Problems with installing Node.js NPM package

Question

I have a Raspberry Pi Model B+, and currently I have been working with web development. Today, I successfully compiled the source code of Node.js on my Raspberry Pi, and I managed to install it without any hassle. My current Node.js version is version 0.8.16 which comes with the NPM module manager (1.1.69). When I try and install the speaker module (node-speaker), I get a bunch of errors. I really need help with installing this particular module.

This is the error NPM throws at me:

root@raspberrypi:/# npm install speaker
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/speaker
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/speaker
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/bindings
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/debug
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/nan
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/readable-stream
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/readable-stream
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/bindings
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/debug
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/nan
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/ms/0.6.2
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/core-util-is
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/isarray/0.0.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/string_decoder
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/inherits
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/core-util-is
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/isarray/0.0.1
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/ms/0.6.2
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/string_decoder
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/inherits

> [email protected] install /node_modules/speaker
> node-gyp rebuild

gyp WARN EACCES user "root" does not have permission to access the dev dir "/roo                                                                                        t/.node-gyp/0.8.16"
gyp WARN EACCES attempting to reinstall using temporary dev dir "/node_modules/s                                                                                        peaker/.node-gyp"
gyp http GET http://nodejs.org/dist/v0.8.16/node-v0.8.16.tar.gz
gyp http 200 http://nodejs.org/dist/v0.8.16/node-v0.8.16.tar.gz
make: Entering directory '/node_modules/speaker/build'
  CC(target) Release/obj.target/output/deps/mpg123/src/output/alsa.o
../deps/mpg123/src/output/alsa.c:19:28: fatal error: alsa/asoundlib.h: No such f                                                                                        ile or directory
compilation terminated.
deps/mpg123/output.target.mk:92: recipe for target 'Release/obj.target/output/de                                                                                        ps/mpg123/src/output/alsa.o' failed
make: *** [Release/obj.target/output/deps/mpg123/src/output/alsa.o] Error 1
make: Leaving directory '/node_modules/speaker/build'
gyp ERR! build error
gyp ERR! stack Error: `make` failed with exit code: 2
gyp ERR! stack     at ChildProcess.onExit (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_                                                                                        modules/node-gyp/lib/build.js:232:23)
gyp ERR! stack     at ChildProcess.EventEmitter.emit (events.js:99:17)
gyp ERR! stack     at Process._handle.onexit (child_process.js:678:10)
gyp ERR! System Linux 3.12.35+
gyp ERR! command "node" "/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/b                                                                                        in/node-gyp.js" "rebuild"
gyp ERR! cwd /node_modules/speaker
gyp ERR! node -v v0.8.16
gyp ERR! node-gyp -v v0.7.3
gyp ERR! not ok
npm ERR! [email protected] install: `node-gyp rebuild`
npm ERR! `sh "-c" "node-gyp rebuild"` failed with 1
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Failed at the [email protected] install script.
npm ERR! This is most likely a problem with the speaker package,
npm ERR! not with npm itself.
npm ERR! Tell the author that this fails on your system:
npm ERR!     node-gyp rebuild
npm ERR! You can get their info via:
npm ERR!     npm owner ls speaker
npm ERR! There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! System Linux 3.12.35+
npm ERR! command "/usr/local/bin/node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "install" "speaker"
npm ERR! cwd /
npm ERR! node -v v0.8.16
npm ERR! npm -v 1.1.69
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Additional logging details can be found in:
npm ERR!     /npm-debug.log
npm ERR! not ok code 0

It seems like the problem starts when NPM tries to execute this command:

node-gyp rebuild

How can I fix this problem?

Answer 1

I have seen this before on the Pi, where packages that are compiled by gyp refuse to compile or install. One method of getting around this problem is to install a precompiled binary.

To do this start by making sure that your Pi is up to date by entering the following in the terminal:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

next download node (this will download the latest stable package):

wget http://node-arm.herokuapp.com/node_latest_armhf.deb

then install the package:

sudo dpkg -i node_latest_armhf.deb

check the installation is working (the following command will return the version number of node):

node -v

you may also want to check the npm version as well:

npm -v

reference: https://learn.adafruit.com/node-embedded-development/installing-node-dot-js

Answer 2

You should install libasound2 first:

sudo apt-get install libasound2-dev

Answer 3

Just to add from what has been previously said, I had to do an extra step to get everything fixed:

1. Install libasound (sudo apt-get install libasound2-dev)
2. Install Qt5:

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get upgrade

Buster OS

$ sudo apt-get install qt5-default
$ sudo apt-get install qtcreator
$ sudo apt-get install qtdeclarative5-dev

Bullseye OS

$ sudo apt-get install qtbase5-dev qtchooser
$ sudo apt-get install qt5-qmake qtbase5-dev-tools
$ sudo apt-get install qtcreator
$ sudo apt-get install qtdeclarative5-dev

(following this guide)