This is a quick post to show you how to setup a simple HTTP web server on your local machine using NodeJS. The web server runs on the http-server npm package, a simple zero-configuration http server for serving static files to the browser, it’s started from the command line and doesn’t require a server.js file.
Download and Install NodeJS
If you haven’t installed Node yet, download the latest stable release of NodeJS from https://nodejs.org and install using all the default options.
Install the http-server package from npm
Install the http-server globally on your machine using the node package manager (npm) command line tool, this will allow you to run a web server from anywhere on your computer.
Open a command prompt / command line window and enter the following:
"npm install -g http-server"
Browse to your local website with a browser
Open your browser and go to the address http://localhost:8080 and you should see your local website.