Request for npm packages so I can migrate my n8n instance

[girish]

@ajtatum Let me look into if I can change the package so that users can install whatever packages they want. This way we don't need to keep updating the packages with extra modules.

[ajtatum]

@girish That would be completely and totally awesome as that's really the only thing holding me back from migrating n8n to Cloudron... thanks for taking a look!

[ajtatum]

Any progress or additional thoughts on allowing users to install their own npm packages, @girish?

Thanks,
AJ

[girish]

@ajtatum It's on my list. I did have a quick look the other day, but it's not a straightforward fix since it seems n8n does not use NODE_PATH. So, I have to investigate more on how to make this work. Maybe I will open an upstream issue.

[benborges]

@girish That would simply be amazing !

[ajtatum]

@girish I have my instance using nvm's path as I have multiple versions of node js required on the server. So n8n has it's own login with it's own nvm path and for the app itself, I have it look at nvm's node. Just letting you know how I have it in case it helps at all.

Thanks,
AJ

[girish]

@ajtatum It seems that n8n does not use NODE_PATH atleast. So, I am not sure how one have an updatable instance with custom packages. Can you please share, what you do in your current instance? How do you update n8n after installing custom modules?

[ajtatum]

@girish So, I hope this answers your question, but after installing the Node Package, I allow it by adding it to my environment variables. I then monitor/manage n8n with pm2 and I call "pm2 restart n8n --update-env" and it all works.

[girish]

@ajtatum Thanks but how does this work after you update n8n ? Who/what installs the additional custom packages that you previously installed?

[ajtatum]

@girish To be honest, I'm not exactly sure. My n8n instance is setup so that the packages allowed are in both the environment file and get loaded as environment variables in the .bashrc script (I know it's doubling, but I can't recall which way worked). When there's an update, I just run npm install n8n@version, and then run pm2 restart and, well, it just works.

[Sam_uk]

I'd like to use https://www.npmjs.com/package/@digital-boss/n8n-nodes-humhub in my N8N instance, so ability to install packages would be great.