How can I deploy node modules in a Meteor app on meteor.com?

Question

I have an application that uses the node twit module that is available via

npm install twit

I deployed the node module locally from .meteor/local/build/server/

So, it is visible at .meteor/local/build/server/node_modules/twit

I tried installing it at project root but the project did not find the module. Which led me to the above solution which works.

My application now runs fine locally. I am able to run and do everything and can interact with Twitter from my Meteor server side or client side depending on what I want to do. No crashes.

When I deploy to meteor.com through the command

meteor deploy [appname] --password

The application deploys successfully.

When I attempt to access the (app at anonistream.meteor.com)[anonistream.meteor.com] from a browser it fails and the logs contain this error.

[Mon May 07 2012 01:59:53 GMT+0000 (UTC)] WARNING
node.js:201
   throw e; // process.nextTick error, or 'error' event on first tick
         ^
Error: Cannot find module 'twit'
at Function._resolveFilename (module.js:332:11)
at Function._load (module.js:279:25)
at Module.require (module.js:354:17)
at require (module.js:370:17)
at app/server/server.js:2:12
at /meteor/containers/84162a7c-24e8-bf26-6fd8-e4ec13b2a935/bundle/server/server.js:111:21
at Array.forEach (native)
at Function.<anonymous>
 (/meteor/containers/84162a7c-24e8-bf26-6fd8-     e4ec13b2a935/bundle/server/underscore.js:76:11)
at /meteor/containers/84162a7c-24e8-bf26-6fd8-e4ec13b2a935/bundle/server/server.js:97:7
[Mon May 07 2012 01:59:53 GMT+0000 (UTC)] INFO STATUS running -> waiting
[Mon May 07 2012 01:59:53 GMT+0000 (UTC)] ERROR Application crashed with code: 1
[Mon May 07 2012 02:29:55 GMT+0000 (UTC)] INFO HIT / 24.94.158.145
[Mon May 07 2012 02:29:59 GMT+0000 (UTC)] INFO HIT /favicon.ico 24.94.158.145
[Mon May 07 2012 02:30:46 GMT+0000 (UTC)] INFO HIT / 24.94.158.145
[Mon May 07 2012 02:30:50 GMT+0000 (UTC)] INFO HIT /favicon.ico 24.94.158.145

Does anyone have any suggestions on how this might be accomplished?

Answer 1

As of Meteor 6.0, now we need to use Npm.require() instead. Additionally, we need to declare the module as global variables, since Meteor now has file-level scope.

  var path = Npm.require('path');
  var fs = Npm.require('fs');
  var base = path.resolve('.');
  var isBundle = fs.existsSync(base + '/bundle');
  var modulePath = base + (isBundle ? '/bundle/static' : '/public') + '/node_modules';
  MODULE_NAME = Npm.require(modulePath + '/MODULE_NAME'); // NOTE, this is going to be a global variable

Answer 2

finally, I wrote like this. it works both in local and meteor sever. thx Ian :D

install npm module inside "app/public":

    app/public# npm install MODULE_NAME

inside app/server/server.js:

Meteor.startup(function () {
    var require = __meteor_bootstrap__.require;
    var path = require('path');
    var base = path.resolve('.');
    var isBundle = path.existsSync(base + '/bundle');
    var modulePath = base + (isBundle ? '/bundle/static' : '/public') + '/node_modules';

    var MODULE_NAME = require(modulePath + '/MODULE_NAME');
});

Answer 3

Answer found from JonathanKingston on meteor irc. Referred to meteoric project

Put node modules in the projects public directory.

Use code like this to make sure it loads.

var require = __meteor_bootstrap__.require;
var path = require("path");
var fs = require('fs');
var Twit;
var twitPath = 'node_modules/twit';

var base = path.resolve('.');
if (base == '/'){
  base = path.dirname(global.require.main.filename);   
}

var publicPath = path.resolve(base+'/public/'+twitPath);
var staticPath = path.resolve(base+'/static/'+twitPath);

if (path.existsSync(publicPath)){
  Twit = require(publicPath);
}
else if (path.existsSync(staticPath)){
  Twit = require(staticPath);
}
else{
  console.log('node_modules not found');
}

meteor deploy should work find after that, sill me for putting my node modules in the server dirs

Answer 4

Just spent a half hour figuring out the "install npm module inside app/public step and thought I'd save the next person some time. From your app's home directory:

cd public
mkdir node_modules
npm install foo

By default, npm install foo installs "locally," but if there's no node_modules folder in your current directory then it moves up the directory tree looking for one. I was ending up with the package installing in $HOME/node_modules/foo instead of the local project. Fine for localhost, but not so much for deployment.

(Thanks to npm install locally for solving my root problem.)

Answer 5

This code worked for me with meteor 0.8.x and node_modules being installed in ./public of my app:

var path = Npm.require('path')
var fs = Npm.require('fs')
var base = path.resolve('.')
var isBundle = fs.existsSync(base + '/bundle')
var modulePath = base + (isBundle ? '/bundle/static' : '/../client/app') + '/node_modules/'

var twit  = Npm.require(modulePath+'rssparser')

It may also be a good idea to create packages.json file within ./public for easier updates/installs through npm.

Long live Meteor!

Answer 6

Changed:

var modulePath = base + (isBundle ? '/bundle/static' : '/../client/app') + '/node_modules/'

to:

var modulePath = base + (isBundle ? '/bundle/static' : '/../web.browser/app') + '/node_modules/'

Answer 7

You

base = base + "/bundle"

to get this to work.