adding apt dependencies to n8n app (or any other app)

[Valexico]

Hi

I need to be able to add apt dependencies to my n8n app. I know that npm packages can be added through an environment variable, but is it possible to add external apt packages to be used with n8n (with bash command n8n node)?

I have another n8n custom install on a dedicated VPS and I cannot migrate my workflows because of this issue.

On this other custom install, I do 2 things I cannot replicate on cloudron :

• Run bash command using external binaries
• Run bash command using external docker images (for example pandoc which is a pain to install without docker)

One workaround I imagine would be to ssh my host server (the cloudron host machine) and use my commands here. But ideally I would like not to pollute my host which only runs Cloudron.

Is it possible somehow to manage this dependancies ?

[joseph]

@Valexico at a general level, it is not possible to install custom packages on the apps. The apps run in a readonly filesystem and cannot be modified.

I guess there are two way to answer your question. One is why exactly can you not run external binaries on Cloudron? Do you mean random binaries that are not part of ubuntu (but part of the the custom package you want to install)? pandoc is also part of Cloudron n8n package, so what is the problem?

Second way to answer is that if you want to run n8n with custom stuff, you have to create a custom app package.

To do this:

• Start with https://git.cloudron.io/cloudron/n8n-app/
• Possibly add whatever you want to add at https://git.cloudron.io/cloudron/n8n-app/-/blob/master/Dockerfile?ref_type=heads#L13
• Follow https://docs.cloudron.io/packaging/tutorial/ on how to build and deploy custom package on Cloudron

[Valexico]

Hi @joseph

pandoc is also part of Cloudron n8n package

You're right I didn't realize this. It is a good surprise.

I have other workflow requiring GDAL binaries for example (https://gdal.org/en/latest/). This one is mode specific and is not here. I guess I am good to make a custom packaging...

I found some shady npm packages including binaries but it does not seem properly maintained.