Alexa not discovering ("SyntaxError: Unexpected token =" error)

[skot0123]

I installed the node and ran discover devices but nothing was found. I saw in a closed issue that there may be issues with nodered when it is in a docker container. Am I correct that this will not work inside Docker?

[torinnguyen]

3 yes. that is exactly the problem

[tfatykhov]

easiest fix for now - is to run docker container with node red attached to host network (docker run --network=host ....) but that may not suite all especially if you are using linking. another more complicated way is to use piperwork - https://github.com/jpetazzo/pipework

[Bodge-IT]

My node-red is not in a docker container but I am also unable to discover new devices. Any suggestions? Running NR 0.17.5 on PI.

[torinnguyen]

@Bodge-IT please provide more information than just 1 sentence

[Bodge-IT]

I have alexa-local(0.3.0) node installed on node-red 0.17.5. I have created a new device as instructed, asked Echo to discover but nothing is found. My node-red is not in a docker container, its installed on a RaspBPi running rasbian. Echo and node-red are in the same subnet but node-red is not connected to wifi.

[torinnguyen]

can you take a look at the log coming from NodeRed when you ask Echo to discover devices? if you are running from pm2, use this command: pm2 log

[Bodge-IT]

Aha..sorry still quite new at node-red.

I get this in the startup log: [error] [alexa-local:6bedefe6.81c1d8] SyntaxError: Unexpected token =

[torinnguyen]

it looks like somehow you have a dirty version of alexa-local node. here' what you can try on your rpi

cd ~/.node-red
rm -rf node_modules/node-red-contrib-alexa-local
npm install node-red-contrib-alexa-local

then restart your NodeRed

[Bodge-IT]

Same. This was output of install: pi@lofty:~/.node-red $ npm install node-red-contrib-alexa-local npm WARN package.json node-red-project@0.0.1 No repository field. npm WARN package.json node-red-project@0.0.1 No README data npm WARN package.json node-red-project@0.0.1 No license field. npm WARN engine stoppable@1.0.4: wanted: {"node":">=7.6.0"} (current: {"node":"5.12.0","npm":"2.14.7"}) npm WARN engine awaiting@2.2.0: wanted: {"node":">=7.6.x"} (current: {"node":"5.12.0","npm":"2.14.7"}) node-red-contrib-alexa-local@0.3.0 node_modules/node-red-contrib-alexa-local ├── ip@1.1.5 ├── peer-ssdp@0.0.5 ├── stoppable@1.0.4 (awaiting@2.2.0) └── node-persist@2.1.0 (q@1.1.2, is-absolute@0.2.6, mkdirp@0.5.1)

I notice I get an nodered/alexa-local/persist dir appear in the root of my home dir with nothing in it...is this expected?

[Bodge-IT]

Thought I found something on line 112 of index.js. LOCATION: "http://{{networkInterfaceAddress}}:" + port + "/upnp/amazon-ha-bridge/setup.xml",

Looks like superfluous ','

[torinnguyen]

nice spotting. I've published version 0.3.1 with that fixed. You need to use npm install to get the latest version if you don't want to wait.

[Bodge-IT]

Yes but didn't fix issue, still have Unexpected token =

[torinnguyen]

I've just run my code through jslint but didn't find any syntax error. Probably it's an error in one of the dependencies. I don't know how to pin point it out.

[Bodge-IT]

Anyway to get more info out of node-red log?

[Bodge-IT]

index.js:348 if (msg == null || msg.payload === null || msg.payload === undefined) {

Think should be ===?

[Bodge-IT]

Can you check 326-329 in peer-ssdp.js

} else { var t = line.split(' ')[0] type = (t == TYPE_M_SEARCH) ? "search" : (t == TYPE_NOTIFY ? "notify" : null); } I don't think that VAR is closed properly.

[Bodge-IT]

Fixed it. I noticed some weird disparity between running node-red from command line or as a service. Checking this page on Pi site, fixed the issue and has hopefully addressed other parity issues too.

Sorry to take up your time on a wild goose chase.

[torinnguyen]

The error is due to syntax error when running on older version of NodeJS. This has now been fixed in latest version of alexa node. You can upgrade NodeJS version using the following command sudo npm cache clean -f sudo npm install -g n sudo n stable