Hey folks, I’m struggling with my Dockerfile for a Node.js API backend. I’ve set up everything, but I can’t figure out the right command to start the app. Here’s what I’ve got so far:
FROM node:10
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install
COPY . .
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ???
I know it’s not ng serve like in Angular. When I try that, I get an error saying ng: not found. Any ideas what I should put for the CMD? I’ve looked through Node docs but I’m still confused. Help a newbie out!
hey there! have u tried using ‘node app.js’ or ‘npm start’ as ur CMD? those are pretty common for node.js apps. also, wat does ur package.json look like? sometimes theres a ‘start’ script defined there that u can use. btw, which version of node are u using? node:10 is kinda old now, maybe try a newer version? just curious, wat kind of API are u building?
I’ve encountered similar issues when setting up Node.js backends in Docker. For the CMD instruction, you’ll typically want to use ‘node’ followed by your entry point file. Assuming your main file is ‘server.js’ or ‘index.js’, try this:
CMD [“node”, “server.js”]
If you’ve defined a start script in your package.json, you could alternatively use:
CMD [“npm”, “start”]
One additional suggestion: consider updating your base image to a more recent Node.js version for better performance and security. For example, ‘node:14’ or ‘node:16’ would be more current choices. Remember to test thoroughly after making these changes to ensure compatibility with your application.
yo finn, try using ‘npm start’ for the CMD. it usually works if u have a start script in ur package.json. also, u might wanna upgrade from node:10, its pretty outdated. node:14 or 16 would be better. wat kinda api u working on? sounds cool!