Created new folder and did npm install serve in it.
It created package-lock.json and node_modules/ folder.
When I run in the same folder serve it shows error:
command not found: serve
What is the way to install?
I am using: npm#6.5.0
My dev environment is MACOS
I read a great many pages on this topic and nothing worked until I tried the following
./node_modules/.bin/serve -s build
Also if you are using VS CODE you may want to bring up the terminal window outside of VS CODE - this seems to have snared a lot of people.
First of all, you should start your project running
npm init
This will create the package.json file.
Then, you can install the serve package globally.
npm install -g serve
And now you can run serve.
The serve binary was not found because the operating system cannot locate it in the PATH environment variable.
When you do the npm install serve command. The serve module is only installed into the node_modules directory found under the the project folder. Unless you explicitly include the absolute path of this node_module directory as part of your PATH env var, the OS won't know where to find serve.
Like others say, the typical practise would be to install the module using the -g flag. G means global.
When -g is used, npm will put the binary in its node directory somewhere and this this directory would have been included as part of your PATH when you install node, thus making the any new binary discoverable.
If the node.js module has a "command" and you want to run it without installing the module globally(npm install -g serve). You can run it like ./node-modules/.bin/command from the root folder of the project.
Now, what is generally used is npx, so that you can from within a project easily run any of the binaries within its local node_modules or your system's global node_modules/ and any other commands on the $PATH.
For example, here we install webpack as a local dependency. You can image doing this in a folder after running npm init. Then we run webpack without having to worry about referencing the bin file:
$ npm i -D webpack
$ npx webpack
I would like to know whether it is possible somehow to run a node.js command line app without using the global folder, i.e. no npm install -g or npm link.
If you want to use a cli that is npm installed locally without using anything else, you can do (assuming webpack):
node ./node_modules/.bin/webpack
Just check that directory ./node_modules/.bin
Probably npx would work for you.
$ npm i -D webpack
$ npx webpack ...
I ran the following command for my node app:
$ npm install browser-sync --save-dev
Installation was successful, browser-sync appears in my package.json file as well as my node_modules directory.
However, when I run $ browser-sync --version to check that it's working, I get the following error:
bash: browser-sync: command not found
Why isn't this working?
Note: this question is similar, but I don't want to have to install it globally as in this question.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
This is because you're trying to use a module locally which is normally installed globally. Modules installed globally end up on your PATH environment variable, which is why you can run them from the terminal as you're trying to do:
$ browser-sync --version
If you want to use the browser-sync module from a local install you will have to prepend the full path to the browser-sync binary from within your .bin directory since all locally installed modules are placed within your current working directory node_modules directory. i.e. Node modules go in ./node_modules, executables go in ./node_modules/.bin/. So in order to run the browser-sync binary from a local install do the following:
./node_modules/.bin/browser-sync --version
Hopefully that helps!
If you installed browser-sync using npm --save or npm --save-dev you can run it by writing a script in your package.json. Here's an example of a script I added:
{
...
"scripts": {
"dev-server": "browser-sync start --server 'public' --files 'public'"
},
...
}
You can run the scripts from you project's root directory like so
npm run dev-server
This will run whatever command is set to dev-server in your script. In this case it will run browser-sync for the app/site in a folder called /public and watch for any file changes in the /public folder. I know this question is a bit old but it was unanswered and hopefully I can save someone time in the future.
The other answers still work, but a newer approach has emerged since npm added the npx command: npx <package-name>.
This command allows you to run an arbitrary command from an npm
package (either one installed locally, or fetched remotely), in a
similar context as running it via npm run.
Source: https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v8/commands/npx
In this case, you would run npx browser-sync.
Newbie question. I have chosen not to install express with -g option. I did not use npm -g which would put it on the path globally. Instead it is installed in my local mac user directory. What I am not clear on is exactly what or how you put a package like express on the path so it can be invoked etc? What exactly needs to be on the path (node_modules?) so these packages are available just like a -g installation? I could have used home-brew I suppose but anyway, I now have all node packages and everything local. Another situation is that I am not able to run any of the nodejs tutorials. Although there might be smarter ways to do this, I wonder if sudo is really such a good way to install a development package ....
Now for example, I want to run the tutorial javascripting which is a nodejs tutorial. How do I do this. If I just type:
Mac1$ javascripting
it finds nothing.
Same for
Mac1$ express
UPDATE: THIS WAS ANSWERED IN THE COMMENTS
The commands exist in a hidden directory after a regular
install npm install express
in my case this the command goes here: /users/MAC1/node_modules/.bin
It is this path that needs to be placed on the $PATH as described in the first comment.
Thanks guys.
npm installes executable to two places. By default running a npm install in a project will install any binaries in ./node_modules/.bin. When you use the -g flag (npm install -g package-name) it will install into a global path. You can find out the global path by running npm bin -g. Add that to your path and globally installed executables will be accessible.
You can also add ./node_modules/.bin to your path to allow easy access to executables added by packages in your project folder. I admit to using this on a trusted local machine. However, this is very dangerous and not a recommended way to expose the executables in the node_modules directory.
