# RPI GPIOs showing as not available after some updates. Tried everything

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/rpi-gpios-showing-as-not-available-after-some-updates-tried-everything/53019>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [31 October 2021 18:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/rpi-gpios-showing-as-not-available-after-some-updates-tried-everything/53019 "2021-10-31T18:31:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![coppo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@coppo23](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/coppo23)\
**Post date:** [31 October 2021 18:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/rpi-gpios-showing-as-not-available-after-some-updates-tried-everything/53019/1 "2021-10-31T18:31:02Z")

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Hi

I have just updated my rpi node red install, using a script - now 1.3.5. Ran through all the errors corrected them, and had to reinstall various items on the palette. Everything is now good except GPIO pins. Even I2c on I2C-0 works correctly from within node red.

However all the GPIO pins show as not available in node red. I have played with them on the command line gpio readall etc - they all work as expected. Node red cannot see them for some reason. I can]t see anything in the logs except this warning comment :-

'[warn] rpi-gpio : Raspberry Pi specific node set inactive'.

Is this a hint perhaps?

Please can anyone suggest where to look next?

(I tend to faff with the command line stuff - following texts and get lost if something doesn't happen as expected. I am a retired engineer but with no real knowledge of this type of OS.)

Thanks in advance

Andy

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**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [31 October 2021 18:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/rpi-gpios-showing-as-not-available-after-some-updates-tried-everything/53019/2 "2021-10-31T18:40:41Z")

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1.3.7 is the latest 1.x version available - (and 2.1.3 in the 2.x branch).  
You did remember to say yes to the extra Pi nodes when you did the install ?

Usually it means that the underlying python RPi.GPIO libraries have not been installed. It should be there by default with Raspbian... but..  
Maybe check the pre-reqs on the README.

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**Author:** ![coppo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@coppo23](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/coppo23)\
**Post date:** [31 October 2021 19:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/rpi-gpios-showing-as-not-available-after-some-updates-tried-everything/53019/3 "2021-10-31T19:14:45Z")

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> [@dceejay](#):
>
> RPi.GPIO

Thanks for a quick reply - on the track I think but I'm not there yet.

Part of the update was from python 2.xx to 3.x. I have just run python (3.9.5) and tried the following:-  
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO

I get the error 'No module named RPi' so I;m guessing that is important!

I have tried updating rpi by running:  
'sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install python-rpi.gpio python3-rpi.gpio'

It seems to work but python still cannot see the module RPi.

What do I try next?  
Cheers  
Postcript - just tried running Python 2.7 - RPi is imported fine as 0.6.5. The system default python is 3.9.5

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**Author:** ![coppo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@coppo23](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/coppo23)\
**Post date:** [31 October 2021 19:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/rpi-gpios-showing-as-not-available-after-some-updates-tried-everything/53019/5 "2021-10-31T19:39:12Z")

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SOLVED. May thanks.  
I discovered python 3.5 was installed so tried running that on the command line and importing the RPi.GPIO module. It worked. I then changed the system python link to point at 3.5, restarted node red and GPIOs are back. Something not right with the python 3.9.5 installation or location I guess.

Not sure why at the moment but it works and the heating is back on.

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**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [31 October 2021 19:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/rpi-gpios-showing-as-not-available-after-some-updates-tried-everything/53019/6 "2021-10-31T19:41:02Z")

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Unless something has changed recently, changing the default python from 2 to 3 has always been discouraged due to its likelyhood to break things

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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:** [30 December 2021 19:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/rpi-gpios-showing-as-not-available-after-some-updates-tried-everything/53019/7 "2021-12-30T19:41:25Z")

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