Pimatic won't run

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I’m trying to install pimatic v0.9, but I’m having some problems. I had a 0.8 installation running perfectly, but since my RPi was still on Wheezy I decided to reinstall everything.

I followed the tutorial on https://pimatic.org/guide/getting-started/installation/ as I did in the past. All seems working well, no errors during installation, config file for instant is present as it should be. I’ve added a password for the admin user with nano.

But when I execute the command sudo node_modules/pimatic/pimatic.js
the output in the terminal is sudo: node_modules/pimatic/pimatic.js: command not found

Browsing to the directory and trying to use sudo pimatic.js results in sudo: pimatic.js: command not found

When trying to find pimatic, using whereis pimatic.js the output is pimatic:

Opening pimatic.js through the UI via VNC results in the installation process starting in the terminal, and ending after it is finished. Opening pimatic.js via UI again results in that it seems to start, but it is not accessible via the IP address of the PI.

My knowledge of Unix is very limited, so I’m currently completely lost here…

try the following command
sudo node /home/pi/pimatic/node_modules/pimatic/pimatic.js
pimatic should start and you can see the debug messages on the bash.

if this works exit with ctrl+c, then
cd /home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic
sudo npm link

Now pimatic can be used with:

sudo pimatic.js start (or stop or restart or status)

If you want to autostart pimatic when the pi starts check this tutorial here
https://pimatic.org/guide/getting-started/autostarting/

I get an error when I execute that first command.

module.js:327
    throw err;
    ^

Error: Cannot find module '/home/pi/pimatic/node_modules/pimatic/pimatic.js'
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:325:15)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:276:25)
    at Function.Module.runMain (module.js:441:10)
    at startup (node.js:139:18)
    at node.js:968:3

I got the same error.
I guess it should be

sudo node /home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/pimatic.js

@Petjepet said in Pimatic won't run:

I got the same error.
I guess it should be

sudo node /home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/pimatic.js

You are right! Pimatic has started, thank you both very much for your help! I should be able to get autostart running as well.

I got it started also but when asking for the status I get "PID file exists, but process is dead."
The log file has only one line with the current date and time.

I’m lost now.

Yes,osorry, the folder is /home/pi/pimatic-app/…
I do have another setup

@Petjepet what doeas the screen debug output say when starting with the above command? or
did you set the admin password to the default config? Or do you use your v0.8 config?

@leader21 I see following output:

20:55:59.353 2016-06-22 Wednesday
20:56:07.046 [pimatic] Starting pimatic version 0.9.26
Knex: run
$ npm install sqlite3 --save
Error: Cannot find module '/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/sqlite3/lib/binding/node-v46-linux-arm/node_sqlite3.node'
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:325:15)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:276:25)
    at Module.require (module.js:353:17)
    at require (internal/module.js:12:17)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/sqlite3/lib/sqlite3.js:4:15)
    at Module._compile (module.js:409:26)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:416:10)
    at Module.load (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/coffee-script/lib/coffee-script/register.js:45:36)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:300:12)
    at Module.require (module.js:353:17)
    at require (internal/module.js:12:17)
    at Client._driver (../../../src/dialects/sqlite3/index.js:37:12)
    at Client.initializeDriver (../src/client.js:153:26)
    at Client (../src/client.js:36:10)
    at Client_SQLite3 (../../../src/dialects/sqlite3/index.js:19:10)
    at new Client (../../src/util/make-client.js:15:18)
    at Knex (../src/index.js:37:19)
    at /home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/lib/database.coffee:71:17
    at tryCatcher (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bluebird/js/release/util.js:16:23)
    at Promise._settlePromiseFromHandler (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bluebird/js/release/promise.js:503:31)
    at Promise._settlePromise (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bluebird/js/release/promise.js:560:18)
    at Promise._settlePromiseCtx (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bluebird/js/release/promise.js:597:10)
    at Async._drainQueue (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bluebird/js/release/async.js:131:12)
    at Async._drainQueues (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bluebird/js/release/async.js:136:10)
    at Immediate.Async.drainQueues [as _onImmediate] (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bluebird/js/release/async.js:16:14)
    at processImmediate [as _immediateCallback] (timers.js:383:17)

OK this is a known issue
try.rhe following command
cd /home/pi/pimatic-app/
sudo npm install sqlite3@3.1.3 --unsafe-perm

Ok.

