"Invalid version number" error when building project with npm on Windows

I’m trying to move a project from macOS to Windows. The project uses two native modules: serialport and opencv4nodejs. Everything works fine on macOS.

When I run npm install on Windows 10 (after having deleted the node_modules folder and carefully followed the instructions), I get an “Invalid version number” error.

I’m using nw-gyp@3.6.3. Here is what I enter on the command line:

PS C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw> set PYTHON=C:\Python27\python.exe
PS C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw> set npm_config_target=0.27.1
PS C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw> set npm_config_arch=x64
PS C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw> set npm_config_runtime=node-webkit
PS C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw> set npm_config_build_from_source=true
PS C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw> set npm_config_node_gyp=C:\Users\jpcote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\nw-gyp\bin\nw-gyp.js
PS C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw> npm install --msvs_version=2015

Here is the output I get:

> serialport@4.0.7 install C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport
> node-pre-gyp install --fallback-to-build

node-pre-gyp info it worked if it ends with ok
node-pre-gyp verb cli [ 'C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe',
node-pre-gyp verb cli   'C:\\Users\\jpcote\\Desktop\\50e\\package.nw\\node_modules\\serialport\\node_modules\\node-pre-gyp\\bin\\node-pre-gyp',
node-pre-gyp verb cli   'install',
node-pre-gyp verb cli   '--fallback-to-build' ]
node-pre-gyp info using node-pre-gyp@0.6.32
node-pre-gyp info using node@9.2.1 | win32 | x64
node-pre-gyp verb command install []
node-pre-gyp info check checked for "C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport\build\Release\serialport.node" (not found)
node-pre-gyp http GET https://github.com/EmergingTechnologyAdvisors/node-serialport/releases/download/4.0.7/serialport-v4.0.7-node-v59-win32-x64.tar.gz
node-pre-gyp http 404 https://github.com/EmergingTechnologyAdvisors/node-serialport/releases/download/4.0.7/serialport-v4.0.7-node-v59-win32-x64.tar.gz
node-pre-gyp ERR! Tried to download(404): https://github.com/EmergingTechnologyAdvisors/node-serialport/releases/download/4.0.7/serialport-v4.0.7-node-v59-win32-x64.tar.gz
node-pre-gyp ERR! Pre-built binaries not found for serialport@4.0.7 and node@9.2.1 (node-v59 ABI) (falling back to source compile with node-gyp)
node-pre-gyp http 404 status code downloading tarball https://github.com/EmergingTechnologyAdvisors/node-serialport/releases/download/4.0.7/serialport-v4.0.7-node-v59-win32-x64.tar.gz
node-pre-gyp verb command build [ 'rebuild' ]
gyp ERR! configure error
gyp ERR! stack Error: Invalid version number: undefined
gyp ERR! stack     at getNodeDir (C:\Users\jpcote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\nw-gyp\lib\configure.js:73:25)
gyp ERR! stack     at PythonFinder.callback (C:\Users\jpcote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\nw-gyp\lib\configure.js:45:7)
gyp ERR! stack     at PythonFinder.<anonymous> (C:\Users\jpcote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\nw-gyp\lib\configure.js:493:14)
gyp ERR! stack     at ChildProcess.exithandler (child_process.js:264:7)
gyp ERR! stack     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:159:13)
gyp ERR! stack     at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:943:16)
gyp ERR! stack     at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:220:5)
gyp ERR! System Windows_NT 10.0.16299
gyp ERR! command "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Users\\jpcote\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\nw-gyp\\bin\\nw-gyp.js" "configure" "--fallback-to-build" "--module=C:\\Users\\jpcote\\Desktop\\50e\\package.nw\\node_modules\\serialport\\build\\Release\\serialport.node" "--module_name=serialport" "--module_path=C:\\Users\\jpcote\\Desktop\\50e\\package.nw\\node_modules\\serialport\\build\\Release" "--msvs_version=2015"
gyp ERR! cwd C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport
gyp ERR! node -v v9.2.1
gyp ERR! nw-gyp -v v3.6.3
gyp ERR! not ok
node-pre-gyp ERR! build error
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack Error: Failed to execute 'C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe C:\Users\jpcote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\nw-gyp\bin\nw-gyp.js configure --fallback-to-build --module=C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport\build\Release\serialport.node --module_name=serialport --module_path=C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport\build\Release --msvs_version=2015' (1)
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport\node_modules\node-pre-gyp\lib\util\compile.js:83:29)
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:159:13)
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:943:16)
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:220:5)
node-pre-gyp ERR! System Windows_NT 10.0.16299
node-pre-gyp ERR! command "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Users\\jpcote\\Desktop\\50e\\package.nw\\node_modules\\serialport\\node_modules\\node-pre-gyp\\bin\\node-pre-gyp" "install" "--fallback-to-build"
node-pre-gyp ERR! cwd C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport
node-pre-gyp ERR! node -v v9.2.1
node-pre-gyp ERR! node-pre-gyp -v v0.6.32
node-pre-gyp ERR! not ok
Failed to execute 'C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe C:\Users\jpcote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\nw-gyp\bin\nw-gyp.js configure --fallback-to-build --module=C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport\build\Release\serialport.node --module_name=serialport --module_path=C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport\build\Release --msvs_version=2015' (1)
npm WARN Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, scandir 'C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport\node_modules\node-pre-gyp\node_modules\request\node_modules\combined-stream\node_modules'
npm WARN  { Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, scandir 'C:\Users\jpcote\Desktop\50e\package.nw\node_modules\serialport\node_modules\node-pre-gyp\node_modules\request\node_modules\combined-stream\node_modules'
npm WARN   stack: 'Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, scandir \'C:\\Users\\jpcote\\Desktop\\50e\\package.nw\\node_modules\\serialport\\node_modules\\node-pre-gyp\\node_modules\\request\\node_modules\\combined-stream\\node_modules\'',
npm WARN   errno: -4048,
npm WARN   code: 'EPERM',
npm WARN   syscall: 'scandir',
npm WARN   path: 'C:\\Users\\jpcote\\Desktop\\50e\\package.nw\\node_modules\\serialport\\node_modules\\node-pre-gyp\\node_modules\\request\\node_modules\\combined-stream\\node_modules' }
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! errno 1
npm ERR! serialport@4.0.7 install: `node-pre-gyp install --fallback-to-build`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Failed at the serialport@4.0.7 install script.
npm ERR! This is probably not a problem with npm. There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     C:\Users\jpcote\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_logs\2017-12-12T15_14_01_119Z-debug.log
```

[gpetrov]

wondering if this was solved? I got the same problem when compiling nodegit under nwjs 0.40.2

[GnorTech]

PS: on your last comment, you may not install node-pre-gyp by yourself, but it may be get installed by dependencies. That’s why Roger suggested starting with a simple bare package.json to isolate causes. At least it was never installed in our test environment trying to reproduce your issue.