Could not locate the bindings file

[bradharley]

I happened to notice this today when updating unrelated plugins. I presumed it was related to the .51 upgrade, so downgraded to .50. It does this on both. The referenced file exists. I did uninstall and reinstall the plugin with no change... Any suggestions as to what to try?

Mar 03 16:12:26 tweety signalk-server[2353959]: error starting plugin: Error: Could not locate the bindings file. Tried:
Mar 03 16:12:26 tweety signalk-server[2353959]: Error: Could not locate the bindings file. Tried:
Mar 03 16:12:26 tweety signalk-server[2353959]: at bindings (/home/bharley/.signalk/node_modules/better-sqlite3/node_modules/bindings/bindings.js:126:9)

Thanks in advance.

[bradharley]

I reinstalled better-sqlite3 and that fixed it. Not sure what caused it to break, but I expect the no foreign land plugin update....

[xbgmsharp]

This is a duplicate of xbgmsharp/postgsail#29
This new version 0.5.1 was suppose to fix the Error: Could not locate the bindings file.
Can you help me debug this? Which version NodeJS version and NPM version?

[svlibertine]

Trying this out for the first time and appear to have the same issue.

Versions:

signalk-postgsail
0.5.1

SignalK
2.22.1

Node.js
v22.16.0

NPM
10.9.2

Not sure if expected or not as I'm setting up for the first time, but I'm unable to edit mappings at: https://iot.openplotter.cloud/boat/mapping

I don't know if I should be able to edit path mappings here, or if they are configured elsewhere and are meant to just show here.

Error:

Mar 04 09:15:46 (node:623194) ExperimentalWarning: WASI is an experimental feature and might change at any time (Use node --trace-warnings ... to show where the warning was created)
Mar 04 09:15:52 2026-03-04T08:15:52.688Z signalk-postgsail Running on Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Rev 1.4
Mar 04 09:15:52 2026-03-04T08:15:52.690Z signalk-postgsail host https://api.openplotter.cloud/, token:...
Mar 04 09:15:52 2026-03-04T08:15:52.696Z signalk-postgsail Retrieving monitoring configuration /metadata?select=configuration
Mar 04 09:15:52 2026-03-04T08:15:52.732Z signalk-postgsail available_keys: [ { key: 'design.beam', unit: 'm' }, { key: 'design.airHeight', unit: 'm' }, { key: 'electrical.freezer.hours', unit: null } ]
Mar 04 09:15:52 2026-03-04T08:15:52.735Z signalk-postgsail Sending metadata to the server: { name: 'Libertine', mmsi: '244650341', length: 16.44, beam: 4.64, height: 26, ship_type: 36, plugin_version: '0.5.1', signalk_version: '2.22.1', time: '2026-03-04T08:15:52.734Z', platform: 'Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Rev 1.4', available_keys: [ { key: 'design.beam', unit: 'm' }, { key: 'design.airHeight', unit: 'm' }, { key: 'electrical.freezer.hours', unit: null } ] }
Mar 04 09:15:52 error starting plugin: Error: Could not locate the bindings file. Tried: → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/build/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/build/Debug/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/build/Release/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/out/Debug/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/Debug/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/out/Release/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/Release/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/build/default/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/compiled/22.16.0/linux/arm64/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/addon-build/release/install-root/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/addon-build/debug/install-root/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/addon-build/default/install-root/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/lib/binding/node-v127-linux-arm64/better_sqlite3.node
Mar 04 09:15:52 Error: Could not locate the bindings file. Tried: → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/build/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/build/Debug/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/build/Release/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/out/Debug/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/Debug/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/out/Release/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/Release/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/build/default/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/compiled/22.16.0/linux/arm64/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/addon-build/release/install-root/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/addon-build/debug/install-root/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/addon-build/default/install-root/better_sqlite3.node → /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/lib/binding/node-v127-linux-arm64/better_sqlite3.node at bindings (/home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/bindings/bindings.js:126:9) at new Database (/home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/node_modules/better-sqlite3/lib/database.js:48:64) at plugin.start (/home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/index.js:120:10) at doPluginStart (/usr/lib/node_modules/signalk-server/dist/interfaces/plugins.js:362:20) at doRegisterPlugin (/usr/lib/node_modules/signalk-server/dist/interfaces/plugins.js:545:13) at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5) at async registerPlugin (/usr/lib/node_modules/signalk-server/dist/interfaces/plugins.js:308:13) at async Promise.all (index 20) at async startPlugins (/usr/lib/node_modules/signalk-server/dist/interfaces/plugins.js:213:9) at async Object.start (/usr/lib/node_modules/signalk-server/dist/interfaces/plugins.js:50:13) at async /usr/lib/node_modules/signalk-server/dist/index.js:539:39 at async Promise.all (index 6) at async startInterfaces (/usr/lib/node_modules/signalk-server/dist/index.js:513:12) at async /usr/lib/node_modules/signalk-server/dist/index.js:364:17
Mar 04 09:15:52 [object Object]
Mar 04 09:15:53 Successfully connected to can0
Mar 04 09:15:53 signalk-server running at 0.0.0.0:[object Object]
Mar 04 09:15:58 2026-03-04T08:15:58.800Z signalk-postgsail Successfully sent metadata to the server
Mar 04 09:15:58 2026-03-04T08:15:58.803Z signalk-postgsail submitDataToServer
Mar 04 09:15:58 2026-03-04T08:15:58.804Z signalk-postgsail submitDataToServer failed: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'prepare') at submitDataToServer (/home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/index.js:510:23) at /home/pi/.signalk/node_modules/signalk-postgsail/index.js:412:11 at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)
Mar 04 09:15:58 2026-03-04T08:15:58.805Z signalk-postgsail Monitoring configuration retrieval already in progress
Mar 04 09:15:58 2026-03-04T08:15:58.809Z signalk-postgsail Successfully retrieved monitoring configuration
Mar 04 09:15:58 2026-03-04T08:15:58.810Z signalk-postgsail Server monitoring configuration null
Mar 04 09:15:58 2026-03-04T08:15:58.811Z signalk-postgsail Local current configuration { host: 'https://api.openplotter.cloud/', token: '....', monitoring: null }
Mar 04 09:15:58 2026-03-04T08:15:58.813Z signalk-postgsail Plugin options saved

