[libnode] How to build nodejs/libnode to a statically linkable binary?

[alshdavid]

Hi all, I am trying to build libnode such that it produces a statically linkable library I can embed within my application.

It's okay for system dependencies that the Nodejs CLI links dynamically to remain dynamic (like openssl) - I don't need them to be statically included because I am essentially recreating the Nodejs CLI.

I want to produce libraries for macos-x64 macos-arm64 linux-x64 linux-arm64 and windows-x64.

I have tried several approaches without success, namely:

./configure --shared --fully-static --enable-static
make -j16

# Patch node.gyp to build in static
sed -i "s/'type': 'executable',/'type': 'static_library',/g" ./node.gyp 

./configure
make -j16

And combinations of the flags/patches

# Patch node.gyp to build in static
sed -i "s/'type': 'executable',/'type': 'static_library',/g" ./node.gyp 

./configure  --shared --fully-static --enable-static
make -j16

I have tried this on Fedora 41 without success so I also tried running these commands within docker containers:

COMMANDS=$(cat <<-END
set -e

cd /workdir

apt update -y
apt upgrade -y
apt install -y software-properties-common wget curl jq git build-essential zsh make cmake jq clang
git config --global safe.directory '*'

git clone "https://github.com/nodejs/node" --branch v23.11.0 --depth=1 ./node
cd ./node

./configure --shared --fully-static --enable-static
make -j16

END )

# Have tried ubuntu:22.04 ubuntu:24.04 debian:12, fedora:41
sudo docker run --rm -it -v $PWD/workdir:/workdir debian:12 /bin/bash -c "echo -e \"$COMMANDS\" | /bin/bash -s"

Once I figure it out I will repeat these steps on MacOS and Windows.

References

• StackOverflow: How to build nodejs as a shared library from source code
• GitHub: metacall/libnode - Prebuilt C bindings for libnode
• Github: alshdavid/edon - Rust crate with libnode bindings

[Yasir-Rafique]

Hey, I totally get the struggle

Building a statically linkable libnode isn’t officially supported by Node.js, and it’s notoriously tricky. The build system is really set up for producing the CLI (the node binary) rather than a reusable static library.

Most folks who have managed something similar usually end up maintaining their own fork or heavy patch set, and even then, keeping up with Node releases can be a pain. That is why tools like metacall/libnode exist. They do a ton of patching/automation behind the scenes.

If you absolutely need static linking, you might have to go down the rabbit hole of forking and customizing the build (as you started). Otherwise, using dynamic linking with the shared library is much more straightforward and supported.

Sorry there isn't a smoother answer. It’s a bit of a rabbit hole! If you are okay with dynamic linking for your use case, I would recommend going that route for your sanity.

Good luck. This is not an easy one! If you make any progress, I’d love to hear about it.

[alshdavid]

Hey, thanks for your response

If you are okay with dynamic linking for your use case, I would recommend going that route for your sanity.

After a bunch of experimentation, I've gone the dynamic library route. Automatic releases here alshdavid/libnode-prebuilt.

I've needed to apply a patch to include a minimal C FFI open PR for it here - but other than that it works as expected.

It's not an idea scenario from the perspective of consumers who have to download (FFI patched) libnode separately for development and distribute it with their binaries - but it works so it's fine.

[Yasir-Rafique]

Hey, glad to hear you found a workaround, even if it’s not ideal! Sounds like you landed on a similar solution to what I was suggesting, with dynamic linking and a few patches. Honestly, in the current Node.js landscape, that is usually the most practical route, so props for getting it working.

If any part of my earlier answer was helpful, I would appreciate it if you could mark it as answered. Just to help others who might be searching for solutions down the road. Totally up to you though! Good luck with the rest of your project, and thanks for sharing your findings✌️

[alshdavid]

Thanks, marked as answered - though I'd still love to be able to statically embed Nodejs to simplify distribution. My hope is for zero-config usage, where consumers of the bindings or eventual binaries don't need to manage system installations of libnode.

It's further complicated by nodejs not distributing libnode binaries, so there isn't a stable/trusted URL to fetch them from.

I've been considering compressing & embedding libnode as static bytes in my distributed library and have it extract to a temp or known directory (like $HOME/.local/libnode/<version>/*) on first run. It's a bit cumbersome but I guess it works 😅