How to solve error message "Cannot find module 'abbrev'

Question

My question is very similar to How do I resolve "Cannot find module" error using Node.js? but I cannot solve my problem using the information provided in the answer given.

I try to run the UNCSS grunt plugin, but when I try to install it (npm install grunt-uncss --save-dev), I get the following error:

$ npm install grunt-uncss --save-dev

module.js:340
    throw err;
          ^
Error: Cannot find module 'abbrev'
    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> (/usr/local/Cellar/node/0.10.20/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/nopt/lib/nopt.js:10:14)
    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 Module.require (module.js:364:17)

Based on the answer mentioned above, I tried installing this 'abbrev' module, both in project folder, and globally, but this yields the exact same error :(

npm install -g abbrev

module.js:340
    throw err;
          ^
Error: Cannot find module 'abbrev'
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (modu
   (ETCETERA)

Main question: How to I solve this error?

Sub questions: 1) I wonder, is this a RUBY error or a NODE.JS error? I noticed 'abbrev' is also a Ruby command...? 2) Or, could this problem have arisen because I tried to solve the bus error: 10 ? (http://shoogledesigns.com/blog/blog/2014/01/13/gruntjs-running-watch-task-waiting-bus-error-10/)

I hope this question doesn't sound too obvious. I'm a front-end developer, but far from a command-line guru!

What is your question? Is it a ruby error on node.js? Or, how to solve that? — Vinz243, Jun 27 '14 at 08:52
I specified the question, thanks. I want to solve the problem, but I'm also curious about the 'why' — Ideogram, Jun 27 '14 at 09:49
Thanks,... it yields the same error as mentioned above! Ergo,... npm is broke...? — Ideogram, Jun 27 '14 at 09:59
Also that one resulted in the same error. I fixed the problem by re-installing node.js from their website. Apparently, fixing the bus: 10 error ruined my npm. (hypothesis) — Ideogram, Jun 27 '14 at 10:08

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 06 '15 at 14:18

3

For me it has been solved by updating npm itself:

 sudo npm install -g npm

answered Dec 06 '15 at 14:18

david

2,529
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1

I was skeptical, but yes, this fixed my problem. At least try it out before anything else! – Ethan Mick Jul 08 '17 at 22:06

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 01 '14 at 13:40

1

Solution: re-installing node.js, as I mention in my last comment.

Tell-tale was the very same error-message every time I ran NPM.

answered Jul 01 '14 at 13:40

Ideogram

1,265
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qff · Answer 3 · 2021-09-08T08:06:23.967

1

Removing node_modules and then reinstalling the modules specified in my package.json worked for me.

I did that by runnning the following commands:

rm -rf node_modules
npm install

edited Sep 08 '21 at 08:06

answered Nov 28 '14 at 11:52

qff

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1

It should be "rm -rf node_modules" – maruf571 Sep 07 '21 at 09:12

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 04 '15 at 21:40

0

Neither one of the other two answers solved it for me, but both together did.

answered Mar 04 '15 at 21:40

Jason Swett

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score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 27 '17 at 08:25

0

I had a very similar issue. Removing the entire node_modules folder and re-installing it's worked for me. I did that by running the following commands:

rm -rf node_modules
npm install

answered Apr 27 '17 at 08:25

Faisal

4,591
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score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Dec 12 '17 at 13:27

Windows user here. I tried re-installing Node.js (using installer) and it did not help. I had to run the rm -rf node_modules to remove the "node_modules" folder at the location listed in the error (midway down).

In the OP example it was at Object. (/usr/local/Cellar/node/0.10.20/lib/node_modules/

It was something like C:\Users\nick\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules

How to solve error message "Cannot find module 'abbrev'

6 Answers6