How to Install Node-RED on MXLinux Latest

Introduction

Node-RED is a powerful open-source tool that helps you create applications by visually connecting nodes to create flows. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing Node-RED on MXLinux Latest.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure that you have:

• A running instance of MXLinux Latest
• Root or sudo privileges
• A stable internet connection

Step 1: Install Node.js

Node-RED requires Node.js to function correctly. If you don't have Node.js installed on your system, you can install it using the following command:

sudo apt-get install nodejs

If the Node.js version in the repository is outdated, we recommend using a Node.js version manager like nvm to install the latest version. To install nvm on MXLinux, run the following commands:

curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash

The installation process will automatically add the necessary environment variables to your shell configuration file. Then run the following command to load the nvm environment:

source ~/.bashrc

Step 2: Install Node-RED

To install Node-RED, we will use npm, which is a package manager for JavaScript. Run the following command to install Node-RED:

sudo npm install -g --unsafe-perm node-red

After a successful installation, you can run Node-RED using the following command:

node-red

Node-RED web interface should now be accessible at http://localhost:1880/ in your web browser.

Step 3: Configure Node-RED as a Service

To run Node-RED as a service on startup, we need to create a systemd service file. To do this, run the following command:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/nodered.service

Then paste the following contents into the file:

[Unit]
Description=Node-RED
After=network.target

[Service]
User=root
Environment="NODE-RED_HOME=/usr/lib/node_modules/node-red"
ExecStart=/usr/bin/env node-red -s /root/.node-red/settings.js
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save and close the file.

Reload systemd and start the Node-RED service using the following commands:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable nodered.service
sudo systemctl start nodered.service

Node-RED should now be running in the background as a systemd service.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have installed Node.js and Node-RED and configured it as a systemd service on MXLinux Latest. You can now start building your flows and connect them to different nodes to build powerful applications. Happy coding!

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