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113 <ul> 114 <li class="pinned-header">Node.js v18.20.1</li> 115 116 <li class="picker-header"> 117 <a href="#"> 118 <span class="collapsed-arrow">►</span><span class="expanded-arrow">▼</span> 119 Table of contents 120 </a> 121 122 <div class="picker"><div class="toc"><ul> 123<li><span class="stability_1"><a href="#single-executable-applications">Single executable applications</a></span> 124<ul> 125<li><a href="#notes">Notes</a> 126<ul> 127<li><a href="#requireid-in-the-injected-module-is-not-file-based"><code>require(id)</code> in the injected module is not file based</a></li> 128<li><a href="#__filename-and-modulefilename-in-the-injected-module"><code>__filename</code> and <code>module.filename</code> in the injected module</a></li> 129<li><a href="#__dirname-in-the-injected-module"><code>__dirname</code> in the injected module</a></li> 130<li><a href="#single-executable-application-creation-process">Single executable application creation process</a></li> 131<li><a 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class="nav-https-github-com-nodejs-node">Code repository and issue tracker</a></li> 221</ul></div> 222 </li> 223 224 225 <li class="picker-header"> 226 <a href="#"> 227 <span class="collapsed-arrow">►</span><span class="expanded-arrow">▼</span> 228 Other versions 229 </a> 230 <div class="picker"><ol id="alt-docs"><li><a href="https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v21.x/api/single-executable-applications.html">21.x</a></li> 231<li><a href="https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/single-executable-applications.html">20.x <b>LTS</b></a></li> 232<li><a href="https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v19.x/api/single-executable-applications.html">19.x</a></li> 233<li><a href="https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v18.x/api/single-executable-applications.html">18.x <b>LTS</b></a></li></ol></div> 234 </li> 235 236 <li class="picker-header"> 237 <a href="#"> 238 <span class="collapsed-arrow">►</span><span class="expanded-arrow">▼</span> 239 Options 240 </a> 241 242 <div class="picker"> 243 <ul> 244 <li> 245 <a href="all.html">View on single page</a> 246 </li> 247 <li> 248 <a href="single-executable-applications.json">View as JSON</a> 249 </li> 250 <li class="edit_on_github"><a href="https://github.com/nodejs/node/edit/main/doc/api/single-executable-applications.md">Edit on GitHub</a></li> 251 </ul> 252 </div> 253 </li> 254 </ul> 255 </div> 256 <hr> 257 </header> 258 259 <details id="toc" open><summary>Table of contents</summary><ul> 260<li><span class="stability_1"><a href="#single-executable-applications">Single executable applications</a></span> 261<ul> 262<li><a href="#notes">Notes</a> 263<ul> 264<li><a href="#requireid-in-the-injected-module-is-not-file-based"><code>require(id)</code> in the injected module is not file based</a></li> 265<li><a href="#__filename-and-modulefilename-in-the-injected-module"><code>__filename</code> and <code>module.filename</code> in the injected module</a></li> 266<li><a href="#__dirname-in-the-injected-module"><code>__dirname</code> in the injected module</a></li> 267<li><a href="#single-executable-application-creation-process">Single executable application creation process</a></li> 268<li><a href="#platform-support">Platform support</a></li> 269</ul> 270</li> 271</ul> 272</li> 273</ul></details> 274 275 <div id="apicontent"> 276 <h2>Single executable applications<span><a class="mark" href="#single-executable-applications" id="single-executable-applications">#</a></span><a aria-hidden="true" class="legacy" id="single_executable_applications_single_executable_applications"></a></h2> 277 278<div class="api_metadata"> 279<span>Added in: v19.7.0, v18.16.0</span> 280</div> 281<p></p><div class="api_stability api_stability_1"><a href="documentation.html#stability-index">Stability: 1</a> - Experimental: This feature is being designed and will change.</div><p></p> 282<p><strong>Source Code:</strong> <a href="https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/v18.20.1/src/node_sea.cc">src/node_sea.cc</a></p> 283<p>This feature allows the distribution of a Node.js application conveniently to a 284system that does not have Node.js installed.</p> 285<p>Node.js supports the creation of <a href="https://github.com/nodejs/single-executable">single executable applications</a> by allowing 286the injection of a JavaScript file into the <code>node</code> binary. During start up, the 287program checks if anything has been injected. If the script is found, it 288executes its contents. Otherwise Node.js operates as it normally does.</p> 289<p>The single executable application feature only supports running a single 290embedded <a href="modules.html#modules-commonjs-modules">CommonJS</a> file.