Node-sass: Specify node-sass binary location via file path and not HTTP

[croucha]

Hi,

I'm just wondering why the only option to fetch the node sass binaries is through HTTP with the option to give an alternative HTTP url for them. How come I just can't download the ones for my project and put something in .npmrc to specify where they are on the file system?

I thought sass_binary_path or sass_binary_dir would solve this but it seems those two options just allow you to determine where the binaries will store after their download.

Thanks,

Andre

[xzyfer]

SASS_BINARY_DIR should do what you're after. Make sure it's an absolute path, and that the binary name is unchanged.

[xzyfer]

Try using an environment variable. I don't believe we supply .npmrc

On Fri., 20 Jul. 2018, 9:44 am Andre, [e-mail] wrote:

Interesting. I did try that and I get the following error:

[image: node-sass-binary-issue]
https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/2465008/42975678-150d7448-8b83-11e8-8668-5f5ce262b10a.png

My npmrc looks like this:

[image: npmrc]
https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/2465008/42975744-8ba89542-8b83-11e8-9c32-b50d3d4d52e3.png

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[nschonni]

Can you supply the value you set and an annonimized gist for the log. It's hard do go off screenshots

[nschonni]

It also seems like the value you might want to set is SASS_BINARY_PATH not DIR

[croucha]

I've tried path too but it always wants to download for the first time.

[nschonni]

Maybe, I've never really used those variables. For my offline machines I actually just stuff the binary in the NPM cache on any offline machines so the install just picks it up after I do that once for the Node/Node-Sass combo.
I'm taking a look at the docs now though

[xzyfer]

SASS_BINARY_DIR is exactly that, a directory. The binary name will be appended to the resolved directly.

If you want alter the binary name for some reason use SASS_BINARY_NAME (don't do this).

[xzyfer]

I have using these options all week so I'm certain they work :)

[xzyfer]

SASS_BINARY_PATH is the absolute path of the binary file i.e.

SASS_BINARY_PATH=/tmp/test/darwin-x64-57_binding.node npm install node-sass

SASS_BINARY_DIRECTORY is the absolute path to alternate location for the binaries instead to node-sass/vendor

SASS_BINARY_DIRECTORY=/tmp/test npm install node-sass

The binary path is a directory that is expected to mirror the layout of vendor i.e.

$ ls test
darwin-x64-57
$ ls test/darwin-x64-57
binding.node

I don't understand why they just can't be part of the project unless it's related to versioning and file size?

Because no one wants to install 100s of mbs of binaries - https://github.com/sass/node-sass/releases/tag/v4.9.2

If you can do better we welcome your PR.

[xzyfer]

Please read my previous comment. It's clear from your screen shot above you've setting SASS_BINARY_DIR incorrectly.

If you're using SASS_BINARY_DIR it's expected that inside that directly there is win32-x64-57/binding.node. The SASS_BINARY_DIR must not include the win32-x64-57/binding.node.

Alternatively use SASS_BINARY_PATH to the full path to the .node file.

[jonasohrn]

I've struggeled with this too for too long until I found a solution using the "cache_dir"-config:
In project_root/.npmrc:
sass_binary_cache=../../myNpmCacheDir/node-sass/vendor
in project_root/myNpmCacheDir/node-sass/vendor I put the cached binary(ies) in the following structure:
node-sass/4.10.0/win32-x64-64_binding.node
Complete path:
project_root/myNpmCacheDir/node-sass/vendor/node-sass/4.10.0/win32-x64-64_binding.node which will only then be used by the package.json-install-script

I wasn't very well documented so it's probably better and easier to write example configs instead of trying to explain the structure in docs.

[jtmcn]

This took me a while to get right as well. It's not stated in the documentation, but as said above SASS_BINARY_DIR expects a specific directory structure.

For example, with node-sass 4.10.0 you'd download the binary:
v4.10.0/linux-x64-57_binding.node

Rename the file to binding.node and place it in a new folder linux-x64-57.

If using /opt/lib the full binary path would be /opt/lib/node-sass/linux-x64-57/binding.node

Used with the environment variable:
SASS_BINARY_DIR=/opt/lib/node-sass

[OutgoingOpossum]

For those having the same issue and looking for the official documentation of these variables, see https://github.com/sass/node-sass/tree/master#binary-configuration-parameters

Variable name | .npmrc parameter | Process argument | Value
-----------------|------------------|--------------------|------
SASS_BINARY_NAME | sass_binary_name | --sass-binary-name | path
SASS_BINARY_SITE | sass_binary_site | --sass-binary-site | URL
SASS_BINARY_PATH | sass_binary_path | --sass-binary-path | path
SASS_BINARY_DIR | sass_binary_dir | --sass-binary-dir | path

(copied table as links tend to break after some time)