Provide a way to really choose a node version

Glitch Feature Ideas
1

Hi all,

Actually, Glitch provides a way to choose it but within a limited versions list.

Is there a real reason behind that limitation?

When we really need a newer version, we need to wait the version “approval” by the Glitch team… or getting around by a NPM script which works but costing in memory/time.

  "scripts": {
    "start": "./.nave/installed/13.3.0/bin/node app/server.js",
    "install": "nave install 13.3.0"
  }

It isn’t in the interest of the Glitch user nor in the interest of Glitch itself.

Then why not to really let the choice, please?

2

Higher node versions, like you said, are possible but not great. You have my vote, more versions should be supported.

1 Like
3

I agree with that! Version 13 would be quite nice.

4

a nice dropdown in the editor like the one for adding packages would be useful

1 Like
5

Screen Shot 2020-09-25 at 12.02.15 PM

FYI Such a button does not exist, I was just giving an idea on how it should be!

6 Likes
6

That’d be cool…

2 Likes
7

Hum, I don’t share the Choose Node Version idea, because it also pushes to a limited versions list.

My proposal is to simply replace the install behavior (which is already installing node based on the engine property, but with a true version choice), based by example on nave.

8

Any Glitch team thoughts, please?

9

Hum, I don’t share the Choose Node Version idea, because it also pushes to a limited versions list.

How about if they just type in a valid node version number and glitch runs a search like the one for NPM packages

2 Likes
10
  1. Obtain api for node versions
  2. Write userscript/extension that hooks onto the editor
  3. Voila
    https://github.com/nodejs/Release
    here’s a github repo of nodejs versions that may be parsable
    There’s a discussion issue here also
    https://github.com/nodejs/Release/issues/295
    Another place to get versions is through the directory listing of the nodejs website
    https://nodejs.org/dist/
    the nodejs website does not use nodejs :frowning:
11

Docker containers are able to mount read-only volumes in a manner such that they may be shared across multiple container instances. An ideal solution to software versioning on Glitch would be to strip Node.js, Git, etc., out from the container image, which must be huge considering how many utilities are installed in general, and move them to those kind of volumes along with additional versions of those utilities.

With regards to implementation, users could select whatever software versions they wish to use via some user-facing interface while a utility such as Environment Modules handles environment modification behind the scenes.

12

Glitch runs on Docker?

13

Yup, Glitch instances run inside Docker containers.

$ echo "INSIDE_DOCKER=${INSIDE_DOCKER}"
INSIDE_DOCKER=true
2 Likes
15

that explains me finding Dockerfile’s lol
they already do similar with a pnpm volume I think

1 Like
16

WHERE? WHEREEE??? WHERE WHERE WHERE?

17

I actually don’t remeber, I remeber seeing it when Nicsena was demoing a express file manager

18

If Glitch does use Docker, do they use Kubernetes to manage all these containers and modify the containers?

19

They use terraform, i know that much

20

why not using node 18, 20 or 22? what’s the problem??

21

Older projects that aren’t running on those versions is the problem

22

the containers, as of yesterday have been on ubuntu 16.04, which later node.js doesn’t support anymore.