</p> 291<p>A bundled JavaScript file can be turned into a single executable application 292with any tool which can inject resources into the <code>node</code> binary.</p> 293<p>Here are the steps for creating a single executable application using one such 294tool, <a href="https://github.com/nodejs/postject">postject</a>:</p> 295<ol> 296<li> 297<p>Create a JavaScript file:</p> 298<pre><code class="language-console"><span class="hljs-meta prompt_">$ </span><span class="language-bash"><span class="hljs-built_in">echo</span> <span class="hljs-string">'console.log(`Hello, ${process.argv[2]}!`);'</span> > hello.js</span></code> <button class="copy-button">copy</button></pre> 299</li> 300<li> 301<p>Create a copy of the <code>node</code> executable and name it according to your needs:</p> 302<pre><code class="language-console"><span class="hljs-meta prompt_">$ </span><span class="language-bash"><span class="hljs-built_in">cp</span> $(<span class="hljs-built_in">command</span> -v node) hello</span></code> <button class="copy-button">copy</button></pre> 303</li> 304<li> 305<p>Remove the signature of the binary:</p> 306<ul> 307<li>On macOS:</li> 308</ul> 309<pre><code class="language-console"><span class="hljs-meta prompt_">$ </span><span class="language-bash">codesign --remove-signature hello</span></code> <button class="copy-button">copy</button></pre> 310<ul> 311<li>On Windows (optional):</li> 312</ul> 313<p><a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/seccrypto/signtool">signtool</a> can be used from the installed <a href="https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-sdk/">Windows SDK</a>. If this step is 314skipped, ignore any signature-related warning from postject.</p> 315<pre><code class="language-console"><span class="hljs-meta prompt_">$ </span><span class="language-bash">signtool remove /s hello</span></code> <button class="copy-button">copy</button></pre> 316</li> 317<li> 318<p>Inject the JavaScript file into the copied binary by running <code>postject</code> with 319the following options:</p> 320<ul> 321<li><code>hello</code> - The name of the copy of the <code>node</code> executable created in step 2.</li> 322<li><code>NODE_JS_CODE</code> - The name of the resource / note / section in the binary 323where the contents of the JavaScript file will be stored.</li> 324<li><code>hello.js</code> - The name of the JavaScript file created in step 1.</li> 325<li><code>--sentinel-fuse NODE_JS_FUSE_fce680ab2cc467b6e072b8b5df1996b2</code> - The 326<a href="https://www.electronjs.org/docs/latest/tutorial/fuses">fuse</a> used by the Node.js project to detect if a file has been injected.</li> 327<li><code>--macho-segment-name NODE_JS</code> (only needed on macOS) - The name of the 328segment in the binary where the contents of the JavaScript file will be 329stored.</li> 330</ul> 331<p>To summarize, here is the required command for each platform:</p> 332<ul> 333<li> 334<p>On systems other than macOS:</p> 335<pre><code class="language-console"><span class="hljs-meta prompt_">$ </span><span class="language-bash">npx postject hello NODE_JS_CODE hello.js \ 336 --sentinel-fuse NODE_JS_FUSE_fce680ab2cc467b6e072b8b5df1996b2</span></code> <button class="copy-button">copy</button></pre> 337</li> 338<li> 339<p>On macOS:</p> 340<pre><code class="language-console"><span class="hljs-meta prompt_">$ </span><span class="language-bash">npx postject hello NODE_JS_CODE hello.js \ 341 --sentinel-fuse NODE_JS_FUSE_fce680ab2cc467b6e072b8b5df1996b2 \ 342 --macho-segment-name NODE_JS</span></code> <button class="copy-button">copy</button></pre> 343</li> 344</ul> 345</li> 346<li> 347<p>Sign the binary:</p> 348<ul> 349<li>On macOS:</li> 350</ul> 351<pre><code class="language-console"><span class="hljs-meta prompt_">$ </span><span class="language-bash">codesign --sign - hello</span></code> <button class="copy-button">copy</button></pre> 352<ul> 353<li>On Windows (optional):</li> 354</ul> 355<p>A certificate needs to be present for this to work. However, the unsigned 356binary would still be runnable.</p> 357<pre><code class="language-console"><span class="hljs-meta prompt_">$ </span><span class="language-bash">signtool sign /fd SHA256 hello</span></code> <button class="copy-button">copy</button></pre> 358</li> 359<li> 360<p>Run the binary:</p> 361<pre><code class="language-console"><span class="hljs-meta prompt_">$ </span><span class="language-bash">./hello world</span> 362Hello, world!