I have been looking at node.js for Javascript on the server and a no-sql DB, CouchDB. Lots of info out there for installing on the raspberry-pi BUT, most info is out of date. Make sure you check dates and versions before following any compile &/or install instructions!
As of January 21, 2013, I have found the following work for me:
node.js can and should be installed from source. It compiles and installs correctly for versions > 0.8.10. More general info can be found at node.js. Detailed instructions for installing on the R-Pi are on Jeremy Morgan’s blog. Most current version is 0.8.18.
CouchDB can be installed via an “apt-get” for raspbian. The latest version I’ve seen is 1.2.0. More info on CouchDB is at couchdb.apache.org.