Ansible Role: NVM

Installs NVM & Node.js on Debian/Ubuntu and RHEL/CentOS systems

Ansible weirdness with SSH and (non)interactive shells makes working with NVM and Ansible a bit problematic. This stack overflow post explains some of the things other people have done to get around this particular issue.

Where other roles fall short

Other Ansible roles that install NVM and/or Node.js fall short in a few areas.

1. They use the apt-get or yum packages managers to install Node.js. This often means that the Node.js package is older than what is currently available via the Node.js repo. In some cases, those packages may not be a LTS release and if you need multiple Node.js versions running on the same host, you're out of luck.

2. They will often install NVM and Node.js as root user (sudo su or become: true). This can add to the headache of permissions related to NPM plugin management as well as how Node functions with nvm in addition to being an unneeded privilege escalation security risk

3. You cannot run ad hoc nvm, npm, node, bash or shell commands

Where this role differs from other roles

1. You can install NVM via wget, curl or git
2. You can use NVM just like you would via your command line in your own Ansible tasks and playbooks
3. You can install whatever version or versions of Node.js you want
4. Doesn't install NVM or Node.js as root
5. Can run arbitrary nvm, npm, node, bash or shell commands potentially eliminating the need for a separate Node Ansible role all together

Installation

1. Clone this repo into your roles folder
2. Point the roles_path variable to the roles folder i.e. roles_path = ../ansible-roles/ in your ansible.cfg file
3. Include role in your playbook

⚠️ WARNING!

DO NOT RUN THIS ROLE AS ROOT! (e.g. become: true|yes|1)

There are a few reasons for this,

1. It is an unneeded privilege escalation security risk, it is highly unlikely that you need to run every task in every role as root_user. If, for whatever reason, you do need to run everything as root_user, reconsider what the role is doing and why it needs root access for everything.

2. This role installs nvm in the same context/shell/session as you would run NodeJS. You don't run NodeJS as root

3. Ansible will change the context of the login shell to root and nvm will be installed in the root_user home directory e.g /root/.bashrc. This means if your primary user is vagrant, ec2-user, ubuntu etc. the role WILL NOT WORK AS EXPECTED!

BAD 👎

- hosts: all
  become: true           # THIS RUNS ALL TASKS, FOR ALL HOSTS, AS ROOT_USER
  become_method: sudo    # THIS RUNS ALL TASKS, FOR ALL HOSTS, AS ROOT_USER

  roles:
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "8.16.0"
      nvm_commands:
       - "nvm exec default npm install"

    - role: some-other-role
      ...

BETTER 👍

- hosts: all

  roles:
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "8.16.0"
      nvm_commands:
       - "nvm exec default npm install"

    - role: some-other-role
      ...
      become: true            # THIS SCOPES ALL TASKS, ONLY FOR THE SOME-OTHER-ROLE, AS ROOT_USER
      become_method: sudo     # THIS SCOPES ALL TASKS, ONLY FOR THE SOME-OTHER-ROLE, AS ROOT_USER

BEST 🤘

- hosts: all

  roles:
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "8.16.0"
      nvm_commands:
       - "nvm exec default npm install"
      become: true            # THIS WILL CHANGE THE LOGIN CONTEXT TO USE THE USER BELOW
      become_user: ec2-user   # THIS INSTALLS NVM IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EC2-USER/DEFAULT USER

    - role: some-other-role
      ...
      become: true            # THIS SCOPES ALL TASKS, ONLY FOR THE SOME-OTHER-ROLE, AS ROOT_USER
      become_method: sudo     # THIS SCOPES ALL TASKS, ONLY FOR THE SOME-OTHER-ROLE, AS ROOT_USER

See Issues below for further details

Example Playbooks

Super Simple

Include the role as is and it will install latest LTS version of Node.js

- hosts: all

  roles:
    - role: ansible-role-nvm

Simple

Include the role and specify the specific version of Node.js you want to install

- hosts: all

  roles:
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "8.15.0"

More Complex

This example shows how you might set up multiple environments (Dev/Prod) with different options. The Prod setup takes advantage of the nvm_commands option to install, build and run the application. The role supports and takes advantage of Ansible variable syntax e.g. {{ variable_name }}.

- hosts: dev

  vars_files:
    - vars/dev.yml

  roles:
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "{{ config.dev.nodejs.version }}"


- hosts: prod
  vars_files:
    - vars/prod.yml

  roles:
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nvm_install: "curl"
      nvm_dir: "/usr/local/nvm"
      nvm_commands:
       - "nvm install {{ config.prod.client-1.nodejs.version }}"
       - "nvm alias default {{ config.prod.client-1.nodejs.version }}"
       - "nvm exec default npm install"
       - "nvm exec default npm run prod"

Installing/Running/Maintaining or Upgrading multiple versions of Node.js on the same host

By default, the first Node.js version instantiated in your Playbook will automatically be aliased as the "default" version regardless of whatever version you install afterwards or how many times you run the role. It is important to declare which version is expected to be the "default" version.

There are two pre-existing NVM aliases default (current "active" version of Node.js) and system (the base OS version of Node.js).

