Allows NodeJS projects with long path dependancies to run inside Windows vagrant VMs

execute_nodejs_project.sh

#!/bin/bash
#
# Summary:
# Exeucute Node.JS projects with 'long path' npm dependancies
# while using Vagrant on Windows
#
# Description:
# Vagrant with a Windows host and a Linux guest has issues with
# very long paths between shared folders. The goal of this script
# is to solve the problem by copying, syncing, and updating dependancies
# in a target build path that is not accessible by the host machine thus
# ensuring that all packages and sub-packages from npm get installed
# correctly within the VM environment.
#
# Author: Daniel E. Gillespie (2016)

############### Change the variables ONLY in this section! ############
#
PROJECT_PATH="/vagrant/my-shared-project-path-with-host-machine" # Project Source Location
#
EXECUTION_PATH="/tmp/nodejs-project"  # Project Build Location
# NOTE for EXECUTION_PATH: The parent directory (/tmp in this case)
# needs to exist. This path should not be shared with the host machine.
#
#######################################################################

packageUpdated=false
package_json="package.json"
source_package="$PROJECT_PATH/$package_json"
dest_package="$EXECUTION_PATH/$package_json"

echo ""

if [ ! -d $EXECUTION_PATH ]; then
  # project doesn't exist
  rm -rf $PROJECT_PATH/node_modules 2> /dev/null # fail quietly if not found
  
  echo "Copying base project to execution location..."
  cp -Ra $PROJECT_PATH $EXECUTION_PATH
  echo "Project copy complete."
  
  cd $EXECUTION_PATH
  npm install
else
  cd $EXECUTION_PATH
  
  if ! cmp -s "$source_package" "$dest_package"; then
    # package.json is different than before
    packageUpdated=true
  fi

  echo -e "Updating target location with latest code changes...\n\nFile(s) changed:\n"
  cp -rauTv $PROJECT_PATH $EXECUTION_PATH
  echo -e "\nProject sync complete."
fi

if $packageUpdated; then
  echo "The package.json has been updated. Updating packages..."
  npm install
  echo -e "\n\n"
fi

echo -e "\nStarting project..."
npm start