livenode

A powerful, minimal alternative to nodemon for live-reloading Node.js apps. Instantly restart your script when files change, with zero fuss and blazing speed.

Why livenode?

You want your Node.js app to reload instantly when you save a file, but you don’t want a heavy, slow, or overcomplicated tool. livenode is built for developers who want:

• Speed: Lightning-fast restarts using chokidar for efficient file watching.
• Simplicity: One file, zero dependencies except chokidar, and a CLI that just works.
• Control: Watch only what you want, ignore what you don’t, and use custom commands.

Installation

Global (recommended)

npm install -g livenode

Local (per project)

npm install --save-dev livenode

Usage

livenode <script> [--ext js,ts] [--delay 500] [--ignore build] [--exec "ts-node"]

Examples

Basic usage:

livenode index.js

Watch only JS and TS files:

livenode server.js --ext js,ts

Debounce restarts by 1 second:

livenode app.js --delay 1000

Ignore the build folder:

livenode index.js --ignore build

Use a custom runner (like ts-node):

livenode src/app.ts --exec "ts-node"

Flags

• --ext Comma-separated list of extensions to watch (e.g., js,ts).
• --delay Debounce restarts in milliseconds (default: 200).
• --ignore Folder or file to ignore (can be used multiple times).
• --exec Custom command to run your script (default: node).

How is this different from nodemon?

• Minimal: No config files, no magic, just works out of the box.
• Faster: Uses chokidar directly for best-in-class file watching.
• Zero bloat: Only one dependency, no legacy code.
• No comments in code: The codebase is as clean as it gets.

If you want a tool that’s easy to audit, hack, or extend, livenode is for you.

Contributing

Found a bug or want a feature? Open an issue or PR on GitHub. Please:

• Keep code clean and modern (no comments, use ES6+).
• Write clear commit messages.
• Add tests if you’re fixing a bug or adding a feature.

License

MIT. Use it, fork it, share it. Enjoy!