MMM-NOAAForecast install fails

[RonR]

I’ve tried several times to install MMM-NOAAForecast and it has failed every time. When I restart MM it shows “Loading” and that is all. I went back in the logs for this last try and found the following:

[2025-11-08 16:30:50.514] [LOG]   Initializing new module helper ... 
[2025-11-08 16:30:50.514] [LOG]   Module helper loaded: calendar 
[2025-11-08 16:30:50.514] [ERROR] Error when loading MMM-NOAAForecast: Cannot find module 'needle'
Require stack:
- /opt/magic_mirror/modules/MMM-NOAAForecast/node_helper.js
- /opt/magic_mirror/js/app.js
- /opt/magic_mirror/serveronly/index.js 
[2025-11-08 16:30:50.516] [LOG]   Initializing new module helper ...

I was using MMM-CONFIG installer to do the install. This is MM on Docker. Dell Inspiron running Ubuntu 24.02.

[sdetweil]

@RonR yes, this is a module problem… the module does not document that it NEEDS needle
it has no package.json, which documents the dependencies…

this highlights a gap in the MMM-Config installer…
I have some code in the upgrade script that checks for KNOWN missing requires…
I opened issue https://github.com/sdetweil/MMM-Config/issues/77

to fix this on the current setup

ssh to the docker host
docker exec -it mm bash 
cd modules/MMM-NOAAForecast
npm install needle
exit

then restart the docker container

cd ~/magicmirror/run
docker compose up -d
exit

the module should be working now

[RonR]

That did it. Had to do a “docker restart mm” also before the screen updated correctly. Thanks for your help.

[sdetweil]

@RonR docker compose up should force a restart, but you got it

[sdetweil]

@RonR I have completed the fixes for this problem as a general solution… thanks for pointing it out.

git pull in the module folder to get the fix
(on docker you have to docker exec into the container first)

[RonR]

Yes, that fixed it . Thanks for the help.