Fail to deploy node.js application to heroku - node.js

Question

I am trying to deploy a simple node.js express-based application to heroku, something which is apparently very basic: https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/nodejs
Here is my package.json:
{
"name": "cours-lic3-blois",
"version": "0.0.1",
"private": true,
"scripts": {
"start": "node app"
},
"dependencies": {
"express": "*",
"ejs": "*",
"github-flavored-markdown": "*",
"less-middleware": "*"
},
"engines": {
"node": "0.8.8",
"npm": "1.1.65"
}
}
When I git push heroku master I got the following trace:
-----> Heroku receiving push
-----> Node.js app detected
-----> Resolving engine versions
Using Node.js version: 0.8.8
Using npm version: 1.1.65
-----> Fetching Node.js binaries
-----> Vendoring node into slug
-----> Installing dependencies with npm
npm ERR! Error: ENOENT, chmod '/tmp/build_1suuxlhd9s8n6/node_modules/express/bin/express'
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this log at:
npm ERR! <http://github.com/isaacs/npm/issues>
npm ERR! or email it to:
npm ERR! <npm-#googlegroups.com>
npm ERR! System Linux 2.6.32-348-ec2
npm ERR! command "/tmp/node-node-tonf/bin/node" "/tmp/node-npm-NG88/cli.js" "rebuild"
npm ERR! cwd /tmp/build_1suuxlhd9s8n6
npm ERR! node -v v0.8.8
npm ERR! npm -v 1.1.65
npm ERR! path /tmp/build_1suuxlhd9s8n6/node_modules/express/bin/express
npm ERR! code ENOENT
npm ERR! errno 34
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Additional logging details can be found in:
npm ERR! /tmp/build_1suuxlhd9s8n6/npm-debug.log
npm ERR! not ok code 0
! Failed to rebuild dependencies with npm
! Heroku push rejected, failed to compile Node.js app
To git#heroku.com:fast-everglades-2007.git
! [remote rejected] master -> master (pre-receive hook declined)
error: failed to push some refs to 'git#heroku.com:fast-everglades-2007.git'
I tried to tweak various versions in my package.json but to no avail. I am developing on windows and it might be possible this ENOENT issue is due to some filemode issue.

Answer 1

I got this fixed by:
Making sure Procfile is committed into git
Removing the node_modules/ folder and committing that into git (git rm -r node_modules/)
Afterwards, I did the git push heroku master then the error disappeared.

Answer 2

I had this problem, and it was because:
I keep node_modules in version control
I had bin in my .gitignore file
npm was attempting to chmod express/bin/express, but due to my .gitignore this file wasn't in git and thus was not being cloned during the deploy, so it failed. I didn't notice it because a local npm install would create the bin/express file as usual.
Removing bin from .gitignore and committing the missing files solved the problem for me.

Answer 3

Heroku team, could you please consider configuring npm to use npm install --no-bin-links --production by default, or creating an environment variable to let users set that flag. This is a serious bug in node installs. Removing the bin directory from my .gitignore (as suggested below) enabled me to deploy, but it breaks using git effectively in a cross-platform development environment, requiring an explicit npm rebuild on every git pull where node_modules might have changed.
NPM best practice is to avoid having node_modules in .gitignore (see http://www.futurealoof.com/posts/nodemodules-in-git.html ).
I believe --no-bin-links will provide the best of both worlds, enabling deploys of node_modules where the bin directory has been excluded, supporting npm rebuild, but not failing when a bin link is created.
I submitted a pull request here: https://github.com/heroku/heroku-buildpack-nodejs/pull/33
Thanks!

Answer 4

similar issue was fixed by renaming gruntfile.js to Gruntfile.js

Answer 5

I had a similar problem a few days ago, I think it was because I imported a module created by me and that was what gave the error;
I corrected it like this:
I called the module "path"
const path = require ("path")
and then where my module was imported I made a join of the file path
const myModule = require (path.join (__ dirname, 'MyModule.js'))