Where is npm in the node.js buildpack?

[Dr Nic Williams]

I'm trying to deploy the shiny new http://ghost.org blogging platform, which means deploying my first node.js app beyond Hello World examples.

The start command is "npm start". But it seems that "npm" is not in the $PATH during start up.

Either a) ideas for fixing this? b) where is npm located on the file system explicitly?

Nic

--

Dr Nic Williams

Stark & Wayne LLC - consultancy for Cloud Foundry users

http://drnicwilliams.com

http://starkandwayne.com

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[Dr Nic Williams]

The error I see is:

Reading logs/stderr.log... OK

/bin/bash: line 26: npm: command not found

The manifest I'm trying out is:

$ cat manifest.yml 

---

applications:

- name: ghost

  memory: 128M

  instances: 1

  host: ghost-demo

  domain: cfapps.io

  path: .

  services:

    env-sendgrid:

      label: sendgrid

      provider: sendgrid

      version: n/a

      plan: free

    cleardb-env:

      label: cleardb

      provider: cleardb

      version: n/a

      plan: spark

  command: npm start

[David Laing]

Nic,

Check that the env vars being set by the buildpack release process are actually getting set in your running environment.

Specifically the release process attempts to set the PATH - https://github.com/heroku/heroku-buildpack-nodejs/blob/master/bin/release

I have a vague recollection that there might be a regression in this area.

D

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[Dr Nic Williams]

The $PATH I get in my app is:

PATH=/home/vcap/app/bin:/home/vcap/app/node_modules/.bin:/bin:/usr/bin

This is different in some ways from the buildpack path you linked. Notably, /usr/local/bin is missing. But tried /usr/local/bin/npm and that failed too.

PATH: bin:node_modules/.bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin

[David Laing]

Nic,

Poking around https://github.com/cloudfoundry/heroku-buildpack-nodejs/blob/master/bin/compile#L183 I don't think NPM is actually installed into the droplet.tgz

Since npm start is actually just a wrapper for running command specified at  https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/blob/master/package.json#L6, perhaps you could just set your start command to "node index" ?

D

--
David Laing
Open source @ City Index - github.com/cityindex
http://davidlaing.com
Twitter: @davidlaing

[Patrick Mueller]

I believe David is correct; npm is not installed in the droplet; it is installed on the staging box while the buildpack is compile-ing.  I always use `--command "node app.js"` (or whatever) in the cf push invocation.  

I don't think there's a need for having npm available in the droplet, though it would be nice for a node buildpack to figure out the command, if available in the package.json file.

Patrick Mueller
http://muellerware.org

[Dr Nic Williams]

You are both beautiful people. I had not looked into what "npm start" was doing; and assume it was some magic that I couldn't understand. Probably involving a callback or deeply nested code.

I am now permitted to move on to new errors.

Thanks!

Nic

[David Laing]

On 15 Oct 2013 01:28, "Dr Nic Williams" <drnicw...@gmail.com> wrote:
>

> I am now permitted to move on to new errors.

ROFLMAO.  Story of my life!