Ability to specify version of Node in server templates

[nmoinvaz]

This issue is a feature for the ability to specify the version of Node used on the server template. Currently, it only uses version 8.14.0 which is missing some important features.

I'm not quite sure. I believe packages.json supports the use of "engines". But some other method would be acceptable too.

[nmoinvaz]

I think this might be supported through dependencies in package.json:

  "dependencies": {
    "node": "11.6.0",
    "npm": "6.5.0"
  },

The sandbox probably wasn't reloaded properly after adding the dependency. Closing.

[riongull]

If anyone is here trying to figure out how to change the version of Node used in the server container feature of codesandbox.io, unfortunately you can't according to this response.

You can't change the node version at this time. (Jan 7, 2020)

[garethx]

The node as a dependency workaround does work though: https://codesandbox.io/docs/faqs#can-i-change-the-node-version-used-in-a-container-sandbox

I've updated my response in the linked thread.

[riongull]

Thanks for the quick reply, and link to the documentation, @garethx. That worked for me.

For the lazy, just do update your package.json to include:

"scripts": {
  "start": "./node_modules/node/node_modules/.bin/node ./src/index.js"
},
"dependencies": {
  "node": "14.3.0"
},

Click the link @garethx shared above to see usage with nodemon.

Now we just need Google to return the docs page above this issue when searching for how to "change node version in codesandbox" :)

[jagreehal]

The link to the documentation has changed it should be https://codesandbox.io/docs/start#can-i-change-the-node-version-used-in-a-container-sandbox

The solution is set the node property in sandbox.config.json

{
  "node": 14
}

[marcandrews]

This still isn't working for me in this Sandbox https://codesandbox.io/s/twitch-js-typescript-example-tnnys?file=/sandbox.config.json

sandbox.config.json:

{
  "infiniteLoopProtection": true,
  "hardReloadOnChange": false,
  "template": "node",
  "view": "terminal",
  "container": {
    "node": "12"
  },
  "node": "12"
}

A dependency has { "engines": { "node": ">12" } } and I'm getting the following error when I run the sandbox:

error twitch-js@2.0.0-beta.41: The engine "node" is incompatible with this module. Expected version ">=12". Got "10.23.0"

I can open a new terminal and switch to Node 12 with nvm and run the code just fine though.

Any ideas?

Edit:

Node 14 works 🤔

[lbogdan]

Hey @marcandrews ,

For me it works with both node 12 and 14 in a fork of your original sandbox:

Might be that you didn't restart the container after you changed the version in sandbox.config.json?

[marcandrews]

@lbogdan, I was having a lot of issues in general with Codesandbox that day, but they all seemed to be resolved the next day.

Thanks for following up ❤️

[slorber]

Hey!

Was just wondering if anyone can explain the difference between node and container.node? Reading the doc it's not really clear to me which one I want to set.

[lbogdan]

Hey @slorber ,

It's container.node. I agree that from the docs it's not obvious that port, startScript and node are under container, we should probably make that clearer.

[slorber]

@lbogdan actually the most confusing is that "node" is documented as "node" and also inside "container" (as "node"):

Maybe just removing the top-level node would make this less confusing?

[ghost]

The node as a dependency workaround does work though: https://codesandbox.io/docs/faqs#can-i-change-the-node-version-used-in-a-container-sandbox

I've updated my response in the linked thread.

Links dead m8 @garethx

[sairion]

For future ref, the docs link is moved to: https://codesandbox.io/docs/learn/sandboxes/configuration#sandbox-configuration

[ShaMan123]

For future ref, the docs link is moved to: https://codesandbox.io/docs/learn/sandboxes/configuration#sandbox-configuration

These seem to be the correct links:
https://codesandbox.io/docs/learn/environment/devcontainers#examples
https://codesandbox.io/docs/learn/environment/vm#configuring-nodejs-version

[ShaMan123]

I can confirm that adding .codesandbox/Dockerfile is all that is needed to make it work:

FROM node:18