Today, I am going to talk about how to build a simple http server in ubuntu using Nodejs and Expressjs. If you have not installed Nodejs, please install it or check this. By now, I am assumming that you have installed Nodejs. Let’s start now:

• Create new project:
  • Run:

    npm init
    

  • Then just hit Enter…After that package.json file is generated. (Notice: Name can no longer contain capital letters).
• Install express module: open Terminal:
  • Run:

    npm install --save express
    

  • Using –save to save it as a dependency in the package.json file. Then node_modules is generated.
• Create a new file: index.js, write the code like below:
  • Code:

    var express = require('express');
    
    var app = express();
    var port = process.env.port || 8080;
    
    app.listen(port, function(){
      console.log('The server is listening on port:' + port);
    });
    

  • This code will create a server which is bound with localhost in port 8080.
• Start this server:
  • Run:

    node index.js
    

  • If the console displays log as The server is listening on port: 8080, then the server is started successfully.
  • Then navigate to http://localhost:8080. For now, you will receive an error, which is Cannot GET /. It is because we are never implementing routing for the server.
• Routing by adding the below in index.js:
  • Adding:

    app.get('/', function(req, res){
    console.log('The server is listening on port:' + port + ' and host:' + host);
    });
    

  • That means when you navigate to the http://localhost:8080, you requested to get ‘/’. Then the server responses by sending Hello from main page to your browser. So starting the server again, then navigate to http://localhost:8080. You will receive that message.
• For now, you just can access the server from your computer. Because the server is bound with localhost. If you want to access the server from other computers in the same network. You must bind it with your ip address. So index.js must be modified like below:

  var express = require('express');
  
  var app = express();
  var port = process.env.port || 8080;
  var host = '<your_ip>'; // change it with your ip
  
  app.get('/', function(req, res){
      res.send('Hello from main page');
  });
  
  app.listen(port, host, function(){
      console.log('The server is listening on port:' + port + ' and host:' + host);
  });
  

  • Start the server again, then navigate to http://:8080.

OK, it is just simple way to create a server on Ubuntu using Nodejs and Expressjs. If you want to create more complicated server or have some questions, feel free to ask me. I am really happy to help you.
LP Devs.

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Categories: Ubuntu | Nodejs | Expressjs
Tags: Http server | Routing