Release Notes for Node.js 14

Red Hat build of Node.js 14

For use with Node.js 14 LTS

Red Hat Customer Content Services

Abstract

This Release Note contains important information related to Node.js 14 LTS.

Preface

Date of release: 2020-11-03

Chapter 1. Required Infrastructure Component Versions

Red Hat does not provide support for components listed below, with the exception of components explicitly designated as supported.

Component nameVersion

Nodeshift

2.1.1

npm 6

6.14.8

OpenShift Container Platform (OCP)[a]

3.11, 4.5

Minishift

1.34.2 or later

CDK[b]

3.11.0

git

2.0 or later

oc command line tool

3.11 or later[c]

[a] OCP is supported by Red Hat
[b] CDK is supported by Red Hat
[c] The version of the oc CLI tool should correspond to the version of OCP that you are using.

Chapter 2. Features

This section contains information about feature changes introduced in the current release.

2.1. New and Changed features

Node.js 14 LTS has the following new features and enhancements.

For detailed changes in Node.js 14 LTS, see the upstream release notes and upstream documentation.

2.1.1. Diagnostic report available as stable feature

The diagnostic report functionality is available as a stable feature in Node.js 14 LTS. In earlier releases of Node.js, the functionality was available as Technology Preview.

This feature enables you to generate diagnostic reports for anomalies, such as, performance issues, memory leaks, high CPU usage, and so on. The report is in JSON format. The report uses the first failure data capture (FFDC) technology. This technology captures diagnostic data at the time when the error occurs.

2.1.2. V8 JavaScript engine updated from v8.0 to v8.4

The V8 JavaScript engine has been upgraded to v8.4. The engine contains new features, such as, optional chaining and API changes that provide better localization support.

2.1.3. Metering labels for images in Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform

The Node.js images for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform have labels that enable the use of OpenShift metering. For more information about using metering, see Metering in Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform documentation.

2.1.4. Full ICU (International Components for Unicode) data set is enabled by default

International Components for Unicode (ICU) supports internationalization and globalization of software applications. It provides support for many languages and locales. It simplifies the development and deployment of software applications in all languages.

From Node.js 14 LTS, the full-icu option is enabled by default. This option enables full ICU data set. For more information about the full-icu option, see Internationalization support.

In previous releases of Node.js, only English data set was enabled by default. You had to perform additional steps to get and enable support for other locales.

2.1.5. Support for Node.js Runtime on IBM Z

The Red Hat build of Node.js for s390x platform is supported only in OpenShift environments provisioned on IBM Z infrastructure. Running a Node.js application on a stand-alone installation of RHEL on IBM Z is not supported.

New images for products supported on IBM Z are available in the Red Hat Container Catalog.

For more information about deploying Node.js applications on OpenShift provisioned on IBM Z infrastructure, see the section Example applications for Node.js.

2.2. Deprecated features

There are no features deprecated in this release.

2.3. Technology preview

The following features are available as Technology Preview features in Node.js 14 LTS release.

2.3.1. New class for async local storage

The AsyncLocalStorage class creates an asynchronous state in callbacks and promise chains. Use the class to store data in these asynchronous states.

2.3.2. WebAssembly System Interface (WASI)

The WebAssembly packages for Node.js improve performance and cross-platform support.

The new WASI APIs provide an implementation of the WebAssembly System Interface specification. Use this interface for sandboxed execution of WebAssembly applications. Using the interface, the applications also get access to the underlying operating system.

2.3.3. Removed the warning message for EcmaScript modules

In earlier releases of Node.js, a warning message was returned when EcmaScript modules were used in the applications. The warning message indicated that the EcmaScript modules are experimental features.

From Node.js 14 LTS onward, the warning message has been removed. However, note that the EcmaScript modules are still available as Technology Preview.

2.4. Supported architectures

Node.js builder images and RPM packages are available and supported for use with the following CPU architectures:

  • AMD x86_64
  • IBM Z (s390x) in the OpenShift environment
  • PowerPC 64-bit Little Endian

Chapter 3. Release components

Chapter 4. Fixed issues

This release incorporates all of the fixed issues in the community release of Node.js 14 LTS.

Chapter 5. Known issues

There are no known issues affecting this release.

Chapter 6. Known issues affecting required infrastructure components

There are no known issues affecting infrastructure components required by this release.

Legal Notice

Copyright © 2020 Red Hat, Inc.
The text of and illustrations in this document are licensed by Red Hat under a Creative Commons Attribution–Share Alike 3.0 Unported license ("CC-BY-SA"). An explanation of CC-BY-SA is available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. In accordance with CC-BY-SA, if you distribute this document or an adaptation of it, you must provide the URL for the original version.
Red Hat, as the licensor of this document, waives the right to enforce, and agrees not to assert, Section 4d of CC-BY-SA to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
Red Hat, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the Shadowman logo, the Red Hat logo, JBoss, OpenShift, Fedora, the Infinity logo, and RHCE are trademarks of Red Hat, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries.
Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States and other countries.
Java® is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
XFS® is a trademark of Silicon Graphics International Corp. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries.
MySQL® is a registered trademark of MySQL AB in the United States, the European Union and other countries.
Node.js® is an official trademark of Joyent. Red Hat is not formally related to or endorsed by the official Joyent Node.js open source or commercial project.
The OpenStack® Word Mark and OpenStack logo are either registered trademarks/service marks or trademarks/service marks of the OpenStack Foundation, in the United States and other countries and are used with the OpenStack Foundation's permission. We are not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by the OpenStack Foundation, or the OpenStack community.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.