@sdetweil

Yes and no:
Yes - it did not give any error message.
No - it did not install the folder and file.

To recap:
I did a new install using the bash auto install script, but for whatever reason the node_helper sub-folder and index.js file were not installed.
Running the git checkout command similarly did not install the sub-folder and file (as the sub-folder and file were not originally installed, it seems logical to me that the git checkout command would not ‘reinstall’ them).
Installed the missing sub-folder and file manually.
Re-started with “pm2 restart mm”.

I guess the pertinent question is why the original install exercise did not include the node_helper sub-folder and index.js file???

@sdetweil

I am not very familiar with the various git commands beyond ‘clone’, but as @jasaronii said above, that git checkout command did nothing, hence manual approach.

But thanks for the guess - inspired and very helpful.

N.

@Jasaronii

I had a similar issue following a reinstall on a Pi 3B, where known good module configurations simply gave a black screen (though the sample config file did initially work but then gave the same black screen after other modules were installed).

I was also missing ‘node_helper’ folder and ‘index.js’ file as you describe.

Manually installed the ‘node_helper’ folder and copied in the ‘index.js’ file (from the github page https://github.com/MichMich/MagicMirror/blob/master/modules/node_modules/node_helper/index.js).

Restarted and now all good.