<![CDATA[Black Screen: "cannot find module 'node_helper'"]]>Hey everyone,

I did a fresh, clean install using the automated script and on first time startup, MM worked with the default modules. Then I tried adding MMM-DailyXKCD and on restarting, I found that something went wrong. I’m only presented with a fullscreen black window titled “electron”, but apart from that, nothing ever happens. This is the terminal output when launching from there:

pi@raspberrypi:~/MagicMirror $ DISPLAY=:0 npm start

> magicmirror@2.9.0 start /home/pi/MagicMirror
> sh run-start.sh

Starting MagicMirror: v2.9.0
Loading config ...
Loading module helpers ...
WARNING! Could not load config file. Starting with default configuration. Error found: Error: Cannot find module 'node_helper'
Loading module helpers ...
App threw an error during load
Error: Cannot find module 'node_helper'
    at Module._resolveFilename (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:602:15)
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (/home/pi/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/dist/resources/electron.asar/common/reset-search-paths.js:35:12)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:528:25)
    at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:658:17)
    at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:20:18)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/pi/MagicMirror/modules/DailyXKCD/node_helper.js:2:18)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/pi/MagicMirror/modules/DailyXKCD/node_helper.js:50:3)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:711:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:722:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:620:32)
Whoops! There was an uncaught exception...
{ Error: Cannot find module 'node_helper'
    at Module._resolveFilename (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:602:15)
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (/home/pi/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/dist/resources/electron.asar/common/reset-search-paths.js:35:12)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:528:25)
    at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:658:17)
    at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:20:18)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/pi/MagicMirror/modules/DailyXKCD/node_helper.js:2:18)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/pi/MagicMirror/modules/DailyXKCD/node_helper.js:50:3)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:711:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:722:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:620:32) code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND' }
MagicMirror will not quit, but it might be a good idea to check why this happened. Maybe no internet connection?
If you think this really is an issue, please open an issue on GitHub: https://github.com/MichMich/MagicMirror/issues
Launching application.

Any ideas as to what’s happening here?

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/topic/11671/black-screen-cannot-find-module-node_helperRSS for NodeSat, 11 Apr 2026 20:00:30 GMTMon, 25 Nov 2019 17:57:49 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Black Screen: "cannot find module 'node_helper'" on Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:04:53 GMT]]>So I feel slightly stupid, but for anyone in a similar situation, @sdetweil helped @JorickJuh in this thread with the same problem. I don’t know how to hotlink replies, so for anyone wondering, @sdetweil suggested that, as is evident from the log, node_helper is missing. So, for me, this did the trick:

cd ~/MagicMirror
git checkout modules/node_modules/node_helper/index.js

EDIT: you beat me to it :D - thanks again!

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/65093https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/65093Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:04:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black Screen: "cannot find module 'node_helper'" on Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:01:19 GMT]]>@dankerthrone said in Black Screen: "cannot find module 'node_helper'":

Cannot find module ‘node_helper’

u did an npm install in a folder that had no package.json file I think

workaround do

cd ~/MagicMiror
git checkout modules/node_modules/node_helper/index.js
]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/65092https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/65092Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:01:19 GMT