sabi.js

sabi.js: control your devices through a HTML5/Node/Javascript framework

Luc Renambot - November 2012 - [email protected]
University of Illinois at Chicago

Sabi.js

• Run commands locally

• Run scripts locally

• Run scripts on a remote server

• Send OSC messages to a network device

Software dependencies

• node.js

  • package: http-auth

  • package: mime

  • package: socket.io

  • package: sprint

  • package: serialport

  • package: forever

  • package: optimist

  • package: exec-sync

  • package: async

  • package: socket.io-client

• Web packages

  • socket.io.js
  • jquery.mobile.js
  • jquery.js
  • socket.io.js
  • underscore.js
  • backbone.js

Installation

• Install node.js and its package manager

  • Binaries, through a package manager (for Window, Mac, Linux),
  • From sources, see node.js wiki (for Window, Mac, Linux).

• Check the installation

  • node.js: type node -v You should get something like v0.12.xx
  • npm: type npm -v You should get something like v2.x.xx

• Install dependencies

  • npm install : install all dependencies
  • npm install http-auth (http authorization)
  • npm install htdigest (password generation)
  • npm install mime (mime type file detection)
  • npm install serialport (serial port communication)
  • npm install socket.io (websockets)
  • npm install sprint (C-like printf)
  • npm install forever (optional but useful)
  • npm install optimist (argument processing)
  • npm install socket.io-client (server to server communication)
  • npm install exec-sync (synchronous execution of commands)
  • npm install async (high-level taks management)

• Settings

  • On Linux: the user running the serial port commands should be in the ‘dial out’ group

• Get sabi.js source package

  • sabijs.tar.gz

• Open the sabi.js folder

  • Edit the file text sabi.json (JSON file format). Syntax is defined in the section below.

    • In the “global” section: server_port specifies the port the web server is listening to (port 9000 by default). Check your firewall, as needed.
    • In the “global” section: security set to true will require an account name and password to access the pages. Set to false, anyone can access the site.

  • Generate user passwords: if “security” is set to “true” in sabi.json, you need to generate a password file (called users.htpasswd) containing one or more accounts (in the realm ‘sabi’): users will need to enter a username and password to access the commands

    • Syntax: htdigest [-c] passwordfile realm username
    • Create a new file with a new user: ./node_modules/htdigest/lib/htdigest-bin.js -c users.htpasswd sabi user1
    • Add a new user: ./node_modules/htdigest/lib/htdigest-bin.js users.htpasswd sabi user2

• Run

  • While editing your sabi.json file, it is convenient to check the messages of the server. For this, just run node server.js from the prompt,

  • Open any web browser to the http://server:port address. Fill out the password if need and start controlling your devices,

  • Once your configuration if finalized, your can use the forever command or the provided GO script:

    • ./node_modules/forever/bin/forever start server.js starts the server in the background, and will monitor its execution (and restart if it crashes)
    • ./node_modules/forever/bin/forever stopall stops all the instances of the server
    • in production mode, the GO script should be placed in the startup script of the machine or the user.