# Manual Node Install Dietpi

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [25 December 2022 12:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682 "2022-12-25T12:38:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 18\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ianszh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ianszh/32/8897_2.png) [@Ianszh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Ianszh)\
**Post date:** [25 December 2022 12:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/1 "2022-12-25T12:38:15Z")

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Hello,

I tried to manually install `npm install --global node-red-contrib-blynk-iot` in the `/mnt/dietpi_userdata/node-red` folder as the node is still in beta and there is no easy install version.

After a reboot and checking the `node-modules` folder and node red nothing shows up.

Anyone have an idea please?

Ian

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [25 December 2022 14:09 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/2 "2022-12-25T14:09:14Z")

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When you start node-red in a terminal window, where does it say the flows file is?  
That is the folder where you should run the install.

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**Author:** ![Ianszh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ianszh/32/8897_2.png) [@Ianszh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Ianszh)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2022 15:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/3 "2022-12-26T15:17:07Z")

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On this [Github page](https://github.com/gablau/node-red-contrib-blynk-iot) where I got the npm from it doesn't actually say where it just says "If you installed Node Red globally use this command to install `npm install --global node-red-contrib-blynk-iot`"

And as I'm running a RPi with DietPi I followed the advice from a post [here](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dietpi-node-red-folder-does-not-exist/52405/4?) on the discourse, which states as above to install in `/mnt/dietpi_userdata/node-red`. which I did and there is no trace of anything having been installed.

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2022 15:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/4 "2022-12-26T15:24:55Z")

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You don't appear to have answered the question I asked.

> [@Colin](#):
>
> When you start node-red in a terminal window, where does it say the flows file is?

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**Author:** ![Ianszh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ianszh/32/8897_2.png) [@Ianszh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Ianszh)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2022 15:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/5 "2022-12-26T15:42:39Z")

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Sorry I never start it in a terminal window, node red is one of the many software packages that DietPi's system can install and autostart's after a reboot, update etc.

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2022 16:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/6 "2022-12-26T16:02:48Z")

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In that case you need to find the node red log and look there. If you don't know where your flows file is, how are you backing it up?

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**Author:** ![ralphwetzel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ralphwetzel/32/53713_2.png) [@ralphwetzel](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ralphwetzel)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2022 16:09 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/7 "2022-12-26T16:09:00Z")

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> [@Ianszh](#):
>
> After a reboot and checking the `node-modules` folder [...]

Shouldn't this be `node_modules`? Typo?

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**Author:** ![Ianszh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ianszh/32/8897_2.png) [@Ianszh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Ianszh)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2022 16:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/8 "2022-12-26T16:11:20Z")

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DietPi has a backup function, or I can manually do it through FTP or NFS.

My flows file is in the `node-red` folder.

 ![Screenshot 2022-12-26 at 17.09.01](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/1/8/185968a821016b299814ac1d3b2c913a1c0dc287.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ianszh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ianszh/32/8897_2.png) [@Ianszh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Ianszh)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2022 16:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/9 "2022-12-26T16:11:49Z")

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Yes sorry, typo

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2022 16:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/10 "2022-12-26T16:22:06Z")

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> [@Ianszh](#):
>
> My flows file is in the `node-red` folder

Well, as I said, if you want to manually install nodes then you must do it from that folder, and it is the node\_modules folder in there that will find them. Then restart node red and refresh the browser page.

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**Author:** ![Ianszh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ianszh/32/8897_2.png) [@Ianszh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Ianszh)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2022 16:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/11 "2022-12-26T16:33:33Z")

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Sorry but I stated at the beginning I'm trying install a Node and I have tried to install it in the `node_red` folder.

The new node `node-red-contrib-blynk-iot` is not in the `nodes_modules` folder.

![Screenshot 2022-12-26 at 17.28.15](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/8/2/820b1b3f400558d8178ed80c306ffad8bc411f9a.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2022 19:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/12 "2022-12-26T19:44:08Z")

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> [@Ianszh](#):
>
> stated at the beginning I'm trying install a Node and I have tried to install it in the `node_red` folder.

There could be more than one node-red folder. When I said in my first post that you must install from the folder where the flows file is then you could just have said that you have done that.

I have just noticed that you used --global when when you installed the node. That means that it will not be in that node\_modules folder, but in the global npm folder.

I see that in the readme for the node it says

## Warning: FOR TESTING ONLY

## This library is in beta, it is not stable yet!!

## Do not use for production

I also note that it has been in that state for 18 months without any updates. Are you sure that you do want to use that node? If you do then I suggest you add an issue to the node's page on github and see if the author responds.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ianszh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ianszh/32/8897_2.png) [@Ianszh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Ianszh)\
**Post date:** [27 December 2022 15:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/13 "2022-12-27T15:50:53Z")

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Yes I realise it's still in beta but it's the only one, I've added an issue to the node's page on github.

For now seeing I only need to read some measurements I'll use web hooks.

Thanks for your help

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**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [28 December 2022 12:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/14 "2022-12-28T12:33:15Z")

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You used `--global` to install it which isn't a good choice for node-red node packages. If you want to install manually:

```auto
cd ~/.node-red // or wherever you have configured your userDir to be
npm install node-red-contrib-blynk-iot

```

If something you want to test isn't yet published to [npmjs.org](http://npmjs.org), you can install direct from github. with `npm install gablau/node-red-contrib-blynk-iot`.

Node-RED uses Node.js as its underlying platform along with the standard npm package manager, Might be worth you doing some reading on how node.js and npm work.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [28 December 2022 13:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/15 "2022-12-28T13:49:25Z")

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The readme for the node explicitly says that it should be installed globally. I know that it should not be necessary, but that is what it says.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ianszh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ianszh/32/8897_2.png) [@Ianszh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Ianszh)\
**Post date:** [28 December 2022 16:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/16 "2022-12-28T16:28:48Z")

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Thanks, I did in fact cd to the node-red folder, but it didn't appear after the `--global` install.

This is embarrassing but I just found the node in the pallet install 😬

So now all is good, thanks for the help.

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**Author:** ![PeteKnight](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/peteknight/32/18345_2.png) [@PeteKnight](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/PeteKnight)\
**Post date:** [9 January 2023 10:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/17 "2023-01-09T10:28:47Z")

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If anyone finds this topic because they were looking for assistance on installing node-red-contrib-blynk-iot, or wondering whether to use it because it's marked as being a Beta release and hasn't been updated recently, then @Ianszh's topic on the Blynk community forum, and the links contained in that topic might be useful...

> **[HTTPs REST API Value Send to Virtual Pin](https://community.blynk.cc/t/https-rest-api-value-send-to-virtual-pin/64345?u=peteknight)**
>
> I have a project in Node Red where I can send values to a Blynk Virtual Pin in the legacy version, there is a newer node version but still in Beta since June so I would prefer to send values via the HTTPs REST API or Webhooks. What URL could I use...

Also, the Blynk Legacy servers have now been decommissioned, so if you previously used the node-red-contrib-blynk-ws with the cloud servers then this now has no endpoint to connect to.  
If you're still running a Blynk Legacy local server then you'll still need to continue using the old node-red-contrib-blynk-ws

Pete.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [23 January 2023 10:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/manual-node-install-dietpi/72682/18 "2023-01-23T10:29:37Z")

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