Electron Error

[nobbie35]

I just did a fresh install of Magic Mirror which I’ve had running for years on a different RPi but for some reason I can’t seem to get this new version to start up due to Electron.

I have removed the electron folder and done an npm install that didn’t work, I removed the entire modules folder and did an npm install and that didn’t work… I’ve gone in and manually installed electron node node_modules/electron/install.js and I’m still getting this when I start up my magic mirror.

$ npm start

magicmirror@2.36.0 start
node --run start:wayland

/home/Dashboard/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/index.js:17
throw new Error(
^

Error: Electron failed to install correctly, please delete node_modules/electron and try installing again
at getElectronPath (/home/Dashboard/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/index.js:17:11)
at Object. (/home/Dashboard/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/index.js:23:18)
at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1854:14)
at Object…js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1985:10)
at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1577:32)
at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1379:12)
at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:255:19)
at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1600:12)
at require (node:internal/modules/helpers:153:16)
at Object. (/home/Dashboard/MagicMirror/node_modules/electron/cli.js:5:18)

Node.js v24.16.0

[sdetweil]

@nobbie35 ok, you are using nvm

nvm install 22.22.1
nvm use 22.22.1
hash -r
node -v

if 22.22.1

cd ~/MagicMirror
rm -rf node_modules
npm run install-mm

if successful

npm run start:wayland

advise results

[sdetweil]

@nobbie35 lets start back a step
open a terminal window

cd ~/MagicMirror
rm -rf node_modules/electron
npm install electron@41.3.0

what is the result of that?
show the terminal output
this is what I see

npm install electron@41.3.0

added 1 package in 3s

240 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details
npm notice
npm notice New major version of npm available! 10.9.4 -> 11.16.0
npm notice Changelog: https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v11.16.0
npm notice To update run: npm install -g npm@11.16.0
npm notice

I am on node 22.22.1
you are on node 24

maybe try node 22…

sudo npm install n -g
sudo n 22.22.1
hash -r
node -v
cd ~/MagicMirror
rm -rf node_modules
npm run install-mm

if you have wayland as window manager do

npm run start:wayland

else do

npm run start:x11

if you don’t know, run this command stream (from my mm.sh in the scripted install at https://github.com/sdetweil/MagicMirror_scripts)

ps -ef | grep -v grep | grep -i -e xway -e labwc | wc -l

if it returns 1, its wayland, otherwise x11

please advise results along the way… don’t try other things than this

[nobbie35]

Ok here’s what I got…

npm install electron@41.3.0

added 488 packages in 30s

246 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details

After running installing that and then trying to start MM it still gave me the same error

I ran the following

/Dashboard/MagicMirror $ sudo n 22.22.1
     copying : node/22.22.1
   installed : v22.22.1 (with npm 10.9.4)
/Dashboard/MagicMirror $ hash -r
/Dashboard/MagicMirror $ node -v
v24.16.0

Still got the same error and it says im running node 24 still running

Output of the commands

/Dashboard/MagicMirror $ ps -ef | grep -v grep | grep -i -e xway -e labwc | wc -l
2

[sdetweil]

@nobbie35 ok, node problem…

do

which node

it will give you the path to the node executable
using n, it should be

which node
/usr/local/bin/node

[nobbie35]

@sdetweil I agree with its a node problem.

~/Dashboard/MagicMirror $ which node
/home/pi/.nvm/versions/node/v24.16.0/bin/node

[sdetweil]

@nobbie35 ok, you are using nvm

nvm install 22.22.1
nvm use 22.22.1
hash -r
node -v

if 22.22.1

cd ~/MagicMirror
rm -rf node_modules
npm run install-mm

if successful

npm run start:wayland

advise results

[nobbie35]

Ok this fixed this issues… I’m not using wayland its still x11 i know that… I just have to go update my config file and main.css to match what I had in my previous implementation.

Thank you for the assist. Much appreciated

[sdetweil]

@nobbie35 said: node 22, awesome
hmmm this says wayland

 ps -ef | grep -v grep | grep -i -e xway -e labwc 

can you show its output

note we moved (user controlled files) like css to the config folder
IF you used my installer script, it would have moved everything other than the MM owned css contents

please don’t edit main.css

all USER css goes in custom.css
that way when we install updates, we dont overwrite your stuff…

[nobbie35]

I noticed that nothing seems to be working from my config on this new version. I was running 2.25 and all of my custom config was in the main.css. I decided to format another microsd card with a backup of my old MagicMirro and I’m planning on installing that. I’m sure that i’ll run into a node/electron issue running the older version. I’m debating just starting from scratch with the new version and wrestling with google and microsoft authentications…

[sdetweil]

@nobbie35 main.css is ours, we will write over it every release. All user css goes in custom.css
Now located in the config folder

If you used my backup restore it can help you move versions and systems, backup here restore there

My installer creates custom.css if it doesn’t exist
My updater would have moved things around for you

[sdetweil]

@nobbie35 if you have an older system, even if it’s not running completely you can use my backup/restore
Install new MagicMirror w my script
Run restore to put back modules , config and css if it was in custom.css

Best thing to do for things in main.css

Do a git diff main.css

It will show you all the changes and adds

[nobbie35]

unfortunately I don’t have a running system. the microsd card failed and I had the raspi rainbow screen. I have the MagicMirror folder copied to my NAS. Not sure if that would help with your tool or not.
At this point I’m considering just starting from scratch adding my modules and then get it all up and running. I have my config.js and the main.css that I modified. If thats all i need let me know and where your script is and Ill go to work. I did make a fork of 2.25 and made changes to magic mirror myself to suit my needs which I don’t plan on doing.

[sdetweil]

@nobbie35 scripts are here, mentioned in MagicMirror install doc
https://github.com/sdetweil/MagicMirror_scripts

Backup/restore should work if you can run it from the nas command line (it’s all bash) and if git is there you could push to a repo of yours

https://github.com/sdetweil/MagicMirror-backup-restore

This takes optional parm’s for the folder name of MagicMirror and the place to put the backup