"npm start" error with webpack-dev-server

Question

I know this is a terrible way of forming a question, but I've been working on this for several hours and have made no progress. Everything worked perfectly last night, this morning I had an update from the App Store that made me restart, now my npm server (I'm trying to learn React.js) isn't working. Here is my error log:

0 info it worked if it ends with ok
1 verbose cli [ '/usr/local/bin/node', '/usr/local/bin/npm', 'start' ]
2 info using [email protected]
3 info using [email protected]
4 verbose run-script [ 'prestart', 'start', 'poststart' ]
5 info lifecycle [email protected]~prestart: [email protected]
6 silly lifecycle [email protected]~prestart: no script for prestart, continuing
7 info lifecycle [email protected]~start: [email protected]
8 verbose lifecycle [email protected]~start: unsafe-perm in lifecycle true
9 verbose lifecycle [email protected]~start: PATH: /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/node-gyp-bin:/Users/FrankHarvey/Dropbox/react-practice/node_modules/.bin:/Users/FrankHarvey/anaconda2/bin:/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.5/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/opt/X11/bin
10 verbose lifecycle [email protected]~start: CWD: /Users/FrankHarvey/Dropbox/react-practice
11 silly lifecycle [email protected]~start: Args: [ '-c', 'webpack-dev-server' ]
12 silly lifecycle [email protected]~start: Returned: code: 1  signal: null
13 info lifecycle [email protected]~start: Failed to exec start script
14 verbose stack Error: [email protected] start: `webpack-dev-server`
14 verbose stack Exit status 1
14 verbose stack     at EventEmitter.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/lifecycle.js:279:16)
14 verbose stack     at emitTwo (events.js:87:13)
14 verbose stack     at EventEmitter.emit (events.js:172:7)
14 verbose stack     at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/spawn.js:40:14)
14 verbose stack     at emitTwo (events.js:87:13)
14 verbose stack     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:172:7)
14 verbose stack     at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:829:16)
14 verbose stack     at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:211:5)
15 verbose pkgid [email protected]
16 verbose cwd /Users/FrankHarvey/Dropbox/react-practice
17 error Darwin 16.3.0
18 error argv "/usr/local/bin/node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "start"
19 error node v4.6.1
20 error npm  v4.0.5
21 error code ELIFECYCLE
22 error [email protected] start: `webpack-dev-server`
22 error Exit status 1
23 error Failed at the [email protected] start script 'webpack-dev-server'.
23 error Make sure you have the latest version of node.js and npm installed.
23 error If you do, this is most likely a problem with the react-essential package,
23 error not with npm itself.
23 error Tell the author that this fails on your system:
23 error     webpack-dev-server
23 error You can get information on how to open an issue for this project with:
23 error     npm bugs react-essential
23 error Or if that isn't available, you can get their info via:
23 error     npm owner ls react-essential
23 error There is likely additional logging output above.
24 verbose exit [ 1, true ]

I've tried:

Switching ports
Reverting git commits
reinstalling node running with sudo

None have worked.

Try running npm install. Looks like the module isn't installed. — lux
– lux, Commented Jan 10, 2017 at 21:06

Frank · Accepted Answer · 2020-12-01 21:16:11Z

7

Always good to do

rm -rf node_modules && npm install

Delete webpack-dev-server out of the node_modules directory and run npm install webpack-dev-server

Thanks to a comment, I was able to solve. I tried reinstalling by using npm install. This did not work. I then tried using npm install webpack-dev-server and got an error. It kept saying things like xyz/abc/node_modules/xyz/node_modules/abc/.bin/file exists. Move and try again. I tried that a few times, finally deleted the entire webpack-dev-server directory out of my node_modules directory and reinstalled. It all works now.

By the way, I used this as I was using Lynda.com's "React.js Essential Training". Only including this info for other's who might have this issue.

edited Dec 1, 2020 at 21:16

answered Jan 10, 2017 at 21:22

Frank

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4 Comments

domino_katrino Over a year ago

It didn't work for me. any other way to solve this issue? I am using Windows 7 x64.

Nikita Over a year ago

I've deleted the whole folder node_modules and package-lock.json as well, than run npm install. After this server has started succesfully

Kumar Ajay Over a year ago

Thanks! It worked in my case. I was getting the same error but I deleted it then installed again.

Darlan Dieterich Over a year ago

delete node_module it's best solution to all problems

Guang Lin · Accepted Answer · 2018-06-11 13:51:23Z

1

you can set this option to false in the webpack-dev-server config:

quiet: true => quiet: false

answered Jun 11, 2018 at 13:51

Guang Lin

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Comments

Alexander · Accepted Answer · 2020-12-02 13:08:16Z

1

Delete not only webpack-dev-server out of the node_modules directory, but also webpack-dev-middleware. Then run npm install webpack-dev-middleware and npm install webpack-dev-server.

answered Dec 2, 2020 at 13:08

Alexander

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Comments

Kamil Ghori · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-23 10:20:25Z

0

set the webpack webpack cli webpack-dev-server as per needed after that remove package-lock.json file and node module folder from the project and open your project directory in cmd and run npm install

answered Feb 23, 2021 at 10:20

Kamil Ghori

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