# Nodes installed but not available - grey dashed boxes in palette

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [30 August 2019 13:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945 "2019-08-30T13:39:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a587f6/32.png) [@Bas](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Bas)\
**Post date:** [30 August 2019 13:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/1 "2019-08-30T13:39:03Z")

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Hi there,

After installing a few libraries in Node Red some went fine and the node-red-contrib-modbustcp is not working.  
I see the nodes in de Palette, but the have a grey dashed box instead of a normal colour. The nodes do not apear in the list on the left.

OPCUA went without problems and modbus install went fine but still I'm not getting the nodes.

I'll try to upload a picture/printscreen.

What is wrong?

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**Author:** ![ukmoose](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ukmoose/32/13_2.png) [@ukmoose](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ukmoose)\
**Post date:** [30 August 2019 13:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/2 "2019-08-30T13:58:18Z")

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When you restart Node-RED are there any warnings or errors printer in the startup messages?  
Those message also contain the version of Node-RED and nodejs installed, can you paste that information here as well?

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**Author:** ![Bas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a587f6/32.png) [@Bas](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Bas)\
**Post date:** [5 September 2019 12:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/3 "2019-09-05T12:43:02Z")

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I get a warning:

5 sep 14:10:03 - [warn] [modbus tcp] SyntaxError: Unexpected token function

 ![Startup%20info%20Node-Red](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/2X/7/700b9d2708407b56b9664cb0b2db00a2a16c2548.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![ukmoose](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ukmoose/32/13_2.png) [@ukmoose](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ukmoose)\
**Post date:** [5 September 2019 12:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/4 "2019-09-05T12:48:08Z")

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What machine are you running Node-RED on?  
You are starting Node-RED when it would appear to already be running

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**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [5 September 2019 12:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/5 "2019-09-05T12:48:41Z")

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The issue is likely to be the old version of node.js - 6.x

It may well be the modbus nodes require node 8.x or later.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a587f6/32.png) [@Bas](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Bas)\
**Post date:** [5 September 2019 12:54 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/6 "2019-09-05T12:54:36Z")

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I'm running on a Magelis IIoT Edge Box from Schneider-Electric.

I tried: npm install node-red-contrib-modbus --build-from-source

no result.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ukmoose](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ukmoose/32/13_2.png) [@ukmoose](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ukmoose)\
**Post date:** [5 September 2019 13:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/7 "2019-09-05T13:01:03Z")

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So as Nick suggested you need to install a version that is compatible with the version of nodejs you are running.

You can either check to see if there is a supported newer version of nodejs for your device  
Or install a version of the node that works with nodejsv6.

If you had read the ReadMe for the node before you installed it, it does specify this.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![afelix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/afelix/32/9743_2.png) [@afelix](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/afelix)\
**Post date:** [5 September 2019 14:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/8 "2019-09-05T14:03:07Z")

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On top of that, it says it cannot connect because the port 1880 is already in use. Are you running node-red already, or something else on the same port?

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**Author:** ![Bas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a587f6/32.png) [@Bas](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Bas)\
**Post date:** [6 September 2019 06:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/9 "2019-09-06T06:41:35Z")

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Yes you are right. I started Node-red with Node-red allready running.

I'm still unable to find on internet the dependencies for which version of Node.js you need for node-red-contrib-modbustcp@1.2.3

Will try with older versions

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ukmoose](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ukmoose/32/13_2.png) [@ukmoose](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ukmoose)\
**Post date:** [6 September 2019 06:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/10 "2019-09-06T06:45:47Z")

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Try the readme for the node on [flows.nodered.org](http://flows.nodered.org) which lists which version of nodejs different versions of the node support.

You can then install the specific version on the command line

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a587f6/32.png) [@Bas](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Bas)\
**Post date:** [6 September 2019 13:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-installed-but-not-available-grey-dashed-boxes-in-palette/14945/11 "2019-09-06T13:36:02Z")

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With node-red-contrib-modbustcp version 1.1.2 it is succesfull.

Modbus Server node not yet working, but modbustcp-write en read, the ones I need. now available