I’ve watched as users continue to struggle with formatting in config.js and i think I have a solution

https://github.com/sdetweil/MMM-Config

it automatically discovers what you have installed (in the modules folder) and what you are using (in config.js)

and will let you turn them on/off, edit the settings and change the module positions. all in a form.

every time u start MagicMirror it will check to see if config.js has changed since last time, and if you’ve added or removed something from the modules folder… it will construct a form that will allow you to edit the settings of everything.

and then save it back to config.js (after saving the current copy) (and if using PM2) restart MM to use that new config.js

also works on Windows installations of MM.

it can put a QR code on the screen so you can use your phone or ipad, or other scanning device so u don’t have to know the url
and can also be bookmarked etc…
I supply a css to allow you to change color of the form.

some screen shots
initial form screen

base expanded

some places I can tell what you can do

modules list, blue is enabled, red disabled… (u can changed that in the css file)

sample module form section , discovered from module source file and config.js usage (if any)

module position info, cause you may need one above another, (clock and calendar for example)
and things in other areas…

if u disable a module (checkbox), the contents STAYS in config.js, otherwise it would lose the important info (apikeys, urls, etc)

thanks to a few testers(who can name themselves if they want) , we’ve gone thru a lot of modules, but not all…
so I expect there will be reports of troubles… give it a shot and let me know…

it currently doesn’t support multiple instances of the same module (used for pages and carousel or similar type modules ), or things like my Covid19 charter.
but I have an open issue and am working on it…

given that we will have a regular update quarterly, and we have such a large number of new users experiencing troubles after updates (mostly cause they have a ton to learn)… I have developed a script I would like to get included for future updates…

it should handle all the work…
and give you a trial run of all that…

only applying changes if u request them

give it a try
this works on Mac as well

  bash -c  "$(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sdetweil/MagicMirror_scripts/master/upgrade-script.sh)"

no changes are made to the local repo or the working copy

if you WANT to actually apply the changes do

  bash -c  "$(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sdetweil/MagicMirror_scripts/master/upgrade-script.sh)" apply

there is a log file in the installers folder…

edited Jan 4, 2020 - move from dropbox to github as distro

Cannot find module ‘request’

In recent mm releases we have removed libraries that are discontinued ( aka deprecated).

many mm modules used these but didn’t document it. so they fail

to fix this you need to install the library in the module folder

if the module does NOT provide a file called package.json, then do

npm init -y

then regardless do

npm install xxx

where xxx is the library noted in the message cannot find module xxx

to find this message, look in the output of npm start. or if you use pm2 to launch mm do
pm2 logs --lines=50

@oddo MagicMirror is written in Javascript, and uses loadable extensions (modules) to display small fragments of content (lots of modules, produces lots of content)

each module is essentially an application, focused on the content IT provides. without knowledge of any other module

the documentation on creating a module is here
https://docs.magicmirror.builders/development/introduction.html#general-advice

and u can use my sample to start
https://github.com/sdetweil/SampleModule

read the links in my signature below on how to install a module and making a good config file

also see my installation and maintenance scripts for MM
https://github.com/sdetweil/MagicMirror_scripts

use the scripted upgrade if u have any additional modules…

https://github.com/sdetweil/MagicMirror_scripts#update-to-next-magicmirror-version-from-an-existing-magicmirror-installation

already seen requirement for npm rebuild or reinstall as a few have electron version dependencies (binaries) of THEIR dependencies

also note that valid-url has been removed, and at least two modules fail for this dependency

workaround

cd ~/MagicMirror
npm install valid-url

just a note for spammers,

there is no tolerance.

if it does not apply to MagicMirror, then your posts will be removed, and you will be banned.

Period, no second chances.

@lusiess01 ok, we have seen this only a few times… but in each case it was a problem with the memory card. stuff written doesn’t stick…

I also have a newer installer that resolves a lot of problems with PM2, and supports installing on non-PI systems (Mac, pi zero, odroid, jetson nano)

 bash -c  "$(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sdetweil/MagicMirror_scripts/master/raspberry.sh)"

edited Jan 4, 2020 - move from dropbox to github as distro

@dazza120 no. Motion is not related to MM. It can do all sorts of things. Record video, take snapshots, and a lot more. Supports just about every camera.

And has exits which can be used to inform others of motion, video files, …

So, follow it’s install instructions. Then edit /etc/motion/motion.conf, and update the lines I documented in the readme. This will call the script I provided to inform my module of motion(start and end)

U also customize the motion app on sensitivity, delay, etc etc. All things I have seen people ask about.

@mykle1 I am also using your MMM-BMW-DS module

@integria92 the qrcode takes some text and makes it available to the scanner

it can be anything

IF the text is a url, the client app offers to open it

so, you config the module with a dummy url
https://github.com/evghenix/MMM-QRCode

and the the script additions change it to the machine IP address at the time mm starts.

which the op’s daughter in college would not generally know.

if the machine was powered off for a day/week, it’s ip address would likely change, and so a hard coded ip address would be bad.

this code handles any dhcp address
change and then the qrcode launches remote controls expected

remember, until mm starts, the config.js is a useless text file

@integria92 the qrcode module creates the qr… it takes a hard coded url
but if u don’t know the value, its hard

so the text above added to the mm.sh can update the config.js for the QRCode module before MM starts and all will be well…

@desert-rat said in Crontab to Restart Magic Mirror does not work:

to understand why it worked.

your crontab entry

44 * * * * PM2 restart MagicMirror

the working crontab entry

44 * * * * /usr/local/bin/pm2 start MagicMirror >/dev/null 2>&1

could be restart as well…

simple, two things

cron runs as root, BUT certain folders are not in the path
so you need to specify the path to the command

 /usr/local/bin/

second the command is pm2, you tried PM2
in linux EVERYTHING is case sensitive

so yours is command not found, cause there is no command named PM2

@n0v4 said in MMM-NOAA - Another Weather Module:

0|MagicMir | code: ‘MODULE_NOT_FOUND’,

so, it IS the issue of the topic… u need to get a few more lines of output to identify the missing library

–lines=50

@n0v4 the topic posted defined work for you to do

when the screen is black, what do the messages say in the place u start MM.

either npm start or
pm2

if pm2, then pm2 logs --lines=nnn show the results (nnn= number, default 15)

@n0v4 probably this https://forum.magicmirror.builders/topic/15778/fix-for-black-screen-in-2-16-and-later

@sdetweil said in Are you tired of editing config.js, or have trouble doing it, see my new module:

@josh45631 @mumblebaj

@josh45631 @mumblebaj i updated the readme to specify MM_IP_Address instead of ‘machine_name’ if you need/want/have to use the manual reivew url instead of the QR

@mumblebaj i don’t want to force people to upgrade, thanks for the report and test results

@mumblebaj said in So I have a question about backup:

Guess I need to update it.

only if u need something

@mumblebaj I pushed a change to set the primary branch name a different way…

give it a try

backup to some other folder (and then u can delete that folder)

./mm_backup.sh -b somefolder

just pushed a change to create the output folder if it doesn’t exist, instead of error…