node-server-setup-guide

Steps I always have to go through when setting up a new NodeJS/PostgreSQL back-end.

Table of Contents

• Install Node
• Setup git
• Unlocking .env file
• Database/Postgresql

Install Node

• Update Ubuntu: sudo apt-get update.
• Install node: sudo apt install nodejs. Verify it worked with: node -v.
• Install npm (node-package-manager): sudo apt install npm. Verify with npm -v.
• Install n (version manager for node): sudo npm i -g n.
• Use 'n' to install the latest lts (long-term-support) version of node: sudo n lts.
• Restart the shell to switch to the latest version of node.
• Install ts-node to run development files: sudo npm i -g ts-node.
• Install typescript globally to build development files (with the tsc command): sudo npm install -g typescript.

Setup git

• Create a github account if you don't have one.
• Install/setup git:
  • sudo apt install git
  • git config --global color.ui true
  • git config --global user.name "YOUR NAME"
  • git config --global user.email "YOUR@EMAIL.com"
  • ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "YOUR@EMAIL.com" (just hit enter at all the prompts)
  • cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub (copy the output)
  • Go to https://github.com/settings/keys
  • Click on the "New SSH key" button in the top right
  • Name it whatever you want.
  • Paste the output from the cat command into the key text area.
  • Run ssh -T git@github.com. Type yes at the prompt.
  • If if worked you should see:
    • Hi excid3! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.
  • Clone the repo: git clone git@github.com:seanpmaxwell/repo_name_here

Encrypting .env files

• Run a git commit if you've made any changes to the repo. Must have clean working directory to run unlock.
• Install git-crypt: sudo apt-get install -y git-crypt.
• In the terminal, go into the project directory.
• To encrypt a file
• • Make sure the file is specified under .gitattributes
• • run git-crypt init
• To decrypt a file
• • Get the gitcrypt key dev from someone. ONLY developers which handle deployment should have prod.
• • Place it under .git/git-crypt/keys/. (may need to manually create the the parent dirs if they're not there)
• • git-crypt unlock: git-crypt unlock .git/git-crypt/keys/key_name_here.
• • To encrypt the files (maybe you need to test if your .gitattributes is working): git-crypt lock

Setup database (Ubuntu)

• Install postgresq.
• sudo apt update
• sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib
• sudo service postgresql start
• To use postgres, we need a role and a database that matches the roles name:
• sudo -u postgres createuser --interactive
• If you get this error could not change directory to "/home/user_name": Permission denied then you maybe need to run sudo chmod og+rX /home /home/user_name
• Enter your linux user name:
• Enter 'y' for Shall the new role be a superuser?
• Create a new database for the superuser:
• sudo -u postgres createdb "linux user name"
• Create a password the new pg user:
• sudo -u "linux user name" psql
• \password
• Enter a password. DO NOT forget it.
• \q