Aliasing is a very powerful feature of NVM and it is a recommended best practice for managing your environment.

Multi Install

- hosts: host-1

  roles:
    # Services
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "8.15.0"    # <= This will be the "default" version of Node.js

    # Application
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "10.15.0"

Multi Install w/ default

- hosts: host-2

  roles:
    # Services
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "8.15.0"    

    # Application
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      default: true
      nodejs_version: "10.15.0" # <= This is now the "default" version of Node.js

Notes on NVM commands

NVM commands are a very powerful feature of this role which takes advantage of the groundwork NVM has set up. Leveraging nvm_commands could potentially eliminate the need for a specific Node role to manage your Node applications altogether.

There is a difference between nvm run and nvm exec commands. nvm run is functionally equivalent to node server.js or node server where you are invoking a JavaScript file

nvm exec executes in a sub process context and is functionally equivalent to npm run server where server is a key name in the scripts section in the package.json file

{
  "name": "my_application",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "private": true,
  "scripts": {
    "preserver": "npm run dbService &",
    "server": "nodemon ./bin/www",
    "build": "node build/build.js",
    "dbService": "nodemon ./data-service/server.js --ignore node_modules/"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "..."
  }
}

OR

nvm exec can execute some arbitrary script file .e.g. nvm exec hello-world.py

e.g hello-world.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
print('hello-world')

⚠️ You must include a script header for this to work properly

OR

run some arbitrary bash command

ls -al >> output.txt

nvm_commands make it very easy to set up a Node Application and Node API layer running on different version of Node.js on the same host

- hosts: host-1
  roles:
    # Services
    # WHAT'S HAPPENING?
    # 1. Run the services JavaScript file with Node version 8.15.0
    # WARNING: This is aliased as the default version of Node.js At this point !!
    # Therefore We need to explicitly specify the version we're using because
    # the default Node.js version changes in Application section below
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "8.15.0"
      nvm_commands:
        - "nvm exec 8.15.0 npm run services"

    # Application
    # WHAT'S HAPPENING?
    # 1. Set the default version of Node.js to version 10.15.0
    # 2. Install package dependencies with npm
    # 3. Set the environment to Production, run the build JavaScript file
    # 4. Then run the production deploy script
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "10.15.0"
      nvm_commands:
       - "nvm alias webapp {{ nodejs_version }}" # <= Changes the default NVM version (supports Ansible variable syntax)
       - "nvm exec webapp npm install" # install app dependences
       - "NODE_ENV=production nvm run webapp build" # invoke Node.js directly to run the production build script
       - "nvm exec webapp npm run prod" # invoke npm to run the production script in your package.json file

Another example

- hosts: host-2
  roles:
    # Services
    # WHAT'S HAPPENING?
    # 1. Create an Alias for version 8.15.0 entitled service-default (Supports Ansible variable syntax)
    # 2. Run the services script
    #
    # ** It is recommended that you alias your Node.js versions and reference them accordingly **
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "8.15.0"
      nvm_commands:
        - "nvm alias service-default {{ nodejs_version }}" # <= (Supports Ansible variable syntax)
        - "nvm exec service-default npm run services" # run the services script in your package.json file


    # Application - No separate Node.js Ansible Role Needed
    # WHAT'S HAPPENING?
    # 1. Install version 10.15.0 of Node.js
    # 1. Set the default version of Node.js to version 10.15.0
    # 2. Run the test.js script file invoking Node.js directly
    # 3. Then run the production deploy bash script
    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "10.15.0"
      nvm_commands:
       - "nvm alias default 10.15.0" # <= Changes the default NVM version
       - "nvm exec default node test.js" # invoke Node.js directly to run the test script
       - "nvm exec ./deploy.sh" # run an arbitrary bash script

Whatever command line arguments you use to start your application, or command scripts you've declared in your package.json file can be placed inside the nvm_commands: [] section of this role.

- hosts: host1

  pre_tasks:

    - name: add new user
      user:
        name: "test-user"
      become: true

  roles:

    - role: ansible-role-nvm
      nodejs_version: "8.16.0"
      nvm_profile: "/home/test-user/.bashrc"
      nvm_commands:
        - "whoami"
        - "node --version"
        - "nvm --version"
        - "npm --version"
      become_user: test-user
      become: true

Caveats

1. By default, the first version listed in your Playbook, on the first run, will automatically be aliased as the "default" version of Node.js regardless of whatever version you install afterwards or however many times you run the role. First one in/installed is always the default. As a result, if you expect a Node.js version declared later in the playbook to be set as default use default: true or explicitly set it in the nvm_commands list like - "nvm alias default <YOUR_VERSION>"

2. If you have default: true explicitly declared as a role variable AND - "nvm alias default <SOME_OTHER_VERSION>" as part of your nvm_commands the version with default: true will ALWAYS be executed first. This is because we need Node.js to be available before doing anything else.

3. NVM is stateless in that if you have multiple versions of Node.js installed on a machine, you may have to run nvm use <VERSION> as part of your script to run the Node.js version you want/expect. However, it is highly recommended that you alias your versions accordingly and reference them that way. See the examples above.

