These instructions will create a Vagrant virtual machine ready for web application development. This allows developers to begin writing code without worrying about how to install or configure Node.js.
Vagrant is open-source software used to create lightweight and portable virtual development environments. Vagrant works like a "wrapper" for VirtualBox that can create, configure, and destroy virtual machines with the use of its own terminal commands. Vagrant facilitates the setup of environments without any direct interaction with VirtualBox and allows developers to use preferred editors and browsers in their native operating system. This blog describes a typical workflow using Vagrant in a development environment.
- Download and install VirtualBox 4.3.8
- Do not open VirtualBox or create a virtual machine. This will be handled by Vagrant.
- Download and install Vagrant 1.5.4 or better
- Package managers like apt-get and gem install will install an older version of Vagrant so it is required to use the download page.
- Download Git for Windows:
- Run the installer and "next" through the wizard until the step to adjust your PATH environment.
- Choose the third option, "Run Git and included tools from within the Windows Command prompt"
- Important: On the next step, "Configuring the line ending conversions", choose the second option: "Checkout as-is, commit Unix-style line endings".
- Choose "next" through any additional steps to complete the Git for Windows install.
- Open the Windows Command Prompt as Administrator
Fork the node-vagrant repository on Github.
Clone your fork of the node-vagrant repository to a directory on your host machine:
git clone --recursive https://github.com/<github-username>/node-vagrant.git
Change directory to your node-vagrant directory:
cd node-vagrant
Once you cd into the node-vagrant directory, you will find a "Vagrantfile" which will provide
the necessary instructions and provisioning to setup your development virtual machine. All Vagrant commands
should be performed in this directory with your Vagrantfile.
Start the virtual machine:
vagrant up
Connect to the virtual machine via ssh:
vagrant ssh
- You will find a
devfolder in thehome/vagrantdirectory that will sync all of its contents to adevfolder adjacent to your Vagrantfile on your host machine. This allows for editing code on your host machine and having it immediately available inside of the virtual machine.
You can now begin writing code and running it with Node.js! In the dev folder, create a new JavaScript hello.js file with some code console.log('Hello World');. Open your terminal and run node hello.js from the dev folder.