Can not find module 'socket.io' on heroku

Question

I've researched for this problem, but I couldn't handle yet.

My simple app with node and socket.io works well on my local computer but not on heroku.

Socket.io is included in package.json

I run 'heroku run bash' and list the node_modules installed on heroku and socket.io was not there. But on my local computer socket.io seems installed.

I 'heroku destroy myapp' and then create it again. I run following scripts couple of times

git add .
git commit -am "comment"
git push heroku master

How to make heroku install socket.io module? I am not sure if this is the actual problem by the way.

Any clue ?

Thank you very much.

Heroku logs:

app[web.1]: connect.limit() will be removed in connect 3.0
app[web.1]: connect.multipart() will be removed in connect 3.0
app[web.1]: visit https://github.com/senchalabs/connect/wiki/Connect-3.0 for alternatives
app[web.1]: Express app started on port 21105
app[web.1]: 
app[web.1]: module.js:340
app[web.1]:     throw err;
app[web.1]:           ^
app[web.1]:     at Function.Module._load (module.js:280:25)
app[web.1]:     at require (module.js:380:17)
app[web.1]: Error: Cannot find module 'socket.io'
app[web.1]:     at Object.<anonymous> (/app/server.js:46:37)
app[web.1]:     at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)
app[web.1]:     at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:474:10)
app[web.1]:     at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:338:15)
app[web.1]:     at Module.require (module.js:364:17)
app[web.1]:     at module.exports (/app/config/games/anagrammix.js:11:11)
app[web.1]:     at Function.Module._load (module.js:312:12)
app[web.1]:     at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
app[web.1]: error: Forever detected script exited with code: 8
heroku[run.1160]: State changed from up to complete
heroku[web.1]: Error R10 (Boot timeout) -> Web process failed to bind to $PORT within 60 seconds of launch
heroku[web.1]: Stopping process with SIGKILL
heroku[web.1]: Process exited with status 137
heroku[web.1]: State changed from starting to crashed

package.json:

{
  "name": "xxx",
  "description": "gaming",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "private": false,
  "author": "xxx",
  "engines": {
    "node": "0.10.x",
    "npm": "1.2.x"
  },
  "scripts": {
    "start": "NODE_ENV=development ./node_modules/.bin/nodemon server.js",
    "test": "NODE_ENV=test ./node_modules/.bin/mocha --reporter spec test/test-*.js"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "latest",
    "jade": "latest",
    "mongoose": "latest",
    "connect-mongo": "latest",
    "connect-flash": "latest",
    "passport": "latest",
    "passport-local": "latest",
    "passport-facebook": "latest",
    "passport-twitter": "latest",
    "passport-github": "latest",
    "passport-google-oauth": "latest",
    "underscore": "latest",
    "gzippo": "latest",
    "async": "latest",
    "view-helpers": "latest",
    "forever": "latest",
    "socket.io":"latest"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "supertest": "latest",
    "should": "latest",
    "mocha": "latest",
    "nodemon": "latest"
  }
}

server.js:

/**
 * Module dependencies.
 */

var express = require('express')
  , fs = require('fs')
  , passport = require('passport');

/**
 * Main application entry file.
 * Please note that the order of loading is important.
 */

// Load configurations
// if test env, load example file
var env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'test'
  , config = require('./config/config')[env]
  , auth = require('./config/middlewares/authorization')
  , mongoose = require('mongoose');

// Bootstrap db connection
mongoose.connect(config.db);

// Bootstrap models
var models_path = __dirname + '/app/models'
fs.readdirSync(models_path).forEach(function (file) {
  require(models_path+'/'+file);
});

// bootstrap passport config
require('./config/passport')(passport, config);

var app = express();
// express settings
require('./config/express')(app, config, passport);

// Bootstrap routes
require('./config/routes')(app, passport, auth);

// Start the app by listening on <port>
var port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
var server = app.listen(port);
console.log('Express app started on port '+port);

//game settings
require('./config/games/anagrammix')(server);

// expose app
exports = module.exports = app;

anagrammix.js :

/**
 * Module dependencies.
 */

var agx = require('../../app/games/anagrammix/agxgame');


module.exports = function (server) {

    // Create a Socket.IO server and attach it to the http server
    var io = require('socket.io').listen(server);

    // Reduce the logging output of Socket.IO
    io.set('log level',1);

    // Heroku won't actually allow us to use WebSockets
    // so we have to setup polling instead.
    // https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/using-socket-io-with-node-js-on-heroku
    io.configure(function () {
      io.set("transports", ["xhr-polling"]);
      io.set("polling duration", 10);
    });

    // Listen for Socket.IO Connections. Once connected, start the game logic.
    io.sockets.on('connection', function (socket) {
        //console.log('client connected');
        agx.initGame(io, socket);
    });

}

Answer 1

I found a solution that works for me.

It says remove node_modules folder from .gitignore file so that you can push them to heroku.

But it is not exactly what I am looking for. In some way heroku should do this installation automatically because socket.io is in package.json. I don't understand why it only skips the socket.io.

Answer 2

Have you tried to replace latest with * in your dependencies?

https://npmjs.org/doc/json.html (see "dependencies")