Is anything required to `npm install` for new packages? (Node/Pi)

jr67 · May 8, 2021, 5:56am

Hi,

I can’t seem to find an answer; is there any command or action to help new npm packages get installed, when they get deployed via balena push (both local + prod).

(node, on a pi with balenaOS)

After adding new package to package.json, I then push locally.

In the device log, I get the error: Cannot find module "blah".

Question is: Is there any way to ensure that npm package gets installed?

Perhaps it needs to use docker or something? I’m still new to docker.

Thanks!

gelbal · May 10, 2021, 3:20pm

Hi @jr67, first of all welcome to the balena community

Have you seen / followed any of our getting started guides?
The following one covers how to push a sample node.js application to Raspberry Pi3:

Here you can see the dockerfile used in that sample project:

github.com

balena-io-examples/balena-node-hello-world/blob/master/Dockerfile.template

# base-image for node on any machine using a template variable,
# see more about dockerfile templates here: https://www.balena.io/docs/learn/develop/dockerfile/#dockerfile-templates
# and about balena base images here: https://www.balena.io/docs/reference/base-images/base-images/
FROM balenalib/%%BALENA_MACHINE_NAME%%-node:10-stretch-run

# use `install_packages` if you need to install dependencies,
# for instance if you need git, just uncomment the line below.
# RUN install_packages git

# Defines our working directory in container
WORKDIR /usr/src/app

# Copies the package.json first for better cache on later pushes
COPY package*.json ./

# This install npm dependencies on the balena build server,
# making sure to clean up the artifacts it creates in order to reduce the image size.
RUN JOBS=MAX npm install --production --unsafe-perm && npm cache verify && rm -rf /tmp/*

# This will copy all files in our root to the working directory in the container

This file has been truncated. show original

As you can see, in the dockerfile the package.json files are copied and then npm install is run as part of the release. I guess that you might be missing these steps in your own application. So I suggest you to start looking there first.

Let us know how it goes. If you keep experiencing this issue, it’d help if you could share a minimal version of your dockerfile to reproduce this error.

Jazzagi · May 17, 2021, 1:15pm

Hi @jr67, Did you have any success with this or do you still require some support?

jr67 · May 17, 2021, 8:41pm

Hi, that’s great thanks!

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Is anything required to `npm install` for new packages? (Node/Pi)

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