N8N install issue, I'm installing from 2.02 version to 2.28.4. The issue is I'm getting start not found

Questions
1

root@mail:~# head -20 $(which n8n)
#!/usr/bin/env node

const path = require(‘path’);

// Make sure that it also find the config folder when it
// did get started from another folder that the root one.
process.env.NODE_CONFIG_DIR = process.env.NODE_CONFIG_DIR || path.join(__dirname, ‘config’);

// Check if version should be displayed
const versionFlags = [‘-v’, ‘-V’, ‘–version’];
if (versionFlags.includes(process.argv.slice(-1)[0])) {
console.log(require(‘../package’).version);
process.exit(0);
}

const satisfies = require(‘semver/functions/satisfies’);
const nodeVersion = process.versions.node;
const {
engines: { node: supportedNodeVersions },
} = require(‘../package.json’);
root@mail:~# npm ls -g n8n
/root/.nvm/versions/node/v22.23.1/lib
└── n8n@2.28.3

root@mail:~# node -p “require(‘$(npm root -g)/n8n/package.json’).name”
node -p “require(‘$(npm root -g)/n8n/package.json’).version”
node -p “require(‘$(npm root -g)/n8n/package.json’).bin”
n8n
2.28.3
{ n8n: ‘./bin/n8n’ }
root@mail:~# n8n
Error: Command “start” not found
root@mail:~#

2

Do these:

1

# Uninstall n8n globally
npm uninstall -g n8n

# Clear the npm cache to ensure no corrupted packages are reused
npm cache clean --force

2

which n8n

If this still returns a path after uninstalling, manually delete that binary: rm -rf $(which n8n)

3

Install the target version (2.28.4) fresh.

npm install -g n8n@2.28.4

4
Try running n8n without any arguments first, as v2.x is designed to start automatically:

n8n

If that still fails, try the explicit start command:

n8n start
3

after installing the latest fresh stable version, the n8n start is getting issue like start not found why so ???

4

This typically happens when there is a mismatch between the global binary (/root/.nvm/.../bin/n8n) and the actual package files in node_modules, often caused by an interrupted upgrade or “ghost” files from the older version (2.02) persisting in the NVM directory.

5

issue is solved now thank you

6

If my reply has helped you, please mark it as the solution.
Thank You!

7

I’m having the same issue, getting an Error: Command “start” not found after updating from 2.27.5 to 2.28.4. I’ve reverted to 2.27.5 and it’s running again.
Before trying the steps mentioned by @kjooleng a maybe stupid question: what happens to my workflows, credentials etc. when uninstalling n8n as described?

8

Nothing, your work will be waiting for you when the new version starts up

9

Awesome, thanks! Guess I have to work through this with the next update

10

I’m on windows and the above solution did not work for me. 2.27.5 is the last version which is working correctly.

11

New version n8n@2.29.4 got released which includes the GitHub PR 33470.

12

New version n8n@2.28.6 got released which includes the GitHub PR 33471.

14

my npm is installed globally, C:\npm-global, there are no traces of any shims. Version 2.27.5 works perfectly, something is changed on 2.28.x

15

@mkhalid this should be resolved next week, we think we know where the issue is and have the PR in place to handle it.

I would recommend using the container though, we put up a post a couple of weeks ago talking about removing npm as an install option so if might be better to swap to containers.

16

It not be easy to migrate as we have some custom nodes installed like IBM DB2.

18

New version n8n@2.30.0 got released which includes the GitHub PR 33463.