Seems to take some time (prompt returned after 5 min, errors I see).

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo npm install sqlite3@3.1.3 --unsafe-perm
|
> sqlite3@3.1.3 install /home/pi/node_modules/sqlite3
> node-pre-gyp install --fallback-to-build

make: Entering directory '/home/pi/node_modules/sqlite3/build'
  ACTION deps_sqlite3_gyp_action_before_build_target_unpack_sqlite_dep Release/obj/gen/sqlite-autoconf-3090100/sqlite3.c
  TOUCH Release/obj.target/deps/action_before_build.stamp
  CC(target) Release/obj.target/sqlite3/gen/sqlite-autoconf-3090100/sqlite3.o
  AR(target) Release/obj.target/deps/sqlite3.a
  COPY Release/sqlite3.a
  CXX(target) Release/obj.target/node_sqlite3/src/database.o
../src/database.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Database::Work_BeginOpen(node_sqlite3::Database::Baton*)’:
../src/database.cc:143:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),
         ^
../src/database.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Database::Work_BeginClose(node_sqlite3::Database::Baton*)’:
../src/database.cc:227:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),
         ^
../src/database.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Database::Work_BeginExec(node_sqlite3::Database::Baton*)’:
../src/database.cc:505:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),
         ^
../src/database.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Database::Work_BeginLoadExtension(node_sqlite3::Database::Baton*)’:
../src/database.cc:605:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),
         ^
  CXX(target) Release/obj.target/node_sqlite3/src/node_sqlite3.o
  CXX(target) Release/obj.target/node_sqlite3/src/statement.o
../src/statement.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Statement::Work_BeginPrepare(node_sqlite3::Database::Baton*)’:
../src/statement.cc:118:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),
         ^
In file included from ../src/statement.cc:6:0:
../src/statement.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Statement::Work_BeginBind(node_sqlite3::Statement::Baton*)’:
../src/macros.h:125:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),                              \
         ^
../src/statement.cc:322:5: note: in expansion of macro ‘STATEMENT_BEGIN’
     STATEMENT_BEGIN(Bind);
     ^
../src/statement.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Statement::Work_BeginGet(node_sqlite3::Statement::Baton*)’:
../src/macros.h:125:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),                              \
         ^
../src/statement.cc:370:5: note: in expansion of macro ‘STATEMENT_BEGIN’
     STATEMENT_BEGIN(Get);
     ^
../src/statement.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Statement::Work_BeginRun(node_sqlite3::Statement::Baton*)’:
../src/macros.h:125:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),                              \
         ^
../src/statement.cc:438:5: note: in expansion of macro ‘STATEMENT_BEGIN’
     STATEMENT_BEGIN(Run);
     ^
../src/statement.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Statement::Work_BeginAll(node_sqlite3::Statement::Baton*)’:
../src/macros.h:125:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),                              \
         ^
../src/statement.cc:504:5: note: in expansion of macro ‘STATEMENT_BEGIN’
     STATEMENT_BEGIN(All);
     ^
../src/statement.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Statement::Work_BeginEach(node_sqlite3::Statement::Baton*)’:
../src/macros.h:125:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),                              \
         ^
../src/statement.cc:601:5: note: in expansion of macro ‘STATEMENT_BEGIN’
     STATEMENT_BEGIN(Each);
     ^
../src/statement.cc: In static member function ‘static void node_sqlite3::Statement::Work_BeginReset(node_sqlite3::Statement::Baton*)’:
../src/macros.h:125:9: warning: unused variable ‘status’ [-Wunused-variable]
     int status = uv_queue_work(uv_default_loop(),                              \
         ^
../src/statement.cc:724:5: note: in expansion of macro ‘STATEMENT_BEGIN’
     STATEMENT_BEGIN(Reset);
     ^
  SOLINK_MODULE(target) Release/obj.target/node_sqlite3.node
  COPY Release/node_sqlite3.node
  COPY /home/pi/node_modules/sqlite3/lib/binding/node-v46-linux-arm/node_sqlite3.node
  TOUCH Release/obj.target/action_after_build.stamp
make: Leaving directory '/home/pi/node_modules/sqlite3/build'
sqlite3@3.1.3 node_modules/sqlite3
└── nan@2.2.1
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ 

What am I doing here?
Is it a manual install of the database?

