Laravel 5.4 ‘cross-env’ Is Not Recognized as an Internal or External Command

Question

I'm trying to run npm run dev for Laravel Mix and I get this error:

> @ dev D:\projects\ptcs
> cross-env NODE_ENV=development webpack --progress --hide-modules --
config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js

'cross-env' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! errno 1
npm ERR! @ dev: `cross-env NODE_ENV=development webpack --progress --hide-
modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Failed at the @ dev script.

I updated node.js to 6.11.0 and npm to 5.2.0, but it didn't help. I'm running Homestead on Windows 7.

Lathrop

I think it depends if you run then install from Homestead or Windows 7, because it install OS specific libraries. – Stellate

For me re-installing latest node.js (8.9) fixed this issue. – Gingersnap

after Yevgeniy Afanasyev advice if you encounter that error: > The CLI moved into a separate package: webpack-cli. you should run that command: $ npm install webpack-cli -D – Ladoga

Answer 1

You need to make cross-env working globally instead of having it in the project.

1) remove node_modules folder

2) run

npm install --global cross-env

3) remove "cross-env": "^5.0.1", from package.json file devDependencies section. Actually, you can skip this step and keep package.json intact. If you prefer.

4) run

npm install --no-bin-links

5) run

npm run dev

and see it working

P.S Tested on Windows 10 with Laravel-5.4

P.P.S Windows 10 with Laravel-5.6 does not have this problem, thus updating is an alternative solution.

Hypnology

It is tested and confirmed working on Ubuntu set as a Virtual Box on Vagrant wint Laravel 5.4 (Homestead). With win10 as a base operation system. – Hypnology

Because I didn't know for what the command npm install --no-bin-links is used for (even researching, I didn't understand) I avoided to use it, and worked. Why is that necessary? – Hassett

"binary links" is similar to "shortcut" for windows, but binary links work on Linux. As you have your files on windows host you would not need bin-links in Linux format seating there. – Hypnology

great! it works like a charm. I used npm install instead npm install --no-bin-links what is the difference ? thanks in advanced. – Omnipotent

--no-bin-links is for windows, it does not create binary links. – Hypnology

Thank you. It solved my problem this noon. But I only did step 2 and 3, and deleted the corresponding cross-env package folder in the node_modules folder and package-lock.json. It worked. – Biddy

deleting the node_modules and running npm install again works for me – Perfidy

tested with laravel 8 also and it run – Entomo

We must favor having a repository/source-code self-sufficient. Meaning that by just downloading and running it, the application works. I suggest adding "cross-env" to the "devDependencies" section so any new onboarding developer would get the repository and run the code without having to go through, sometimes extensive, pre-environment configuration. – Garbe

Answer 2

First run:

rm -rf node_modules
rm package-lock.json yarn.lock
npm cache clear --force

Then run the command

npm install cross-env

npm install 

and then you can also run

npm run dev

Mikkanen

without removing any files and without clearing cache i followed rest of the command ...its worked perfectly ..Thanks flick – Yumuk

Unfortunately these steps didn't solve the problem for me. – Homoeroticism

Answer 3

Following these steps solved my problem.

1. Delete node_modules directory
2. Delete package-lock.json file
3. Start command prompt as Administrator <- important
4. Run npm install
5. Run npm run dev

Hirz

Answer 4

You are getting the error because you might not have run the command npm install first.

i.e. First, run npm install and then npm run dev

Selhorst

Answer 5

There is the same problem in Linux OS. The issue is related on Windows OS, but Homestead is a Ubuntu VM, and the solution posted works strongly good in others SO. I applied the commands sugested by flik, and the problems was solved. I only used the following commands

I only used the following commands

rm -rf node_modules
npm cache clear --force

After

npm install cross-env
npm install 
npm run watch

It's working fine on linux Fedora 25.

