How to install NPM packages that n8n App can use?

[AmbroiseUnly]

Following a discussion I had on n8n forum, I wonder what are the steps to install a new NPM package so that n8n can access it.

It seems to need to be installed globally (-g) but a documented process about how to do that would be good.
Typically, where do I need to do it? Does it work if I do that on the server instance itself? or do I need to do it in some Docker instance for n8n?

Having this being documented in https://www.cloudron.io/store/io.n8n.cloudronapp.html would be a great addition.

[nebulon]

Have you seen https://docs.cloudron.io/apps/n8n/ already?

[AmbroiseUnly]

@nebulon Yes, I had read those. I'm confused about whether those NPM packages need to be installed (in addition to changing the config file), and if so, how. I believe the documentation might be missing a key step, or maybe the installation of those packages is being done under the wheel, but I very much doubt so.

Here is a video that might explain better my issue:
https://www.loom.com/share/801e7f5745974be4b9676478053f7ff4

[nebulon]

We will mention it in the docs, but yes on app restart the specified node modules (from EXTRA_NODE_MODULES) will get installed automatically: https://git.cloudron.io/cloudron/n8n-app/-/blob/master/start.sh?ref_type=heads#L51

[AmbroiseUnly]

Okay, hence the best practice of specifying the module's version, otherwise the major version might change upon any app restart.

[AmbroiseUnly]

@nebulon How does one checks that a specified node module is installed?

I'm asking because despite having added cloudinary and restarted the n8n app, I'm still facing the same issue

# https://docs.n8n.io/reference/environment-variables.html
export EXECUTIONS_DATA_SAVE_MANUAL_EXECUTIONS=true
export EXECUTIONS_DATA_SAVE_ON_ERROR=all
export EXECUTIONS_DATA_SAVE_ON_SUCCESS=all
export N8N_LOG_LEVEL=info

export EXECUTIONS_DATA_PRUNE=true
export EXECUTIONS_DATA_MAX_AGE=672

# Allow node modules to be used in code node - https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/configuration/#use-built-in-and-external-modules-in-the-code-node
# Allows usage of all builtin modules
export NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_BUILTIN=*

# Allow usage of external npm modules
# Those modules are auto-installed by Cloudron upon app restart, see https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/11946/how-to-install-npm-packages-that-n8n-app-can-use/4?_=1719382777426
export NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_EXTERNAL=cloudinary@2.2.0

Getting:

VMError: Cannot find module 'cloudinary' at LegacyResolver.resolveFull (/app/code/node_modules/@n8n/vm2/lib/resolver.js:126:9) at LegacyResolver.resolveFull (/app/code/node_modules/@n8n/vm2/lib/resolver.js:316:16) at LegacyResolver.resolveFull (/app/code/node_modules/@n8n/vm2/lib/resolver-compat.js:147:17) at LegacyResolver.resolve (/app/code/node_modules/@n8n/vm2/lib/resolver.js:121:15) at resolve (/app/code/node_modules/@n8n/vm2/lib/nodevm.js:317:21) at VM2 Wrapper.apply (/app/code/node_modules/@n8n/vm2/lib/bridge.js:485:11) at requireImpl (/app/code/node_modules/@n8n/vm2/lib/setup-node-sandbox.js:90:19) at require (/app/code/node_modules/@n8n/vm2/lib/setup-node-sandbox.js:171:10) at /app/code/node_modules/n8n-nodes-base/dist/nodes/Code:1:117 at /app/code/node_modules/n8n-nodes-base/dist/nodes/Code:43:2

[girish]

You have to install the modules via the EXTRA_NODE_MODULES variable - https://docs.cloudron.io/apps/n8n/#custom-node-modules . Then, those are whitelisted using NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_EXTERNAL

[AmbroiseUnly]

Ahhh, that's what I had missed! Thanks

The env.sh file default should definitely mention all of this more in details

And I'd suggest to enable built in (fs, etc.) by default, that's clearly not a security issue, and most of the people would want to use those. But that's a different topic.

[AmbroiseUnly]

Just for the sake of documenting, here is what I ended up with, in my .env.sh file:

# ------------- NODE MODULES ---------------------

# Allow node modules to be used in code node - https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/configuration/#use-built-in-and-external-modules-in-the-code-node
# Allows usage of all builtin modules
export NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_BUILTIN=*

# FYI This is a SPACE separated list
export EXTRA_NODE_MODULES="cloudinary@2.2.0 node-fetch@3.1.1"

# Allow usage of external npm modules
# Those modules are auto-installed by Cloudron upon app restart, see https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/11946/how-to-install-npm-packages-that-n8n-app-can-use/4?_=1719382777426
# FYI This is a COMMA separated list
export NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_EXTERNAL=cloudinary,node-fetch