Starting Nuxt SSR app on Azure using the build files

Based on this Nuxt docs page, once I run yarn build, then "Nuxt.js will create a .nuxt directory with everything inside ready to be deployed on your server hosting."

Based on a few other walkthroughs, there are some other required items: static/**, package.json, and nuxt.config.js.

One of those articles, as well as the instructions on the Nuxt page for deploying to Azure using IIS, says a server.js file is required, but I want to stick with "everything inside ready to be deployed." My Azure App Service is set up for Linux, not IIS, as well.

After I deploy those files/folders, however, npm run start (which maps to nuxt start), throws an error that nuxt is not a recognized command. This makes sense because I haven't installed the packages.

I've also tried starting the ssr app with node .nuxt/server.js and node .nuxt/dist/server/server.js. Neither of these work.

I really want to stick with the stated "Nuxt.js will create a .nuxt directory with everything inside ready to be deployed on your server hosting" instead of copying over the node_modules or having to npm install after deployment.

What files or commands am I missing here, and is this even possible?

• Node version is 14.16
• Nuxt version is a clean install of version 2.15.3

nuxt.config.js

export default {
  // Global page headers: https://go.nuxtjs.dev/config-head
  head: {
    title: "test-nuxt-app",
    htmlAttrs: {
      lang: "en"
    },
    meta: [
      { charset: "utf-8" },
      { name: "viewport", content: "width=device-width, initial-scale=1" },
      { hid: "description", name: "description", content: "" }
    ],
    link: [{ rel: "icon", type: "image/x-icon", href: "/favicon.ico" }]
  },

  // Global CSS: https://go.nuxtjs.dev/config-css
  css: [],

  // Plugins to run before rendering page: https://go.nuxtjs.dev/config-plugins
  plugins: [],

  // Auto import components: https://go.nuxtjs.dev/config-components
  components: true,

  // Modules for dev and build (recommended): https://go.nuxtjs.dev/config-modules
  buildModules: [],

  // Modules: https://go.nuxtjs.dev/config-modules
  modules: [],

  // Build Configuration: https://go.nuxtjs.dev/config-build
  build: {}
};