Best alternative is to add the executable to the scripts section of the package.json file and then use npm run-script <command> which will auto prepend the ./node_modules/.bin when executing.
package.json
{
"scripts": {
"foo": "foo --arguments"
}
}
Example
$ npm install foo
$ ls ./node_modules/.bin
foo
$ npm run-script foo
# Executes:
./node_modules/.bin/foo --arguments
Okay I am running node on windows (7). Using npm I just installed modules to d:\ directory. Therefore my files structure looks like the following:
D:\
-myproject
-node_modules
-.bin
-express
However, when I am in this 'myproject' directory, I can't seem to run 'express' for example:
D:\myproject\express site
'express' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
Am I doing anything wrong?
Try:
npm install -g express-generator#3
That solved problem for me.
Edit: for version 4
npm install express-generator -g
Description:
express is the package for dependency of express js.
express-generator is the package for enabeling express command and create a sample project, etc.
Assuming that this is kept separate for the decoupling of project dependency with cli tool of express.
Another SO ref: https://stackoverflow.com/a/41311733/1666582
Here's what to type in the command line to make it work in windows:
npm install express-generator -g
[Source: http://expressjs.com/starter/generator.html]
My guess is that you didn't install Express globally. You can install express globally (and therefore available in your PATH) with the following command (see http://expressjs.com/guide.html) :
npm install -g express
The way you install it is available only in the folder that you installed it and there is nothing wrong with that approach. There is very little advantage of having it available globally.
If express is not in your PATH you can run it by entering the full path to it:
\myproject\node_modules\.bin\express.cmd
With the release of Express 4.0.0 it looks like you need to do
npm install -g express-generator
We need to set path for express global directory
C:\Users[User_Name]\AppData\Roaming\npm\
After add a new path, please reopen the CMD console
Tried all of these and never worked. A repair of Node.js by kicking of installation and selecting repair option does the magic.
Cheers
What worked for me was:
I used the windows command prompt instead of the node.js command prompt.
In windows 10 simply type in the windows search bar for "node"
You see a node.js desktop app and a node js command prompt.
Choose the "node js command prompt"
Type in the command prompt
npm install express-generator -g
Then navigate somewhere and type in:
express your-website-text-here -e
A directory with express files will be generated. Also now you won't see the express error.
I was able to fix with the following package install:
npm install express-generator -g
Thanks
When you install Node.js, the below path is added to the Windows OS %Path% variable, I'm presuming similar happens on other operating systems as well:
C:\Users\<your-windows-username>\AppData\Roaming\npm
In my case, because I use a work Windows laptop for an employer that severely restricts what employees can do on their machines (I.e. many actions require elevated admin privileges), Node.js was being prevented from adding the above path to the Windows %Path% environment variable, and much to my chagrin the Node.js installation was silent about it. Navigate to above folder and you will notice the express command lives there, see screenshot below.
How did I figure this out? I did a fresh installation of Node.js on a personal, home Windows machine that has no admin privilege restrictions like my work machine does, compared the before and after %Path% value, and noticed the addition of that path. My work machine was missing it.
I had no choice but to add the path manually to %Path%, and then express was recognized from within any path I ran it.
I was able to fix this with:
npm install express-generator -g
I tried all the above solution, no luck for me.
Open "Node.js" command prompt and tried as administrator. It is working fine for me. Don't try with windows command prompt.
I have the same problem and understand the solution, but i can´t undestand why, running npm install -g express, express.bat isn´t added automatically to Path.
Running with npm install -g express have the same result. Download packages and store in node_modules, but express.bat isn´t added to path.
Run the node command prompt as administrator and then install express globaly
npm install -g express
and then go to folder where you want to install express generator, open command prompt there and run this command
npm install express-generator, it will then fix the issue
I have tried out all above solutions, but its did't worked for me, finally I have re-installed the node.js with newer version and started to express install process again. Its worked for me.
npm install -g express
npm install -g express-generator
What command are you using to open the directory?
That error means CMD can't find the "express" executable in the current directory.
Use the "PUSHD" command or "CD /D" instead of "CD"
#Echo OFF
PUSHD "D:\myproject\express" || (Echo bad folder)
express.exe "site"
Pause&Exit
Express is loaded someplace else and not in the windows path environment variable. You need to find were express.exe is installed and add the path. Maybe something like ;"C:\Program Files\Express\bin";
Running "npm install express" and "npm install express-generator" from your project directory will resolve the issue (if that helps).
But, this doesn't solve the problem of being global.
You might check the permissions to the folder if you are getting this when creating your project
Express Project
change script section in package.json file like this
"scripts": {
"start": "node app.js"
}
I too faced the similar problem and at last I tried using node.js command prompt instead of windows command prompt and it worked. So, try from node.js command prompt.
Tried all of these but didn't work for me. Also, I tried from different sources but never worked for me.
In the end, found that I need to run the command forcefully. It worked for me.
Make sure you run the command with Run as Administrator.
npm install -g --force express-generator
It will overwrite the existing express files.
Use npm start .. then the app.js runs .. which can be listened on the usual port 3000