React-native: v0.15.0 - Inaccurate error with "Looks like you installed react-native globally"

[niftylettuce]

Seems to be an odd bug when running with npm start vs. react-native start (perhaps due to it using react-native from the ./node_modules/.bin/react-native folder?

[niftylettuce]

This is from a fresh react-native init.

[niftylettuce]

You can also see I don't have it installed globally per the recommended uninstallation of global package (so this is why I mention it is inaccurate).

[facebook-github-bot]

Hey niftylettuce, thanks for reporting this issue!

React Native, as you've probably heard, is getting really popular and truth is we're getting a bit overwhelmed by the activity surrounding it. There are just too many issues for us to manage properly.

• If this is a feature request or a bug that you would like to be fixed by the team, please report it on Product Pains. It has a ranking feature that lets us focus on the most important issues the community is experiencing.
• If you don't know how to do something or not sure whether some behavior is expected or a bug, please ask on StackOverflow with the tag react-native or for more real time interactions, ask on Discord in the #react-native channel.
• We welcome clear issues and PRs that are ready for in-depth discussion; thank you for your contributions!

[satya164]

@niftylettuce Which package do you have installed globally? react-native or react-native-cli?

[niftylettuce]

react native cli
On Dec 2, 2015 10:02 PM, "Satyajit Sahoo" [email protected] wrote:

@niftylettuce https://github.com/niftylettuce Which package do you have
installed globally? react-native or react-native-cli?

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
https://github.com/facebook/react-native/issues/4515#issuecomment-161501922
.

[ide]

I can repro this too but not sure about the cause.

[niftylettuce]

I think its because package.json loads node_modules/.bin as environment
commands to use
On Dec 2, 2015 11:16 PM, "James Ide" [email protected] wrote:

I can repro this too but not sure about the cause.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
https://github.com/facebook/react-native/issues/4515#issuecomment-161510215
.

[altern8tif]

I'm getting the same error on [email protected] and [email protected]

[gre]

one workaround is to npm install --save-dev react-native-cli

[jjshammas]

@gre thank you so much for that workaround. Fixed the issue for me.

I'm only seeing this problem when building on a Mac via Jenkins. Not locally on any dev machine.

[svkurowski]

Okay, some steps to reproduce (Mac OS X 10.11.2, npm 3.5.2, nodejs 5.3.0).

cd /tmp
npm install -g react-native-cli
react-native init test
cd test
ls -l /usr/local/bin | grep react # react-native -> ../lib/node_modules/react-native-cli/index.js
ls -l node_modules/.bin | grep react # react-native -> ../react-native/local-cli/wrong-react-native.js
npm run start # Looks like you installed react-native globally, maybe you meant react-native-cli?

This happens because npm prepends node_modules/.bin to the PATH environment variable.
As suggested above we try to fix this:

npm install --save-dev react-native-cli
ls -l /usr/local/bin | grep react # react-native -> ../lib/node_modules/react-native-cli/index.js
# bingo, it's working

However, will this also work on a fresh machine?

rm -Rf node_modules
npm install
ls -l node_modules/.bin | grep react # react-native -> ../react-native/local-cli/wrong-react-native.js
# Oops, not working again

At this moment, package.json looks like this:

{
  "name": "test",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "private": true,
  "scripts": {
    "start": "react-native start"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "react-native": "^0.18.0-rc"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "react-native-cli": "^0.1.10"
  }
}

Remove react-native-cli from the devDependencies and insert it before react-native as a normal dependency like this:

  "dependencies": {
    "react-native-cli": "^0.1.10",
    "react-native": "^0.18.0-rc"
  }

Then run

rm -Rf node_modules
npm install
ls -l /usr/local/bin | grep react # react-native -> ../lib/node_modules/react-native-cli/index.js
# bingo, it's working

Putting react-native-cli after react-native does also not work. The binary names from react-native-cli and react-native have a conflict, apparently npm prefers the on from the first listed normal (non-dev) dependency.

So until this gets fixed, the only reliable way seems to be to either list react-native-cli before react-native in the dependencies (however I don't know whether this behavior of npm is undefined) or install react-native-cli globally and run react-native start instead of npm run start.

[satya164]

cc @mkonicek

[mkonicek]

npm start is defined in your package.json, "start": "react-native start" is wrong due to a bug I introduced in an older version of the global CLI, please change that to:

{
  "name": "MyApp",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "private": true,
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node node_modules/react-native/local-cli/cli.js start"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "react-native": "rn_version_you_are_using"
  }
}

The new global CLI will generate package.json like that, sorry about the breakage!

To upgrade:

 npm uninstall -g react-native-cli
 npm install -g react-native-cli

(and fix package.json for all your apps)

If this doesn't resolve the issue let's reopen.

I don't understand why "react-native-cli" would be in the dependencies or dev dependencies of your app. Your app doesn't need the CLI.

[wootwoot1234]

@mkonicek Thanks!

[kaminskypavel]

@mkonicek thanks for sharing!

[mirza99]

I had the same issue even after uninstalling react-native and react-native-cli. When looking in /usr/local/lib/node_modules there was no react-native-*
I use nvm so the modules was installed under ~/.nvm/versions/node/v8.0.0/bin/ (you have to look in your currently used version). Hope it helps