Bug: Installing and Running without Docker don't works anymore

[MichaelFomenko]

Bug Report

Description

Bug Summary:
it don't work anymore, it asks for the build directory, but there is none. If I call http://localhost:8080/ it gives me only an empty Json file.
OS: Ubuntu 22.04

Steps to Reproduce:

Build and Install 🛠️
Run the following commands to install:

git clone https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui.git
cd open-webui/

# Copying required .env file
cp -RPp .env.example .env

# Building Frontend Using Node
npm i
npm run build

# Serving Frontend with the Backend
cd ./backend
pip install -r requirements.txt -U
bash start.sh

[MichaelFomenko]

I found out, that the npm i have problems, it tells that

npm ERR! code 1
npm ERR! path /home/user/open-webui/node_modules/cypress
npm ERR! command failed
npm ERR! command sh -c node index.js --exec install

[tjbck]

Have you tried npm cache clean --force ?

[tjbck]

sudo snap install node --classic downloads 20.13.0 for me, trying to check if v20.12.0 is causing the issue, investigating atm.

[MichaelFomenko]

yes I tryed "npm cache clean --force" it changed nothing. And maybe your previous Installation of node is still there and this is why it shows you not the snap version but the manual installed. I am now trying to install Ubuntu 24.04 maybe there is no problems with that in the new Ubuntu version.

[tjbck]

Tested with v20.12.2 works flawlessly.

https://nodejs.org/en/download/package-manager is the standard way to install nodejs by the way, not every linux distro has access to ubuntu snap store.

[MichaelFomenko]

I installed Node with your package-manager and now it works on Ubuntu 22.04. Like I told you, if you not using the Standard installation Procedure, tell the user in the Installation & Building Dokumentation how you installed a non standard Package. Because it solved now my problem and I would never think about installing node not in snap or apt.