Sails.js is a Javascript framework for Node.js. It is used for developing real-time applications very quickly. It allows you to resemble the MVC architecture from frameworks like Ruby on Rails. It comes with blueprints that help jumpstart your app's backend without writing any code. It is compatible with other front-end including, Angular, React, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, custom hardware, or something else entirely.
In this post, we will show you how to install Sails.js with Nginx on CentOS 8
Prerequisites
- A server running CentOS 8.
- A root password is configured on the server.
Install Node.js
First, install all the required dependencies using the following command:
dnf install curl gcc-c++ make -y
Once all the dependencies are installed, add the Node source repository with the following command:
curl -sL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_16.x | bash -
After adding the Node source repository, install the Node.js with the following command:
dnf install nodejs -y
Once the installation is completed, verify the Node.js version with the following command:
node --version
You should get the following output:
v16.4.0
Install Sails.js
You can install the Sails.js using the NPM command as shown below:
npm -g install sails
Next, create your project using Sails.js with the following command:
sails new myproject
You will be asked to choose a template for your application:
Choose a template for your new Sails app: 1. Web App · Extensible project with auth, login, & password recovery 2. Empty · An empty Sails app, yours to configure (type "?" for help, or <CTRL+C> to cancel) ? 2
Type 2 and hit Enter to install the application. You should get the following output:
info: Installing dependencies... Press CTRL+C to cancel. (to skip this step in the future, use --fast) info: Created a new Sails app `myproject`!
Start the Sails.js Application
Next, change the directory to myproject and start your application with the following command:
cd myproject
sails lift
You should get the following output:
info: Starting app... info: info: .-..-. info: info: Sails <| .-..-. info: v1.4.3 |\ info: /|.\ info: / || \ info: ,' |' \ info: .-'.-==|/_--' info: `--'-------' info: __---___--___---___--___---___--___ info: ____---___--___---___--___---___--___-__ info: info: Server lifted in `/root/myproject` info: To shut down Sails, press + C at any time. info: Read more at https://sailsjs.com/support. debug: ------------------------------------------------------- debug: :: Thu Jun 24 2021 04:46:13 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) debug: Environment : development debug: Port : 1337 debug: -------------------------------------------------------
Press CTRL + C to stop the application.
Create a Systemd Service File for Sails.js
Next, you will need to create a systemd service file to manage your application.
You can create it with the following command:
nano /lib/systemd/system/sails.service
Add the following lines:
[Unit] After=network.target [Service] Type=simple User=root WorkingDirectory=/root/myproject ExecStart=/usr/bin/sails lift Restart=on-failure [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target
Save and close the file then reload the systemd daemon with the following command:
systemctl daemon-reload
Next, start the Sails service and enable it to start at system reboot:
systemctl start sails
systemctl enable sails
You can check the status of the Sails with the following command:
systemctl status sails
You should get the following output:
? sails.service
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/sails.service; disabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: active (running) since Thu 2021-06-24 04:47:07 EDT; 5s ago
Main PID: 47388 (node)
Tasks: 22 (limit: 25014)
Memory: 148.1M
CGroup: /system.slice/sails.service
??47388 node /usr/bin/sails lift
??47395 grunt
Jun 24 04:47:09 centos8 sails[47388]: info: ____---___--___---___--___---___--___-__
Jun 24 04:47:09 centos8 sails[47388]: info:
Jun 24 04:47:09 centos8 sails[47388]: info: Server lifted in `/root/myproject`
Jun 24 04:47:09 centos8 sails[47388]: info: To shut down Sails, press + C at any time.
Jun 24 04:47:09 centos8 sails[47388]: info: Read more at https://sailsjs.com/support.
Jun 24 04:47:09 centos8 sails[47388]: debug: -------------------------------------------------------
Jun 24 04:47:09 centos8 sails[47388]: debug: :: Thu Jun 24 2021 04:47:09 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
Jun 24 04:47:09 centos8 sails[47388]: debug: Environment : development
Jun 24 04:47:09 centos8 sails[47388]: debug: Port : 1337
Jun 24 04:47:09 centos8 sails[47388]: debug: -------------------------------------------------------
At this point, Sails is started and listening on port 1337.
Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy for Sails Application
It is recommended to install and configure Nginx as a reverse proxy to your Sails application.
First, install the Nginx package with the following command:
dnf install nginx -y
After installing Nginx, create an Nginx virtual host configuration file for Sails:
nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/sails.conf
Add the following lines:
server {
listen 80;
server_name sails.domain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:1337/;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_buffering off;
}
}
Save and close the file when you are finished.
Next, verify the Nginx for any configuration error with the following command:
nginx -t
You should get the following output:
nginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is ok nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful
Next, start the Nginx service and enable it to start at system reboot:
systemctl start nginx
systemctl enable nginx
Now, check the status of the Nginx service with the following command:
systemctl status nginx
Configure Firewall
Next, you will need to allow port 80 through the firewall. You can allow it with the following command:
firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-port=80/tcp
Next, reload the firewall to apply the changes:
firewall-cmd --reload
Once you are finished, you can proceed to the next step.
Access Sails.js Web Interface
Now, open your web browser and access the Sails.js web interface using the URL http://salis.domain.com. You should see the Sails.js default page on the following screen:
Conclusion
Congratulations! you have successfully installed Sails.js with Nginx as a reverse proxy on CentOS 8. You can now start developing real-time applications with Sails.