How can I check if a gulp task is running? - node.js

Question

I'm running a development livereload server with gulp-server-livereload. This is the default task in gulpfile.js
var gulp = require('gulp');
var server = require('gulp-server-livereload');
gulp.task('default', function() {
gulp.src(basePath)
.pipe(server({
livereload: true,
host: domain,
port: 80,
}));
});
Then there's another task, gulp export, which requires this running web server. If I start another one it gives an error (because the ports 80 and 35729 are busy). So the logic I'm going for is this:
if gulp default is already running, dive right into nightmare.js tasks
else start a server and proceed to nightmare.js tasks
So my problem is I don't know a robust way to check if a gulp task is running.
Can I do that with some Gulp method? Or from the level of Node?
I wouldn't like to check open ports or webserver address as a proxy for "yes default task is running" if at all possible.

Answer 1

Can I do that with some Gulp method? Or from the level of Node? I wouldn't like to check open ports or webserver address as a proxy for "yes default task is running" if at all possible.
I have found no gulp way so far, so here is checking for ports busy. If they are it infers the server is running and proceeds with the export tasks, if not it starts a server.
var server = require('gulp-server-livereload');
gulp.task('export', function () {
var net = require('net');
var portFree = function(port, callback) {
var server = net.createServer(function(socket) {
socket.write('Echo server\r\n');
socket.pipe(socket);
});
server.listen(port, '127.0.0.1');
server.on('error', function (e) {
callback(false);
});
server.on('listening', function (e) {
server.close();
callback(true);
});
};
portFree(35729, function(returnValue) {
// If server isn't already running, start it.
if(returnValue) {
gulp.src(basePath)
.pipe(server({
livereload: true,
host: 'http://localhost'
}));
}
});
// Do the actual export tasks...
});