Command »npm start --port 8080« fails

[jancborchardt]

The npm install and build steps work fine. However starting the server results in this:

jan@Rechenknecht:~/shout$ npm start -- --port 8080
npm ERR! Error: ENOENT, open '/home/jan/shout/node_modules/--port/package.json'
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this *entire* log,
npm ERR! including the npm and node versions, at:
npm ERR!     <http://github.com/npm/npm/issues>

npm ERR! System Linux 3.19.0-31-generic
npm ERR! command "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "start" "--" "--port" "8080"
npm ERR! cwd /home/jan/shout
npm ERR! node -v v0.10.28
npm ERR! npm -v 1.4.9
npm ERR! path /home/jan/shout/node_modules/--port/package.json
npm ERR! code ENOENT
npm ERR! errno 34
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Additional logging details can be found in:
npm ERR!     /home/jan/shout/npm-debug.log
npm ERR! not ok code 0

Any idea?

[astorije]

Hi @jancborchardt,

I recommend you take a look at https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11580961/sending-command-line-arguments-to-npm-script.

Basically, you cannot pass arguments using npm v1... which is a shame because we ensure support of Node.js v0.10 which comes with npm v1.

The fastest solutions I can offer you is to either use a configuration file instead of command line arguments (http://shout-irc.com/docs/server/configuration.html) or to install shout globally (npm install -g shout).

As a longer-term solution, if we want to support global-free installations, I see 3 possible ways:

1. Deprecate Node.js 0.10 support. I know @JocelynDelalande will not approve this because it's the version available in Debian Jessie, but fact is Node has seen tremendous major upgrades (v0.12, v4, soon v5...) since then, a merge with iojs, and Node.js v4 is a LTS, first time in Node history. Without trying to be bleeding-edge, if we want to ensure stability, it seems to me than v4 is a much safer choice than v0.10.
2. Remove CLI arguments. That would mean configuration would come from a single place, the configuration file, which I am cool with.
3. Update the documentation to warn the user loud and clear that using npm v1 and a local installation prevents using command line arguments.

[floogulinc]

For now you can use node index --port 8080

Also, why do we have the extra -- in the example on the readme?

[astorije]

Also, why do we have the extra -- in the example on the readme?

It is necessary with npm. Look at the Stack Overflow link I gave for example.
However, I would definitely remove -- --port 8080 from the README. It is unnecessary for a minimal setup.

[jancborchardt]

Aaah ok, just using npm start works fine. That’s all I need. Probably that should be changed in the readme?

[astorije]

Definitely! Feel free to open a PR for this (Don't forget to take a look at our CONTRIBUTING file first) :-)

[jancborchardt]

Will do!

[jancborchardt]

PR at #536 and btw it’s awesome to see that this project has picked up more maintainers and pace again. :)

cc @bnvk on these good news as we were keen on contributing to Shout on the design front and it’s probably time to do more on that.

[Xe]

@floogulinc

Also, why do we have the extra -- in the example on the readme?

It's behavior based on how GNU getopt() works:

The user can stop getopt() from scanning any further into a command line by using the special argument "--" by itself.

For example:

$ ssh bar.baz -l xena -- tar -xzf some/file 

The -- there stops ssh from processing tar's command line flags.

[shrisowdhaman]

npm start -- --port 3200 -- host 10.0.0.1

Server runs
ng serve --base-href=/URL/ "--host" "10.97.7.78" "--port" "3400"