Issue on Deploying Node.js & Socket.IO App to Nodejitsu

Question

I am new at Node.js, Socket.IO, and Nodejitsu. I am also running Ubuntu on my machine. After Googling for free hoisting supports for Node.js and Socket.IO, I find the Nodejitsu hosting platform. They say it is easy to deploy an app but I find it a little complicated. Here is the Process which I followed.

After setting up my account with Nodejitsu I ran:

sudo npm install jitsu -g
sudo jitsu install socket.io

And I tried to deploy an app by using:

jitsu deploy

but I got two warnings on cmd line as:

warn:    There is no package.json file in /home/ben
warn:    Creating package.json at /home/ben/package.json

and the the jitsu is prompting as:

prompt: Application name:  (ben) 
prompt: Subdomain name:  (cand-ben) 
prompt: scripts.start:

First off, I don't understand what those two warnings are for? Should I create a package.json file there? I also tried to start a script like this in command line after prompt: scripts.start:

var http = require('http');
  http.createServer(function (req, res) {
  res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
  res.end('hello, i know nodejitsu\n');
}).listen(8080);

but I am getting this error messages

prompt:  scripts.start:  var http = require('http');
error:   Invalid input for scripts.start
error:   Start script was not found in /home/ben
prompt:  scripts.start:  http.createServer(function (req, res) {
error:   Invalid input for scripts.start
error:   Start script was not found in /home/ben
prompt:  scripts.start:      res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
error:   Invalid input for scripts.start
error:   Start script was not found in /home/ben
prompt:  scripts.start:      res.end('hello, i know nodejitsu\n');
error:   Invalid input for scripts.start
error:   Start script was not found in /home/ben
prompt:  scripts.start:  }).listen(8080);

Can you please let me know how should I pass the script into the command prompt? How should I create the package.json? is there a any clear tutorial illustrating these thing?

Thanks

Error After adding the package.json from Peter site.

warn:    About to write /home/ben/package.json
data:    
data:    {
data:        engines: { node: '0.8.x' },
data:        name: 'ben',
data:        scripts: { start: '' },
data:        subdomain: 'candente-ben',
data:        version: '0.0.0'
data:    }
data:    
prompt: Is this ok?:  (yes) 
info:    Analyzing application dependencies in 
WARN package.json ben@0.0.0 No repository field.
WARN package.json ben@0.0.0 No readme data.
info:    Checking app availability ben
info:    Checking app availability ben
info:    Creating app ben
info:    Creating app ben
error:   Error creating ben
error:   Nodejitsu Error (500): Internal Server Error
error:   Error running command deploy
error:   Nodejitsu Error (500): Internal Server Error
warn:    Error returned from Nodejitsu
error:   Error: App name / subdomain combination is not available
error:       at module.exports    (/root/nodejitsu/lib/nodejitsu/resources/app/controller/available.js:27:17)
error:       at Resource._request (/root/nodejitsu/node_modules/resourceful/lib/resourceful/resource.js:184:13)
error:       at Function.Resource.runAfterHooks (/root/nodejitsu/node_modules/resourceful/lib/resourceful/resource.js:93:12)
error:       at Resource._request (/root/nodejitsu/node_modules/resourceful/lib/resourceful/resource.js:179:14)
error:       at Couchdb.view (/root/nodejitsu/node_modules/resourceful/lib/resourceful/engines/couchdb/index.js:143:5)
error:       at Request._onResponse [as _callback] (/root/nodejitsu/node_modules/resourceful/node_modules/cradle/lib/cradle.js:233:9)
error:       at Request.init.self.callback (/root/nodejitsu/node_modules/request/main.js:120:22)
error:       at Request.EventEmitter.emit (events.js:99:17)
error:       at Request.<anonymous> (/root/nodejitsu/node_modules/request/main.js:555:16)
error:       at Request.EventEmitter.emit (events.js:96:17)
help:    For help with this error contact Nodejitsu Support:
help:      webchat: <http://webchat.nodejitsu.com/>
help:          irc: <irc://chat.freenode.net/#nodejitsu>
help:        email: <support@nodejitsu.com>
help:    
help:      Copy and paste this output to a gist (http://gist.github.com/)
info:    Nodejitsu not ok

Answer 1

First of I didn't understand what those two warnings are for? Should I create a package.json file there?

Yes. A package.json file is required for nodejitsu deployment to work. It describes the environment your application needs in order to operate.

I also tried to start a script like this in command line after prompt: scripts.start:

The scripts.start cannot be javascript code, it must be a simple shell command. Take that javascript code and save it in a file called server.js and then make your scripts.start command be node server.js.

Here's Nodejitsu's interactive guide to the package.json file. Of course the official npm docs on package.json are a must-read. And here is an open-source app I wrote that is deployed on nodejitsu if you want to reference that. The basic scripts.start property will need to be along the lines of:

"scripts": {"start": "node server.js"}

Update

So you are probably trying too many things at once here, without spending enough time on the basics to stay out of trouble. Do not skip any of these steps. You will learn and comprehend in the process and you'll be able to understand future errors on your own.

• First, get your app running locally with a manual command like node server.js.
• Second, the the command npm start working locally by getting your package.json correct.
• Third, then work on making it work on nodejitsu.