Consistent error undefined 'manager'

[chris90]

Hi everyone,

I’ve successfully deployed n8n in my Kubernetes cluster, and everything works smoothly—until I install any community node. Once I do, I consistently run into an exception that prevents my workers from starting.

Here’s a sample of the error I’m seeing (same across multiple community nodes, including n8n-nodes-webpage-content-extractor):

Failed to shutdown gracefully
Error: Failed to shutdown gracefully
at ShutdownService.shutdownComponent (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n/dist/shutdown/shutdown.service.js:85:38)
at /usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n/dist/shutdown/shutdown.service.js:72:85
at Array.map ()
at ShutdownService.startShutdown (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n/dist/shutdown/shutdown.service.js:72:51)
at ShutdownService.shutdown (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n/dist/shutdown/shutdown.service.js:58:37)
at process. (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n/dist/commands/base-command.js:225:34)
at Object.onceWrapper (node:events:633:26)
at process.emit (node:events:518:28)
at process.emit (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n/node_modules/source-map-support/source-map-support.js:516:21)

Cannot read properties of undefined (reading ‘manager’)

I haven’t restarted the main pod yet, because I’m concerned that doing so might make the UI completely unavailable, potentially bricking the instance. While I know I can manually delete the installed node from the pod’s shared volume, that doesn’t feel like a sustainable solution.

For now, I’ve been able to work around similar issues using raw HTTP requests in workflows, but this is becoming a blocker for certain nodes.

The node currently causing the issue is: n8n-nodes-webpage-content-extractor (installed via the UI).

If there’s any information I can provide to help troubleshoot this, let me know — happy to dig deeper.

Thanks in advance!

[Dandy_Dow]

Oh no, the dreaded “Cannot read ‘manager’ of undefined” error! It’s like your n8n workers are throwing a tantrum when they meet community nodes. Let’s troubleshoot this without summoning the Kubernetes kraken.

Step 1: Confirm the Obvious (But Critical) Suspects

Is Your n8n Version Compatible?

Community nodes often lag behind n8n updates. Check if:

• The node n8n-nodes-webpage-content-extractor supports your n8n version (e.g., 1.36 vs 1.40).
• The node’s package.json lists compatible n8n-nodes-base versions.

Quick Fix:
Downgrade n8n to a version the node explicitly supports. Example for Docker:

FROM n8nio/n8n:1.34.0  # Replace with a compatible version  

Step 2: Kubernetes-Specific Quirks

Missing Dependencies in Your Image

Community nodes sometimes require extra system libraries (e.g., python3, git, build-tools). If your n8n image is stripped-down, workers crash on install.

Fix:
Modify your Dockerfile to include essentials:

FROM n8nio/n8n  
USER root  
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y python3 git build-essential  # Add missing packages  
USER node  

Permission Issues in Persistent Volumes

If your /home/node/.n8n volume is mounted with restrictive permissions, nodes can’t write dependencies.

Check:

kubectl exec -it [n8n-pod] -- ls -l /home/node/.n8n/custom  
# Ensure the node user has write access  

Fix:
Add an initContainer to set permissions:

initContainers:  
- name: fix-permissions  
  image: busybox  
  command: ["sh", "-c", "chown -R 1000:1000 /home/node/.n8n"]  
  volumeMounts:  
  - name: n8n-data  
    mountPath: /home/node/.n8n  

Step 3: Nuclear Option (Without Bricking the UI)

Force-Reinstall Nodes Safely

1. Delete the Problematic Node’s Folder:

   kubectl exec -it [n8n-pod] -- rm -rf /home/node/.n8n/custom/n8n-nodes-webpage-content-extractor  
   

2. Restart the Pod:

   kubectl rollout restart deployment/n8n  
   

Why This Works:
Removing the node’s files before restarting prevents the corrupted install from crashing workers on boot.

Step 4: Prevent Future Meltdowns

Use a Node Whitelist

Add this to your n8n-config.yaml to block unstable nodes:

n8n:  
  nodes:  
    exclude:  
      - n8n-nodes-webpage-content-extractor  # Block this node  
    include:  
      - n8n-nodes-*                         # Allow others  

---

Debugging Pro Tips:

1. Enable Verbose Logs:

   env:  
   - name: N8N_LOG_LEVEL  
     value: verbose  
   

2. Check Node Dependencies:

   kubectl exec -it [n8n-pod] -- ls /home/node/.n8n/custom/n8n-nodes-webpage-content-extractor  
   # Look for missing files or empty folders  
   

If All Else Fails…

• Reach Out to the Node Maintainer: Open a GitHub issue here with your error logs.
• Use HTTP Nodes as a Fallback: You’re already doing this, but hey, it’s a valid workaround!

You’ve Got This! Let us know if the Kubernetes gremlins persist. We’ll throw more YAML at them.

Cheers,
Dandy