Getting Started
    Core Concepts
    Building Features
    API Reference
    Deployment
    Upgrading
    Migrating
    Pro
    Advanced Topics
    Misc
    Shakacode logoShakaCodeDeveloped by

    Copyright 2020 ShakaCode

    React on rails logo
    React on Rails
    ShakaCode WebsiteCommunityReact on Rails Pro
    Search
      Search by
      GithubSmallView on Github

      Using Process Managers with React on Rails

      React on Rails requires running multiple processes simultaneously during development:

      • Rails server
      • Webpack dev server (client bundle)
      • Webpack watcher (server bundle)

      Running Your Development Server

      React on Rails includes bin/dev which automatically uses Overmind or Foreman:

      ./bin/dev

      This script will:

      1. Try to use Overmind (if installed)
      2. Fall back to Foreman (if installed)
      3. Show installation instructions if neither is found

      Installing a Process Manager

      Overmind provides easier debugging and better signal handling:

      # macOS
brew install overmind

# Linux
# See: https://github.com/DarthSim/overmind#installation

      Foreman (Alternative)

      Foreman is a widely-used Ruby-based process manager:

      # Install globally (NOT in Gemfile)
gem install foreman

      Important: Do NOT add Foreman to your Gemfile. Install it globally on your system.

      Why not in Gemfile?

      From Foreman's documentation:

      Foreman is not a library, and should not affect the dependency tree of your application.

      Key reasons:

      • Dependency conflicts: Including Foreman in your Gemfile can create dependency conflicts that break other projects
      • Security risk: Loading Foreman as an application dependency creates an unnecessary security vulnerability vector
      • Stability: Foreman is mature and stable; bundling it could introduce bugs from unnecessary dependency updates
      • Wrong abstraction: Foreman is a system tool, not an application dependency

      Install Foreman globally: gem install foreman

      Alternative: Run Process Managers Directly

      You can also run process managers directly instead of using bin/dev:

      # With Overmind
overmind start -f Procfile.dev

# With Foreman
foreman start -f Procfile.dev

      Customizing Your Setup

      Edit Procfile.dev in your project root to customize which processes run and their configuration.

      The default Procfile.dev includes:

      rails: bundle exec rails s -p 3000
wp-client: bin/shakapacker-dev-server
wp-server: SERVER_BUNDLE_ONLY=true bin/shakapacker --watch

      See Also