</code> <button class="copy-button">copy</button></pre> 363</li> 364</ol> 365<section><h3>Notes<span><a class="mark" href="#notes" id="notes">#</a></span><a aria-hidden="true" class="legacy" id="single_executable_applications_notes"></a></h3> 366<h4><code>require(id)</code> in the injected module is not file based<span><a class="mark" href="#requireid-in-the-injected-module-is-not-file-based" id="requireid-in-the-injected-module-is-not-file-based">#</a></span><a aria-hidden="true" class="legacy" id="single_executable_applications_require_id_in_the_injected_module_is_not_file_based"></a></h4> 367<p><code>require()</code> in the injected module is not the same as the <a href="modules.html#requireid"><code>require()</code></a> 368available to modules that are not injected. It also does not have any of the 369properties that non-injected <a href="modules.html#requireid"><code>require()</code></a> has except <a href="modules.html#accessing-the-main-module"><code>require.main</code></a>. It 370can only be used to load built-in modules. Attempting to load a module that can 371only be found in the file system will throw an error.</p> 372<p>Instead of relying on a file based <code>require()</code>, users can bundle their 373application into a standalone JavaScript file to inject into the executable. 374This also ensures a more deterministic dependency graph.</p> 375<p>However, if a file based <code>require()</code> is still needed, that can also be achieved:</p> 376<pre><code class="language-js"><span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> { createRequire } = <span class="hljs-built_in">require</span>(<span class="hljs-string">'node:module'</span>); 377<span class="hljs-built_in">require</span> = <span class="hljs-title function_">createRequire</span>(__filename);</code> <button class="copy-button">copy</button></pre> 378<h4><code>__filename</code> and <code>module.filename</code> in the injected module<span><a class="mark" href="#__filename-and-modulefilename-in-the-injected-module" id="__filename-and-modulefilename-in-the-injected-module">#</a></span><a aria-hidden="true" class="legacy" id="single_executable_applications_filename_and_module_filename_in_the_injected_module"></a></h4> 379<p>The values of <code>__filename</code> and <code>module.filename</code> in the injected module are 380equal to <a href="process.html#processexecpath"><code>process.execPath</code></a>.</p> 381<h4><code>__dirname</code> in the injected module<span><a class="mark" href="#__dirname-in-the-injected-module" id="__dirname-in-the-injected-module">#</a></span><a aria-hidden="true" class="legacy" id="single_executable_applications_dirname_in_the_injected_module"></a></h4> 382<p>The value of <code>__dirname</code> in the injected module is equal to the directory name 383of <a href="process.html#processexecpath"><code>process.execPath</code></a>.</p> 384<h4>Single executable application creation process<span><a class="mark" href="#single-executable-application-creation-process" id="single-executable-application-creation-process">#</a></span><a aria-hidden="true" class="legacy" id="single_executable_applications_single_executable_application_creation_process"></a></h4> 385<p>A tool aiming to create a single executable Node.js application must 386inject the contents of a JavaScript file into:</p> 387<ul> 388<li>a resource named <code>NODE_JS_CODE</code> if the <code>node</code> binary is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_Executable">PE</a> file</li> 389<li>a section named <code>NODE_JS_CODE</code> in the <code>NODE_JS</code> segment if the <code>node</code> binary 390is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach-O">Mach-O</a> file</li> 391<li>a note named <code>NODE_JS_CODE</code> if the <code>node</code> binary is an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executable_and_Linkable_Format">ELF</a> file</li> 392</ul> 393<p>Search the binary for the 394<code>NODE_JS_FUSE_fce680ab2cc467b6e072b8b5df1996b2:0</code> <a href="https://www.electronjs.org/docs/latest/tutorial/fuses">fuse</a> string and flip the 395last character to <code>1</code> to indicate that a resource has been injected.</p> 396<h4>Platform support<span><a class="mark" href="#platform-support" id="platform-support">#</a></span><a aria-hidden="true" class="legacy" id="single_executable_applications_platform_support"></a></h4> 397<p>Single-executable support is tested regularly on CI only on the following 398platforms:</p> 399<ul> 400<li>Windows</li> 401<li>macOS</li> 402<li>Linux (all distributions <a href="https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/main/BUILDING.md#platform-list">supported by Node.js</a> except Alpine and all 403architectures <a href="https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/main/BUILDING.md#platform-list">supported by Node.js</a> except s390x and ppc64)</li> 404</ul> 405<p>This is due to a lack of better tools to generate single-executables that can be 406used to test this feature on other platforms.</p> 407<p>Suggestions for other resource injection tools/workflows are welcomed. Please 408start a discussion at <a href="https://github.com/nodejs/single-executable/discussions">https://github.com/nodejs/single-executable/discussions</a> 409to help us document them.</p></section> 410 <!-- API END --> 411 </div> 412 </div> 413 </div> 414</body> 415</html> 416