Mastering Nodejs Installation on AWS EC2 A Comprehensive Guide

Mastering Node.js Installation on AWS EC2: A Comprehensive Guide

If you’re looking to harness the power of Node.js on an AWS EC2 instance, you’ve come to the right place! Node.js allows developers to execute JavaScript on the server side, making it a popular choice for building fast and scalable applications. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process of setting up an EC2 instance, installing Node.js, and verifying its installation. Plus, we’ll cover how to check the running Node.js services to ensure everything is working smoothly.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform runtime environment that allows developers to run JavaScript on the server side. It’s built on the V8 JavaScript engine from Google Chrome and is designed for building scalable network applications. With its non-blocking I/O model, Node.js is ideal for real-time applications, such as chat applications and online gaming.

Setting Up Your AWS EC2 Instance

Before we dive into the Node.js installation, let’s set up your EC2 instance. Follow these simple steps:

1. Log in to AWS Management Console: Go to the AWS Management Console and log in with your credentials.
2. Launch an EC2 Instance: Navigate to the EC2 dashboard and click on “Launch Instance.” Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI). For Node.js, the Amazon Linux or Ubuntu AMI is recommended.
3. Select Instance Type: Choose an instance type that suits your needs. The t2.micro is a good free-tier option for testing purposes.
4. Configure Security Group: Create a security group to allow traffic. Be sure to allow SSH (port 22) for remote access and HTTP (port 80) for web traffic.
5. Launch the Instance: Review your settings and launch the instance. Don’t forget to create a new key pair for SSH access!

Connecting to Your EC2 Instance

Once your instance is up and running, you need to connect to it. Use the following command in your terminal:

ssh -i "your-key-pair.pem" ec2-user@your-instance-public-dns

Make sure to replace “your-key-pair.pem” with your actual key pair file and “your-instance-public-dns” with the public DNS of your EC2 instance.

Installing Node.js

Now that you’re connected to your EC2 instance, let’s install Node.js. Follow these steps:

1. Update Your Package Repository: Run the following command to ensure your package repository is up to date:

sudo yum update -y

2. Install Node.js: You can easily install Node.js using the NodeSource repository. Run the command below to set up the repository:

curl -sL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_14.x | sudo bash -

3. Next, install Node.js with:

sudo yum install -y nodejs

4. Verify Installation: Check if Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) are installed correctly:

node -v
npm -v

Checking Running Node.js Services

To ensure your Node.js application is running smoothly, you can use the following commands:

1. Check Running Processes: Use the command:

ps aux | grep node

2. Using PM2 (Process Manager): PM2 is a popular process manager for Node.js applications. You can install it globally using:

sudo npm install -g pm2

3. Start your application with PM2 and check its status:

pm2 start your-app.js
pm2 status

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up Node.js on your AWS EC2 instance and verified its installation. With Node.js, you can now build high-performance server-side applications. If you want to dive deeper into Node.js or explore more AWS features, check out our other articles on web development and cloud computing.

For more detailed insights, feel free to visit our previous guide.