cannot find module socket.io

Question

I'm pretty new to nodejs and socket.io. At the time I don't know anything about nodejs. I met a horrible error.

My whole steps to install nodejs (on Windows 7):

- Access nodejs.org and click to their green download button.
- Install nodejs in F:/nodejs
- Install socket.io with command npm install socket.io
- Install node supervisor with command npm install supervisor -g

That's all. Then I try to use socket.io with this line:

var io = require('socket.io').listen(app);

And it output an error:

Error: Cannot find module 'socket.io'
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:338:15)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:280:25)
    at Module.require (module.js:364:17)
    at require (module.js:380:17)
    at Object.<anonymous> (F:\nodejs\chat.js:8:10)
    at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:474:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:312:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (module.js:497:10)

I've tried all suggested method like cleaning cache, reinstalling nodejs or changing socket.io module path. Unfortunately, all of those solutions didn't solve this problem.

This terrible error killed my whole day. I greatly appreciate any help.

Answer 1

Try to execute npm install socket.io in the folder where your node.js file is (where you require the module). npm creates a folder node_modules wherever you execute npm install socket.io and you probably didn't do this in the correct folder.

npm install supervisor -g did work because -g is the global flag and you can basically do that anywhere.

Answer 2

The problem is that the package installed by npm install socket.io is not only the module itself, but also brings a sample and more stuff.

When you install, npm creates a node_modules folder. Inside that folder, there is a folder named socketio . Inside that one, there is another folder named node_modules . Inside this one, there is a folder named socket.io . Move or copy this one folder (socket.io) to inside the first node_modules folder right where your script is. Et voilla, it works!