Document existing SEA solutions out there

[jviotti]

As a step 0 in this WG, I propose we take some time to research and document every known existing solution to the problem of packaging Node.js applications as single executables, and document them in this repository.

Doing so would allow us to better study existing approaches, organize our notes on them, find points of contact of those projects and make sure we create something that truly solves the problem by considering every perspective.

I started by documenting the ones I personally know about: https://github.com/nodejs/single-executable/blob/master/docs/existing-solutions.md.

Please comment on this issue if we're missing or just send a PR :)

[guest271314]

Does node executable itself count as Node.js applications as single executables? Node.js does not provide download of node executable alone in releases. I wrote code to fetch() the nightly .tar.gz in the browser then extract only the node executable. I think I posted the code in the SEA thread that is origin of this repository.

[ljharb]

I don't think it counts as a single executable if you have to invoke it with specific parameters. Otherwise any zero-dependency node program could qualify merely by using -e.

[guest271314]

Technically I don't have to invoke parameters when using the node executable alone. I was actually surprised Node.js did not distribute the nightly node executable without npm, npx, et al. QuickJS, Deno, bun all provide downloads of the executable alone, without package manager, other extraneous files and folders.

[guest271314]

This is the code I wrote to fetch and extract only node executable from https://nodejs.org/download/nightly https://gist.github.com/guest271314/012441b6809f60ea542b690660ee8e0d.

For this project we can compressed the exectutable in gzip format with .gz file extension which we can decompress in the browser with Compression Streams API new DecompressionStream('gzip'); similarly we can edit the source code and compress the executable in the browser as well, for upload to a CDN or repository.

[ljharb]

I'm not sure what you're getting at. Yes, node itself counts, but things that use node don't count if they have to invoke a separate node executable to work.

[guest271314]

I'm not sure what you're getting at.

The reason I found the PR that lead to this repository was due to the fact that Node.js does not provide a download of node executable only. We have to download npm, npx, and all the files and folders in the nightly download. In my case I only needed to executable to run as a Native Messaging host.

We should provide a means to download only the nightly node executable. That is a glaring omission from Node.js downloads, where, again, QuickJS, Deno, bun all provide archived downloads of only executables.

So, what I am getting at is single-executable has a broader meaning, to me, than solely combining the node executable with additional code in a single file.

Logically, we should first provide download of the single executable node itself.

[ljharb]

Although I vehemently disagree with the value of doing that, and think that it's a good thing that node doesn't, that topic seems wildly out of scope of this entire repo. I'd suggest opening an issue on node itself to discuss it instead.

[guest271314]

@ljharb For some context, a few months ago StackBlitz claimed to be capable of running Node.js in the browser using its WebContainer. However, the source code, as far as I know is not open source. So I set about devising a means to achieve that goal in an open source manner. Basically my idea was, using the browser alone, fetch the node executable and use existsing Native Messaging host code written in Node.js compatible style, then truncate the node existable to 0 after use; so we essentially fetch and use node executable similar to an Ecmascript import, without ever actually installing node on the target system. All we need to do is write a file named "node" on the local filesystem, set the file to executable, then we can fetch and write the file to the same folder where the 0 size "node" file exists, and is already set executable, then when we are done using node, truncate to 0 so we are not carrying around node when not in use with File System Access API, which now preserves executable permissions on a file; previously always wrote a new file and didn't preserve permissions (which we can set and unset, again, via the browser). I achieved that goal in various ways. E.g., here is node-v17.9.0-linux-x64/bin/node https://github.com/guest271314/node_executable broken up into separate files that GitHub allows uploading within its size limitations.

In theory the nightly node executable can remain separate concern, with ability to concatenate any application to the executable and run as a single file.

First though, we should provide a download of the node executable itself. Then devise ways to simply concatenate whatever Node.js specific code, or C, C++, et all we want to the executable. That can be done in the browser itself as well.

Although I vehemently disagree with the value of doing that, and think that it's a good thing that node doesn't, that topic seems wildly out of scope of this entire repo. I'd suggest opening an issue on node itself to discuss it instead.

Well, I disagree with your analysis and opinion.

You havn't provided any reasons for your opinion. Other JavaScript runtimes do that. When a developer has zero need for npm, they shouldn't be saddled with that executable.

Technically I could attach any arbitrary code to the single node executable I want right now, and just split the file at offsets whenever I see fit.

We should just be able to concatenate arbitrary code to the discrete node executable in a single file - completely without having to deal with npm whatsoever.

[ljharb]

Please don't continue explaining; it's off topic for this repo.

[guest271314]

No it is not.

[ljharb]

This working group aims to advance the state of the art in packaging Node.js applications as single standalone executables (SEAs) on all supported operating systems.

Not node itself; node applications.

[guest271314]

My interpretation of that statement, and per your earlier post, node executable itself is a standalone application.

I see "Member" next to both of our usernames.

[guest271314]

You can't have Node.js applications without the node executable.