Issues

"nvm: command not found" error

This is often the result of running the role in another user context then the nvm and node user context will run inside the machine. If you add become: true to all the roles in your playbook to get around errors those roles throw due to permission issues, then this role will install nvm under the ROOT_USER (usually /root/.bashrc). It is more than likely that you will want to run nvm and node as a default user e.g. vagrant, ec2-user, ubuntu etc. If, for whatever reason, you cannot remove the become: true for everything, you can get around the become: true issue by specifying become: true AND become_user: ec2-user for this role alone. See bash: nvm command not found for a detailed explanation of the issue

"cannot find /usr/bin/python" error

It is due to OS's that run Python 3 by default (e.g. Fedora). You will need to specify the Ansible python interpreter variable in the inventory file or via the command line

[fedora1]
192.168.0.1 ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3


[fedora2]
192.168.0.2

[fedora2:vars]
ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3

or

ansible-playbook my-playbook.yml -e "ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3"

Role Variables

Available variables are listed below, along with default values see defaults/main.yml

The Node.js version to install. The latest "lts" version is the default and works on most supported OSes.

nodejs_version: "lts"

Convenience method for installing NVM bash autocomplete (nvm <TAB>) when a user has to maintain a server or workstation manually

autocomplete: false

Set default version of Node when maintaining/installing multiple versions

default: false

NVM will automatically alias the first run/installed version as "default" which is more than likely what people will use this role for, however, this will allow for installation/upgrade of multiple versions on an existing machine

List of NVM commands to run. Default is an empty list.

nvm_commands: []

NVM Installation type. Options are wget, curl and git

nvm_install: "wget"

NVM Installation directory.

nvm_dir: ""

NVM will, by default, install the .nvm directory in the home directory of the user e.g. /home/vagrant/.nvm. You can override the installation directory by changing this variable e.g. /opt/nvm to put it into a global space (not tied to a specific user account) if you wanted. This variable will respect Ansible substitution variables e.g. {{ansible_env.HOME}}

NVM Profile location Options are .bashrc, .cshrc, .tcshrc, .zshrc

nvm_profile: ".bashrc"

The location of the SHELL profile that will source the nvm command from. There are two potential contexts to consider, globally, meaning everyone who logs in will have access to nvm (which may or may not what you really want) e.g /etc/bash.bashrc, /etc/profile, etc.

OR

On a per user basis tied to a specific user account e.g. /home/vagrant/.bashrc. This role will create the appropriate profile file if it doesn't already exist.

If you specify nvm_profile: "/home/node-user/.bashrc" explicity and the node-user is not a real user on the box, then nvm will not work as you expect. become, become_user and nvm_profile path are symbiotic

⚠️ PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF EXPLICITLY DECLARING .profile OR .bash_profile FILES ON UBUNTU SYSTEMS

https://askubuntu.com/a/969923 Explains in detail

https://kb.iu.edu/d/abdy Shows options for each shell type

NVM Profile location Options are:

BASH: .bashrc

CSH: /etc/csh.cshrc, .cshrc

TSCH: /etc/csh.cshrc, .tcshrc, .cshrc

ZSH: .zshrc

NVM source location i.e. you host your own fork of NVM

nvm_source: ""

NVM version to install

nvm_version: "0.35.2"

Uninstall NVM, will remove .nvm directory and clean up {{ nvm_profile }} file

uninstall: False

Dependencies

None.

Change Log

1.4.2

• Updated documentation to fix missing become: true when using become_user: some-user as reported by @jfoliveira

1.4.1

• Addressed version check as reported by @DanHulton

1.4.0

• Code Linting, Indempotency updates for CI/CD testing
• Addressed version check as reported by @Jamesking56

1.3.0

• Addressed nvm: command not found error bug as reported by @eyekelly.
• Updated documentation in greater detail about user context/session/shells to guard against nvm: command not found error.
• Updated default variable explanations
• Reworked documentation and examples surrounding nvm_commands
• NVM version bump

1.2.2

• NVM version bump

1.2.1

• Documentation updates for clarity

1.2.0

• Addresses issues #8 Add default: True role variable to ensure NVM default alias is set correctly, #9 Git functionality has changed according to the NVM documentation, #10 NVM has an Autocomplete functionality. Add autocomplete: True Ansible variable to role, #11 Update documentation to highlight updating a default version, and #12 Add remove: True variable to uninstall NVM as discussed with @DanHulton to address multiple version of Node.js running on the same host.
• Expanded documentation with examples about how powerful nvm_commands: [] can be

1.1.2

• Issue reported/PR supplied by @DanHulton, Documentation updates,

1.1.1

• Documentation updates

1.1.0

• Issue reported by @magick93, Bumped default version of NVM script, Documentation updates

1.0.2

• Issue reported by @swoodford, Bumped default version of NVM script, Documentation updates

License

MIT / BSD

Author Information

dm00000 via MORGANGRAPHICS, INC

This role borrows heavily from Jeff Geerling's Node.js role, author of Ansible for DevOps.