Unable To Deploy Node.js Application - Error: Cannot find module 'semver'.

Issue

End clients can't successfully deploy Node.js applications, and when hitting the "Run NPM install" button, this error is displayed:

node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:933 const err = new Error(message); 

Error: Cannot find module 'semver'Require stack:

- /opt/alt/alt-nodejs16/root/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/unsupported.js

- /opt/alt/alt-nodejs16/root/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/cli.js

- /opt/alt/alt-nodejs16/root/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js 

at Function.Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:933:15) 

at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:778:27) 

at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1005:19) 

at require (node:internal/modules/cjs/helpers:102:18) 

at Object. (/opt/alt/alt-nodejs16/root/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/unsupported.js:2:16) 

at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1105:14) 

at Object.Module._extensions..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1159:10) 

at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:981:32) 

at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:822:12) 

at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1005:19) { code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND', requireStack: [ '/opt/alt/alt-nodejs16/root/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/unsupported.js', '/opt/alt/alt-nodejs16/root/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/cli.js', '/opt/alt/alt-nodejs16/root/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js' ]}

Another symptom is the inability of reinstalling the npm package via yum/dnf:

# yum reinstall -y alt-nodejs16-npm
...
Installing : alt-nodejs16-npm-8.5.5-16.15.0.1.el7.x86_64 1/1 
Error unpacking rpm package alt-nodejs16-npm-8.5.5-16.15.0.1.el7.x86_64
error: unpacking of archive failed on file /opt/alt/alt-nodejs16/root/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli: cpio: rename
Verifying : alt-nodejs16-npm-8.5.5-16.15.0.1.el7.x86_64 1/1

Failed:
alt-nodejs16-npm.x86_64 0:8.5.5-16.15.0.1.el7

Environment

• CloudLinux OS
• Node.js Selector
• NPM

Solution

The solution is to reinstall NPM completely:

# rpm -e --nodeps --justdb alt-nodejsXX-npm
# mv /opt/alt/alt-nodejsXX/root/usr/lib/node_modules{,.bk}
# yum install -y alt-nodejsXX-npm

Note: change "XX" for the appropriate Node.js version.

Cause

The issue usually presents itself when we install modules not available as rpm packages via NPM, which are not supported. Some symbolic links in the /opt/alt/alt-nodejsXX/root/usr/lib/node_modules directory might have been changed into directories. This is the reason why this directory was moved in the previous step, to recreate it from scratch. 

Useful links

• https://access.redhat.com/solutions/4278551
• https://docs.cloudlinux.com/cloudlinux_os_components/#node-js-deployment