Yes it is a manual installation. But you have been to fast and u was to slow with typing. You need to do that in the pimatic-app folder

ok.
I’m trying to understand all the commands and where to start them.
I would like to have all Pimatic sources in the pimatic-app folder to keep all clear

I perfomed now in the pimatic-app folder with the same output.

Next try
Again in the /home/pi/pimatic-app folder
sudo npm install sqlite3 --unsafe-perm

sudo node /home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/pimatic.js
started and all plugins seem to get started now.

will this process end?
I mean do I have to wait for the prompt to come back ik the command window?

OK nice to hear!
this is now running until you stop it with ctrl+c
You now should be able to run pimatic with the usual commands like sudo service pimatic start

@leader21 Thanks! I can start the process now. Also connected to my browser.

However when I choose to debug (to see my MySensors nodes and Homeduino sensors) I see no info.
My PIRs seem to function and also a Homeduino Temp sensor.
However a MySensors Temp sensor and another Homeduine Temp sensor have ‘unknown’ values.

EDIT: I repowered them and now all is working!!!

One of the problems of this install is that it does root base installs in a user directory instead of some system folder. That is not a “nice” approach so to say and should be improved “some time” in one of the next versions. It should either be a user install, or a system install in some system folder like /usr/local.

Anyway:
If pi is the owner (like in /home/pi) I always do, in /home/pi a sudo chown -R pi:pi pimatic-app, which will change ownership recursively for that folder structure /home/pi/pimatic-app to the “real” owner pi.
root will always be able to write to that folder structure anyway in case of (plugin) updates.

@Harry-van-der-Wolf said in Pimatic won't run:

One of the problems of this install is that it does root base installs in a user directory instead of some system folder. That is not a “nice” approach so to say and should be improved “some time” in one of the next versions. It should either be a user install, or a system install in some system folder like /usr/local.

Anyway:
If pi is the owner (like in /home/pi) I always do, in /home/pi a sudo chown -R pi:pi pimatic-app, which will change ownership recursively for that folder structure /home/pi/pimatic-app to the “real” owner pi.
root will always be able to write to that folder structure anyway in case of (plugin) updates.

That’s what I also did before. In this case I hope to avoid updates to malfunction due to permission issues.

@Petjepet said in Pimatic won't run:

One of the problems of this install is that it does root base installs in a user directory instead of some system folder. That is not a “nice” approach so to say and should be improved “some time” in one of the next versions. It should either be a user install, or a system install in some system folder like /usr/local.

The problem is that the pimatic process has to run with root privileges as some plugin require it. Maybe it is possible to switch the user when packages are installed.

@mwittig said in Pimatic won't run:

The problem is that the pimatic process has to run with root privileges as some plugin require it. Maybe it is possible to switch the user when packages are installed.

I know. I have already been thinking about it.
As such it is no problem at all that it runs as root. I even prefer it that way. (Allmost) All daemons run under root or some special dedicated user and not in user space.
However, in this case I would have expected to have it run in /usr/local.

One of the install steps is sudo mkdir pimatic-app && sudo npm install pimatic --prefix pimatic-app --production from the users home folder /home/pi (in most cases). For me it is running in /home/harryvanderwolf anyway as I don’t use user pi.
If that would be cd /usr/local && sudo mkdir pimatic-app && sudo npm install pimatic --prefix pimatic-app --production, it would be a nice root install, be run from /usr/local and the daemon would also run from a default system path.
When I’m back this weekend I will try that with my (backup) Bananapi (It is already running 0.9 in /opt/pimatic/pimatic-app as I used that as test machine and didn’t want it in my home folder either)