I've tried uninstalling and installing. Same behaviour.

[xbgmsharp]

The mapping page is editable when the metadata are sent.
Anyhow, I still can't reproduce the issue having the same version

# npm -v
10.9.2
# nodejs -v
v22.16.0
# npm install better-sqlite3@^12.0.0
npm warn deprecated prebuild-install@7.1.3: No longer maintained. Please contact the author of the relevant native addon; alternatives are available.

added 38 packages in 317ms

9 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details
# npm ls
tmp@ /tmp
`-- better-sqlite3@12.6.2

[xbgmsharp]

Seem like a Signalk issue.
https://demo.signalk.org/documentation/Developing/Plugins/Publishing_to_The_AppStore.html#important-avoid-install-time-scripts
"preinstall, install, or postinstall scripts in your plugin's package.json will not run when users install through the AppStore"
This means prebuild-install might not be running, so the prebuilt binary isn't being downloaded!

[svlibertine]

Not sure if relevant but I appear to have both 12.6.2 and 11.10.0 installed.

pi@pisignalk:/.signalk/node_modules $ npm -v
10.9.2
pi@pisignalk:/.signalk/node_modules $ nodejs -v
v22.16.0
pi@pisignalk:~/.signalk/node_modules $ npm list better-sqlite3
signalk-server-config@0.0.1 /home/pi/.signalk
├─┬ signalk-postgsail@0.5.1
│ └── better-sqlite3@12.6.2
└─┬ signalk-saillogger@5.0.0
└── better-sqlite3@11.10.0

[svlibertine]

Seem like a Signalk issue. https://demo.signalk.org/documentation/Developing/Plugins/Publishing_to_The_AppStore.html#important-avoid-install-time-scripts "preinstall, install, or postinstall scripts in your plugin's package.json will not run when users install through the AppStore" This means prebuild-install might not be running, so the prebuilt binary isn't being downloaded!

Ah!

[xbgmsharp]

Did you install signalk-saillogger without any issue?

[svlibertine]

Yes. signalk-saillogger was released 25-11-03. I upgraded shortly after that without issue.

[tkurki]

Not related to install scripts.

” Could not locate the bindings” is an indication of the installed bindings not matching node major version in use. Install plugin when using node x, upgrade node to y -> error.

Reinstalling the dep fixes is another indication.

Error would be different if the dep was not installed at all.

[bradharley]

This is a duplicate of xbgmsharp/postgsail#29 This new version 0.5.1 was suppose to fix the Error: Could not locate the bindings file. Can you help me debug this? Which version NodeJS version and NPM version?

[bradharley]

I am fuzzy on the sequence of events leading up to this. I do not think it was upgrading postgsail, but not 100% sure. It did happen after upgrading some plugins and restarting signalk but there were several. We are on the hook and I just happened to notice the error.

bharley@tweety:$ npm -v
10.9.4
bharley@tweety:$ node -v
v22.22.0
bharley@tweety:~/.signalk$ npm list better-sqlite3
signalk-server-config@0.0.1 /home/bharley/.signalk
├── better-sqlite3@12.6.2
└─┬ signalk-postgsail@0.5.1
└── better-sqlite3@12.6.2 deduped

I will be around for the next few hours if you would like me to test anything.

[tkurki]

Sorry, my mistake, should not have commented too hastily.

Yes, better-sqlite3 has an install script and This means prebuild-install might not be running, so the prebuilt binary isn't being downloaded! is correct.

You need to run the install script manually: cd to the better-sqlite3 directory under signalk settings directory's node_modules and npm run install.

This is rather unfortunate.