host-container

Container to host simple static applications using a node server, so files can be deployed using rsync

Why is this a thing?

When hosting static applications on my server, it makes life a lot easier if they are run in container-like environments, so I can start and stop the server from the command line, seperately from any other hosted services. This works great for services like Django-applications, but for simpler apps like static-sites, this isnt great.

One of the key reasons I want this is because it means I can push static data to the server using a tool like rsync, instead of using some janky ssh library to run the clone and setup commands on the server.

So how does it work?

The hosting and switching itself is done using a private, closed-source tool. I can't go into detail, but it accepts commands to run from a proc file. In this project, this proc file contains an entry to run the server.js file with node, which contains the server.

The server then serves the directory site/ on whatever port it has been given. This means when I push data to the directory, the data will be instantly available to the web server with no need to restart or reconfigure.

"So, can I use it?"

Sure, if this solution suits your needs, although It's unlikey to, seeing as this is a very niche problem. The exact ways this service works are unlikely to change, due to the fact it fits my needs perfectly, but any improvements are always welcome!