compilingNode0.8.4onCentOS5.md

Compiling/Installing Node 0.8.4 (and Python 2.6, required by Node) on CentOS 5

Update system packages -- will migrate system forward to CentOS 5.8. (Optional?)

$ sudo yum update

Install the EPEL Repo:

$ sudo rpm -Uvh http://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/5/x86_64/epel-release-5-4.noarch.rpm

Install the newly available python26 Package from EPEL Repo:

$ sudo yum install python26

Set python26 to be the default in your shell when you simply execute 'python' This is critical to being able to build node modules with native extensions

$ mkdir -p $HOME/bin
$ ln -s /usr/bin/python26 $HOME/bin/python
$ echo 'export PATH=$HOME/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc

Activate modified .bashrc for current terminal session

$ source ~/.bashrc

Verify Python 2.6 is ready to go. (Should print "Python 2.6.8")

$ python -V

Install Development Toolchain

$ sudo yum groupinstall "Development Tools"

Switch to home directory:

$ cd ~

Download Node 0.8.4 source tarball:

$ wget http://nodejs.org/dist/v0.8.4/node-v0.8.4.tar.gz

Untar:

$ tar -xzf node-v0.8.4.tar.gz

Switch to node directory:

$ cd node-v0.8.4

Run configure script with newly installed python binary

$ ./configure

Compile Node

$ make -j5

Install Node

$ sudo make install

Verify installation (should print "v0.8.4")

$ node --version