NodeJS Still Not Working on Debian

[rtruxal]

This is my 3rd time having serious issues with installing

• nodejs
• npm
• nodejs-legacy
  on on a fresh Debian box. This brings me to a question that I'll explain more below.

My Question:

Is nodejs-legacy absolutely necessary to install jupyterhub?

Potential fixes:

Unlike on Debian 8 ("jessie,") installing nodejs & nodejs-legacy on Debian 9 actually works out of the box. However, things get tricky when you try to install npm with apt-get. The internet says you can either:

1. compile everything from source (not fun)
2. use nvm (Node Version Manager, which doesn't pass the apt: name={{item}} state=present check.)
3. add the Node LTS PPA & corresponding gpg key, then install with apt. (looks like the best option)

Number 3 seems like the best shot:

Upgrading to Debian 9 ("stretch") with backports, & adding the current Node LTS PPA has gotten me the farthest, but this route is still giving me trouble with nodejs-legacy. Mind you, I haven't even run the playbook yet, I'm trying to figure out what tasks to add.

Here's the shell code to install the PPA for the most current Node LTS Repo:

~$ curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_6.x | sudo bash -

npm has now become installible with apt! However nodejs-legacy is now throwing the ol' "you have held broken packages" error.

So with that, here's my question again:

Is nodejs-legacy absolutely necessary to install jupyterhub with this playbook?

[rtruxal]

nodejs-legacy is not a necessary dep for Debian.

From [CTTE #614907] Resolution of node/nodejs conflict:

The nodejs source package shall also provide a nodejs-legacy binary
package at Priority: extra that contains /usr/bin/node as a symlink to
/usr/bin/nodejs. No package in the archive may depend on or recommend
the nodejs-legacy package, which is provided solely for upstream
compatibility.

nodejs-legacy just makes a symlink. That's it.

To fix it I have:

• added the node PPA & install nodejs & npm via apt.
• Commented out the - nodejs-legacy line inside ansible-jupyterhub/vars/main.yml
• Run ~$ ln -s /usr/bin/nodejs /usr/bin/node on the jupyterhub host.

I may be able to make a pull-req if I have time, but if anyone can beat me to it, this^ is the procedure.