# Using fs module but it isn't installed!
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073
**Category:** General
**Created:** [27 June 2020 15:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073 "2020-06-27T15:25:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 15:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/1 "2020-06-27T15:25:53Z")
In settings.js, functionGlobalContext I have
`fs: require('fs')`
and I am able to use it in a function node by:
`const fs = context.global.fs;`
then use `fs.readdir` and it works fine. However when I run, from .node-red directory
`npm list fs`
`npm list -g fs`
they both come back empty. So I don't understand how it is working.
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### Author:  [@JGKK](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/JGKK)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 15:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/2 "2020-06-27T15:32:28Z")
Maybe because fs is native module/part of node.js and so it isn’t installed like any of the external modules 🤔
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 15:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/3 "2020-06-27T15:41:18Z")
Right - `fs` is a core module and not managed by npm.
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### Author:  [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 15:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/4 "2020-06-27T15:42:17Z")
I can locate fs in `/proc/sys/fs` in Raspbian
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 15:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/5 "2020-06-27T15:42:45Z")
Yes, that probably explains it. I see I still have to `require` it but not install it. Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 15:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/6 "2020-06-27T15:44:08Z")
> [@Colin](#):
>
> I still have to `require` it but not install it
That depends, it's not installed by default in all packages. I had to manually install it in a earlier version of Oracle Linux. I think it has been added now in the current version.
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 15:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/7 "2020-06-27T15:47:25Z")
OK, so if I were using it in a created node should I put it in the node's package.json?
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 15:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/8 "2020-06-27T15:48:28Z")
We are talking about the core fs module that has been a part of node.js since the very beginning.
[https://nodejs.org/api/](https://nodejs.org/api/)
[https://nodejs.org/api/fs.html](https://nodejs.org/api/fs.html)
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### Author:  [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 15:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/9 "2020-06-27T15:51:57Z")
Ah right, it may be that node.js wasn't installed either, because it wasn't a node-RED instance
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 15:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/10 "2020-06-27T15:52:46Z")
This has nothing to do with `/proc/sys/fs`
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 16:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/11 "2020-06-27T16:18:18Z")
OK, so in a created node I think I _don't_ need to put it in package.json.
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### Author:  [@JGKK](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/JGKK)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 16:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/12 "2020-06-27T16:21:01Z")
No all the core modules dont need to be put in the package json.
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 June 2020 16:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/13 "2020-06-27T16:21:37Z")
Great. Thanks all.
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [11 July 2020 16:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-fs-module-but-it-isnt-installed/29073/14 "2020-07-11T16:21:37Z")
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