node-mac
A Node.js module for creating and managing native daemons and event logs on macOS.
What is node-mac?
node-mac is a Node.js module that allows developers to run Node.js scripts as native macOS daemons. It solves the problem of managing long-running Node.js applications as persistent system services with proper lifecycle management and logging. The module handles installation, process monitoring, and intelligent crash recovery.
Node.js developers and DevOps engineers who need to deploy and manage Node.js applications as background services on macOS systems.
Developers choose node-mac because it provides a native, programmatic way to manage Node.js daemons on macOS with built-in crash recovery and logging, avoiding manual launchd configuration. Its smart restart logic prevents server overload while maintaining service availability.
Overview
Node utilities for Mac
Use Cases
Best For
- Running Node.js web servers as persistent macOS background services
- Deploying Node.js APIs or microservices that need automatic restart on failure
- Managing long-running Node.js scripts (like data processors or bots) on macOS
- Creating macOS services from Node.js applications with proper system integration
- Replacing manual launchd plist configurations with programmatic control
- Adding intelligent crash recovery to Node.js applications on macOS
Not Ideal For
- Projects deploying to Linux or Windows servers where cross-platform compatibility is needed
- Lightweight scripts that only run temporarily without requiring background service management
- Teams using containerization tools like Docker or Kubernetes for orchestration
- Environments where root/sudo access is restricted or unavailable for service installation
Pros & Cons
Pros
Configurable backoff intervals (wait and grow) prevent server overload by increasing restart delays, with caps like maxRetries and maxRestarts to handle flawed scripts gracefully.
Uses launchd for service management and logs to the macOS Console app, providing system-level visibility and reliability without manual plist configuration.
Easy installation, start, stop, and monitoring via an event-driven Service object, as shown in the README examples for quick setup.
Allows passing static data to services through configurable environment variables, enabling better customization and security for long-running processes.
Cons
Installing services requires sudo/root privileges, which can be a barrier in shared or restricted environments and adds complexity to deployment scripts.
It is specific to macOS; for other operating systems, separate modules like node-windows or node-linux are needed, limiting cross-platform projects.
Uninstalling a service deletes log files, as noted in the README, which can be problematic for debugging or auditing if not backed up separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
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supervisornode-supervisor is a lightweight process supervisor for Node.js applications. It monitors your program and automatically restarts it if it crashes, and can also restart it when changes to JavaScript files are detected, enabling hot-code reloading behavior without requiring a complex module system overhaul. ## Key Features - **Automatic Restart on Crash** — Restarts the supervised program if it exits unexpectedly, ensuring continuous operation. - **File Change Detection** — Watches specified directories and files for changes, triggering restarts to apply code updates. - **Configurable Watch/Ignore** — Allows customizing which folders and file extensions to monitor or ignore. - **Flexible Execution** — Supports running programs with different executables (e.g., Node, CoffeeScript) and debugging flags. - **Interactive Control** — Provides commands like `rs` to manually restart the process without file changes. ## Philosophy node-supervisor focuses on simplicity and reliability, offering a straightforward way to manage Node.js processes without introducing complex dependencies or requiring changes to your application's architecture.
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