Azure + Node.js on Linux (Gentoo flavored)

Steps for getting Azure Node Module through source code.

If you’re curious about how to use Node.js with Windows Azure on Linux, there’s some good documentation on the WindowsAzure.com web site here:
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/nodejs/

Clicking on the Linux Download, gives you with Azure Source code, where you can compile, and install the NPM module for Azure for Node.js

The steps for the most part are simple:
1. Install Node.js from http://www.nodejs.org
You can emerge it if you’re running Gentoo
or use any package manager for you flavor of Linux

2. Install Azure for Node.js
Compile, and then install from the source code downloaded earlier.

As I made my way through these steps, I was presented with a small issue. Azure for Node.js requires Node.js version greater than 0.6.15.

The error I kept getting was:
‘Node version needs to be higher than 0.6.15′

Originally I had an older version of Node.js installed, and uninstalling it, and re-installing the new version didn’t seem to fix the issue. I also refreshed my environment vars, with env-update command, and created a symbolic link to node version 0.8.3 from the downloaded source tarball. All to no avail. It still didn’t work for me.

So I put my developer cap on and decided to look at the “configure” script that you run when getting prepare to run “make” to compile the Azure source code tarball. Low and behold it’s a python script that’s checking for the version of Node.js, and it appears to be incorrect, or at least the values are not correct. Thus I just commented the check out with a ‘#’ mark, and re-ran the command:
sudo ./configure
Success!!!

Next I ran the command:
sudo make

Then:
sudo make install

And now I can run Azure commands to monitor, and provision all things with Azure from my Gentoo Linux Laptop…

Quite a Few Microsoft Announcements….

First Off, I want to just give just a quick few updates to what I’ve been working on.

I have embarked on a new opportunity dealing with Kinect, and RaspberryPi. I have also been doing some Secure Coding/Certified Ethical hacker/Web Pen testing type stuff as well recently. So stay tuned for some posts on all these things mentioned above.

Now to the announcements. Microsoft has made some splash in the news over the past few weeks dealing with Windows Azure, and Office 365. In my oppinion Microsoft is really taking the competition to the likes of Amazon Cloud offerings, and Google Docs cloud offerings. In the Office 365 space, Microsoft is making it extremely easy connect work on Office products in the cloud, build custom applications and reports, and deploy them with a click of a button. You can read more about the fancy tips and tricks here:

Office Next Blog
http://blogs.office.com/b/office-next/

TechNet Office Tech Center
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/office

Office 365 Preview Blog
http://community.office365.com/en-us/preview/blogs/office365preview/default.aspx

As far as Windows Azure, Microsoft is making it easy build, develop, architect, implement, and deploy all other types of Cloud solutions. So on one hand, you have Office Product Solutions with Office 365, then everything that is not covered under Office can be done through Windows Azure. Windows Azure offers the ability to create Web Sites with the click of a button, or type in a Node.js command from your Gentoo Laptop (As I’ve done), to monitor, stop, provision and manage web sites. Azure also supports BLOBS, Virtual Machines, Identity Management, Service Bus, and more. Just navigate to
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/

Or check out Scott Guthrie’s video showing a good 1+ hour demo of some if Azure’s capabilities:
http://www.meetwindowsazure.com/conversations#ScottGuthrieMeet

Stay tuned for more updates.