Error: The `libsass` binding was not found

Question

Running express app using node-sass-middleware give me this error on ubuntu:

0 info it worked if it ends with ok
1 verbose cli [ '/home/mohamed/.nvm/versions/node/v0.12.7/bin/node',
1 verbose cli   '/home/mohamed/.nvm/versions/node/v0.12.7/bin/npm',
1 verbose cli   'start' ]
2 info using npm@2.11.3
3 info using node@v0.12.7
4 verbose run-script [ 'prestart', 'start', 'poststart' ]
5 info prestart arabicoders@3.3.1
6 info start arabicoders@3.3.1
7 verbose unsafe-perm in lifecycle true
8 info arabicoders@3.3.1 Failed to exec start script
9 verbose stack Error: arabicoders@3.3.1 start: `node app.js`
9 verbose stack Exit status 1
9 verbose stack     at EventEmitter.<anonymous> (/home/mohamed/.nvm/versions/node/v0.12.7/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/lifecycle.js:213:16)
9 verbose stack     at EventEmitter.emit (events.js:110:17)
9 verbose stack     at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/home/mohamed/.nvm/versions/node/v0.12.7/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/spawn.js:24:14)
9 verbose stack     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:110:17)
9 verbose stack     at maybeClose (child_process.js:1015:16)
9 verbose stack     at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (child_process.js:1087:5)
10 verbose pkgid arabicoders@3.3.1
11 verbose cwd /home/mohamed/projects/arabicoders
12 error Linux 3.19.0-28-generic
13 error argv "/home/mohamed/.nvm/versions/node/v0.12.7/bin/node" "/home/mohamed/.nvm/versions/node/v0.12.7/bin/npm" "start"
14 error node v0.12.7
15 error npm  v2.11.3
16 error code ELIFECYCLE
17 error arabicoders@3.3.1 start: `node app.js`
17 error Exit status 1
18 error Failed at the arabicoders@3.3.1 start script 'node app.js'.
18 error This is most likely a problem with the arabicoders package,
18 error not with npm itself.
18 error Tell the author that this fails on your system:
18 error     node app.js
18 error You can get their info via:
18 error     npm owner ls arabicoders
18 error There is likely additional logging output above.
19 verbose exit [ 1, true ]

Answer 1

Looks like you don't have installed sass or node-sass.

Try with:

sudo su -c "gem install sass"

and

npm install -g node-sass

Answer 2

If your are using NVM, it is recommended to install & use the LTS version (currently 4.3.3). Do it using nvm install 4.3.3 && nvm use 4.3.3

Answer 3

This can be caused by incompatible node versions, per example, if you updated from 0.12 to 4.x or 5.x, you would have to either reinstall libsass or rebuild it with the command npm rebuild node-sass.

Answer 4

Are you running npm rebuild node-sass after you run npm install? That fixed it for me.