@spec alive?() :: boolean()

Returns true if the local node is alive.

That is, if the node can be part of a distributed system.

@spec connect(t()) :: boolean() | :ignored

Establishes a connection to node.

Returns true if successful, false if not, and the atom :ignored if the local node is not alive.

For more information, see :net_kernel.connect_node/1.

@spec disconnect(t()) :: boolean() | :ignored

Forces the disconnection of a node.

This will appear to the node as if the local node has crashed. This function is mainly used in the Erlang network authentication protocols. Returns true if disconnection succeeds, otherwise false. If the local node is not alive, the function returns :ignored.

For more information, see :erlang.disconnect_node/1.

@spec get_cookie() :: atom()

Returns the magic cookie of the local node.

Returns the cookie if the node is alive, otherwise :nocookie.

@spec list() :: [t()]

Returns a list of all visible nodes in the system, excluding the local node.

Same as list(:visible).

Inlined by the compiler.

@spec list(state() | [state()]) :: [t()]

Returns a list of nodes according to argument given.

The result returned when the argument is a list, is the list of nodes satisfying the disjunction(s) of the list elements.

For more information, see :erlang.nodes/1.

Inlined by the compiler.

@spec monitor(t(), boolean()) :: true

Monitors the status of the node.

If flag is true, monitoring is turned on. If flag is false, monitoring is turned off.

For more information, see :erlang.monitor_node/2.

For monitoring status changes of all nodes, see :net_kernel.monitor_nodes/2.

@spec monitor(t(), boolean(), [:allow_passive_connect]) :: true

Behaves as monitor/2 except that it allows an extra option to be given, namely :allow_passive_connect.

For more information, see :erlang.monitor_node/3.

For monitoring status changes of all nodes, see :net_kernel.monitor_nodes/2.

@spec ping(t()) :: :pong | :pang

Tries to set up a connection to node.

Returns :pang if it fails, or :pong if it is successful.

Examples

iex> Node.ping(:unknown_node)
:pang

@spec self() :: t()

Returns the current node.

It returns the same as the built-in node().

@spec set_cookie(t(), atom()) :: true

Sets the magic cookie of node to the atom cookie.

The default node is Node.self/0, the local node. If node is the local node, the function also sets the cookie of all other unknown nodes to cookie.

This function will raise FunctionClauseError if the given node is not alive.

@spec spawn(t(), (-> any())) :: pid()

Returns the PID of a new process started by the application of fun on node. If node does not exist, a useless PID is returned.

For the list of available options, see :erlang.spawn/2.

Inlined by the compiler.

@spec spawn(t(), (-> any()), Process.spawn_opts()) :: pid() | {pid(), reference()}

Returns the PID of a new process started by the application of fun on node.

If node does not exist, a useless PID is returned.

For the list of available options, see :erlang.spawn_opt/3.

Inlined by the compiler.

@spec spawn(t(), module(), atom(), [any()]) :: pid()

Returns the PID of a new process started by the application of module.function(args) on node.

If node does not exist, a useless PID is returned.

For the list of available options, see :erlang.spawn/4.

Inlined by the compiler.

@spec spawn(t(), module(), atom(), [any()], Process.spawn_opts()) ::
  pid() | {pid(), reference()}

Returns the PID of a new process started by the application of module.function(args) on node.

If node does not exist, a useless PID is returned.

For the list of available options, see :erlang.spawn_opt/5.

Inlined by the compiler.

@spec spawn_link(t(), (-> any())) :: pid()

Returns the PID of a new linked process started by the application of fun on node.

A link is created between the calling process and the new process, atomically. If node does not exist, a useless PID is returned (and due to the link, an exit signal with exit reason :noconnection will be received).

Inlined by the compiler.

@spec spawn_link(t(), module(), atom(), [any()]) :: pid()

Returns the PID of a new linked process started by the application of module.function(args) on node.

A link is created between the calling process and the new process, atomically. If node does not exist, a useless PID is returned (and due to the link, an exit signal with exit reason :noconnection will be received).

Inlined by the compiler.

@spec spawn_monitor(t(), (-> any())) :: {pid(), reference()}

Spawns the given function on a node, monitors it and returns its PID and monitoring reference.

Inlined by the compiler.

@spec spawn_monitor(t(), module(), atom(), [any()]) :: {pid(), reference()}

Spawns the given module and function passing the given args on a node, monitors it and returns its PID and monitoring reference.

Inlined by the compiler.

@spec start(node(),
  name_domain: :shortnames | :longnames,
  net_ticktime: pos_integer(),
  net_tickintensity: 4..1000,
  dist_listen: boolean(),
  hidden: boolean()
) :: {:ok, pid()} | {:error, term()}

Turns a non-distributed node into a distributed node.

This functionality starts the :net_kernel and other related processes.

This function is rarely invoked in practice. Instead, nodes are named and started via the command line by using the --sname and --name flags. If you need to use this function to dynamically name a node, please make sure the epmd operating system process is running by calling epmd -daemon, such as System.cmd("epmd", ["-daemon"]).

Invoking this function when the distribution has already been started, either via the command line interface or dynamically, will return an error.

Examples

{:ok, pid} = Node.start(:example, name_domain: :shortnames, hidden: true)

Options

Currently supported options are:

• :name_domain - determines the host name part of the node name. If :longnames, fully qualified domain names will be used which also is the default. If :shortnames, only the short name of the host will be used.

• :net_ticktime - The tick time to use in seconds. Defaults to the value of the net_ticktime configuration under Erlang's kernel application. See the kernel documentation for more information.

• net_tickintensity - The tick intensity to use. Defaults to the value of the net_tickintensity configuration under Erlang's kernel application. See the kernel documentation for more information.

• :dist_listen - Enable or disable listening for incoming connections. Defaults to the value given to the --erl flag, otherwise it defaults to true. Note that dist_listen: false implies hidden: true.

• :hidden - Enable or disable hidden node. Defaults to true if the --hidden flag is given to elixir's CLI (or via the --erl flag), otherwise it defaults to false.

If name is set to :undefined, the distribution will be started to request a dynamic node name from the first node it connects to. Setting name to :undefined also implies options dist_listen: false, hidden: true.

@spec stop() :: :ok | {:error, :not_allowed | :not_found}

Turns a distributed node into a non-distributed node.

For other nodes in the network, this is the same as the node going down. Only possible when the node was started with Node.start/3, otherwise returns {:error, :not_allowed}. Returns {:error, :not_found} if the local node is not alive.