Clean installation... fails left and right

devinhedge · Dec 31, 2018, 10:54 PM

I don’t even know where to begin with this one.

Not to be snarky… really… I’m concerned that MagicMirror isn’t being maintained. During installation there are a lot of deprecated node.js module warnings, and security warnings…

audited 379 packages in 12.599s
found 12 vulnerabilities (5 low, 5 moderate, 2 high)

and when I finally resolve most of them, I get the following:

pi@mirrorpi:~/MagicMirror $ npm start

> magicmirror@2.5.0 start /home/pi/MagicMirror
> sh run-start.sh

/home/pi/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/index.js:14
    throw new Error('Electron failed to install correctly, please delete node_modules/electron and try installing again')
    ^

Error: Electron failed to install correctly, please delete node_modules/electron and try installing again
    at getElectronPath (/home/pi/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/index.js:14:11)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/pi/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/index.js:18:18)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:689:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:700:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:599:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:538:12)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:530:3)
    at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:637:17)
    at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:22:18)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/pi/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/cli.js:3:16)
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! errno 1
npm ERR! magicmirror@2.5.0 start: `sh run-start.sh`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Failed at the magicmirror@2.5.0 start script.
npm ERR! This is probably not a problem with npm. There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     /home/pi/.npm/_logs/2018-12-31T22_44_48_657Z-debug.log

So…

Do I work to help fix this? I really don’t have time.
Do I help someone fix this?
Do I dump MagicMirror?
Other?

Mind you… I’m installing from scratch after the last set of updates caused the machine to have a stack overflow and randomly lock up. This is likely an Electron or node.js issue. Installing from scratch already has me upset.

Config info:

RasPi 3b+
8GB SD card
Running on Rasbian Stretch Lite
Attempting to run using sample config.js
No other installed modules at this point
Attempting to run as either server/client or server only

Mykle1 · Dec 31, 2018, 11:37 PM

@devinhedge said in Clean installation... fails left and right:

‘Electron failed to install correctly, please delete node_modules/electron and try installing again’

It can be frustrating. I think you would be missing out if you abandoned MM at this point. I dare say that the members here can get you up and running. I would address the last error first, the one I quoted.

Go to your MagicMirror/node_modules folder and delete the electron folder.
In your terminal, go to your MagicMirror directory and run npm install.

This will install electron (we hope) and very likely be the end of your troubles.

Run npm start in your MagicMirror directory.

This should start your mirror. Good luck. Report back.

devinhedge · Jan 1, 2019, 2:39 AM

Thanks for talking me off the ledge. I uninstalled electron. Then I deleted the electron folder. Then I ran npm install again. I received several warnings but the installation completed.

Here is the result.

pi@mirrorpi:~/MagicMirror $ npm start

> magicmirror@2.5.0 start /home/pi/MagicMirror
> sh run-start.sh

/home/pi/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/dist/electron: /lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.27' not found (required by /home/pi/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/dist/electron)
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! errno 1
npm ERR! magicmirror@2.5.0 start: `sh run-start.sh`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Failed at the magicmirror@2.5.0 start script.
npm ERR! This is probably not a problem with npm. There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     /home/pi/.npm/_logs/2019-01-01T02_28_54_363Z-debug.log

[0_1546310061028_2019-01-01T02_28_54_363Z-debug.log](Uploading 100%)

Mykle1 · Jan 1, 2019, 2:51 AM

@devinhedge

Ok, so now you’re missing a library:

/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.27’ not found (required by /home/pi/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/dist/electron)

I don’t know where you would acquire that specific file. You could try running npm install in the MagicMirror directory again. I know, that seems silly but it might work. It can’t hurt anything. Otherwise, I’m sure someone else will jump in here and help

bhepler · Jan 2, 2019, 4:31 AM

@devinhedge said in Clean installation... fails left and right:

Config info:

RasPi 3b+
8GB SD card
Running on Rasbian Stretch Lite
Attempting to run using sample config.js
No other installed modules at this point
Attempting to run as either server/client or server only

Well, I think I’ve detected your problem. From the GitHub page for the Magic Mirror project:

Note that you will need to install the latest full version of Raspbian, don’t use the Lite version.

So. My advice is to pull your SD card and flash the full desktop version of Raspbian Stretch. I don’t think you need the “recommended software” version, but you do need the desktop.

Edited to add: It seems others have similar problems with the latest version of Raspian. Apparently they changed something in the base images. Anyhow, follow this advice and you should be able to get back on track.

MichMich · Jan 2, 2019, 2:22 PM

@devinhedge said in Clean installation... fails left and right:

Not to be snarky… really… I’m concerned that MagicMirror isn’t being maintained. During installation there are a lot of deprecated node.js module warnings, and security warnings…

As others have said, most of your problems are because you use Raspbian Lite.

That being said: you have a point. The auto installer script isn’t maintained as well as I want it to be. Due to the fast development speed of Raspbian, it runs into issues. Since most of the contributors don’t install the core from scratch very often, we don’t run into these issues.

I’m considering deprecating the automatic installer and suggesting to manual install Node, clone MagicMirror and then run npm install. To be fair: that’s how I install my MagicMirror.

Of course, PR’s to fix the auto-installer are more than welcome!

dazza120 · Jan 2, 2019, 2:37 PM

Yep I tried lite on my Pi 3B+ but it doesn’t work, Stretch desktop works, but think I had to go for the full package ie all the bloat ware, I’ve uninstalled all the rubbish now, but it’s not really an issue for me as I’m running my Pi off of an SSD so no sd card size limit/price, PS I think from what I remember I had to do a manual install and then install PM2 as it didn’t boot MM after reboot

shbatm · Jan 2, 2019, 6:57 PM

I’m seeing issues with the newest “Raspbian Stretch with desktop image” (Nov 2018–non-bloatware) as well – I did a fresh, manual installation, no errors, but electron will not start with the OpenGL driver (full KMS or fake KMS) enabled. It runs through everything fine on npm start but then just stalls at “Launching application.” If I disable OpenGL, it works fine.

Tested at Tag v2.6.0 and on the develop branch (2.7.0-dev), same issues.

EDIT: Definitely an issue with electron: adding app.disableHardwareAcceleration(); in js/electron.js makes it open fine.

EDIT 2: Opened an issue for this #1500, looks like Electron v3.0.13 works.

devinhedge · Jan 6, 2019, 1:21 PM

@shbatm @dazza120 @MichMich @bhepler @Mykle1

Okay… I think I’ve figured it out. It isn’t good news:

I’ve brought this up on another thread, but I’ll mention here so that it is captured in context: for the last couple months Node.js and npm are currently BROKEN on RaspberryPi.

I just tried a test this morning using the started Electron app at https://electronjs.org/docs/tutorial/first-app

Running the automated install is a Red Herring. It is inappropriate to suggest it.

We have to figure out how to fix the bugs in the Node.js installation for Raspberry Pi before anything else. I’m wondering if installing an older version of Node.js is the solution. If so, then what version would we start with?

shbatm · Jan 6, 2019, 3:40 PM

@devinhedge said in Clean installation... fails left and right:

for the last couple months Node.js and npm are currently BROKEN on RaspberryPi.

What version of node are you using and how are you trying to install it? Node.Js works fine with Raspberry Pi, just don’t install it from the default repos. Use these instructions:

https://github.com/nodesource/distributions/blob/master/README.md

I’ve installed both v8 and v10 successfully multiple times on new Pis in the last few months.