How does one start a node.js server as a daemon process?

Question

In Python Twisted, you have the twistd command that helps you with a number of things related to running your application (daemonize it for example).

Ho

Answer 1

For the background on the normal way to daemonise on a POSIX system you can search for the C method.

I have not seen enough methods in the node.js API to allow it to be done the C way by hand. However, when using child_process, you can have node.js do it for you:

http://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_process_child_process_spawn_command_args_options

I consider this a potential waste of time because there's a good chance your system provides the same.

For example:

http://libslack.org/daemon/manpages/daemon.1.html

If you want something portable (cross platform) the other posts offer solutions that might suffice.