Xanthe

Answer 6

According to this issue comment, editing cross-env path will fix the problem. Change cross-env to node node_modules/cross-env/dist/bin/cross-env.js in package.json like this:

    "dev": "npm run development",
    "development": "node node_modules/cross-env/dist/bin/cross-env.js NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
    "watch": "node node_modules/cross-env/dist/bin/cross-env.js NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --watch --progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
    "watch-poll": "npm run watch -- --watch-poll",
    "hot": "node node_modules/cross-env/dist/bin/cross-env.js NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack-dev-server/bin/webpack-dev-server.js --inline --hot --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
    "prod": "npm run production",
    "production": "node node_modules/cross-env/dist/bin/cross-env.js NODE_ENV=production node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js"

Nonlinearity

For those who tried this and it did not work, as a next step of this instruction 1) delete node_modules folder from the product and 2) reinstall it with "npm install --no-bin-links". 3) try "npm run dev" and see it working. BESIDES this approach works on WIN10, but not working on Ubuntu-Laravel-5.4-Homestead. I posted my own answer here that works for windows and Ubuntu. – Hypnology

Answer 7

For me simply run:

npm install cross-env

was enough

Correll

Answer 8

Your error states that cross-env is not installed.

'cross-env' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

You just need to run

npm install cross-env

Litotes

Answer 9

Just npm install --save-dev cross-env in the root directory of your project.

Greff

Answer 10

The following worked for Laravel 7.x (and should probably work for any other version as well given the nature of the issue).

npm uninstall --save-dev cross-env
npm install -g cross-env

Just moving cross-env from being a local devDependency to a globally available package.

Emmaline

+1 because this worked, and I couldn't find any other answer that worked. But this feels like a hack that doesn't address the root cause of why the project-specific installation of cross-env wasn't working. And in my case, I'm reasonably sure that it used to work, so I'm confused about why it stopped working. – Homoeroticism

Answer 11

Before try running npm run dev please run npm install --no-bin-links in the project directory, this will install all required packages. Also check this link for compiling instruction. https://laravel.com/docs/5.4/mix

Also double check in your conf file, wherever you find something like this

(something)/cross-env/bin/(something)

change it to

(something)/cross-env/dist/bin/(something)

If you are using homestead, in package.json paste this

{
  "private": true,
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
    "watch": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --watch --progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
    "watch-poll": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --watch --watch-poll --progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
    "hot": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack-dev-server/bin/webpack-dev-server.js --inline --hot --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
    "production": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "axios": "^0.15.3",
    "bootstrap-sass": "^3.3.7",
    "cross-env": "^3.2.3",
    "jquery": "^3.1.1",
    "laravel-mix": "^0.8.1",
    "lodash": "^4.17.4",
    "vue": "^2.1.10"
  }
}

Also check this link https://github.com/JeffreyWay/laravel-mix/issues/478

Nun

Yes, it installed npm successfully. – Lathrop

Please run npm install cros-env – Nun

after npm install cross-env I get a different error when trying to npm run dev: $ npm run dev > @ dev D:\projects\ptcs > npm run development npm WARN invalid config loglevel="notice" > @ development D:\projects\ptcs > cross-env NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js The system cannot find the path specified. events.js:160 throw er; // Unhandled 'error' event – Lathrop

Also run this please npm install --no-bin-links – Nun

Adding --no-bin-links to npm install didn't change anything – Lathrop

Answer 12

This worked for me (on Windows 10):

1. Add the following lines into your scripts in the package.json file:

   "dev": "npm run development",
   "development": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
   "watch": "npm run development -- --watch",
   "watch-poll": "npm run watch -- --watch-poll",
   "hot": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack-dev-server/bin/webpack-dev-server.js --inline --hot --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
   "prod": "npm run production",
   "production": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --no-progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js"
   

2. Make your devDependencies looks something like this:

   "devDependencies": {
       "axios": "^0.18",
       "bootstrap": "^4.0.0",
       "popper.js": "^1.12",
       "cross-env": "^5.1",
       "jquery": "^3.2",
       "laravel-mix": "^2.0",
       "lodash": "^4.17.4",
       "vue": "^2.5.7"
   }
   

3. Remove node_modules folder

4. Run npm install
5. Run npm run dev

Agc

Answer 13

I think this log entry Local package.json exists, but node_modules missing, did you mean to install? has gave me the solution.

npm install && npm run dev

Volume

Answer 14

Simply try running npm install / yarn etc first before running npm start / yarn start as @only4 mentioned, if you see this problem, as it means your .env is not in sync with your package.json, i.e. you installed a package but not quite configured it or other way around

Encamp

Answer 15

Delete the node_modules folder

Then you should run the commands:

npm install --no-bin-links

npm run dev

It's worked on my Laravel 5.5 and Windows.

Kip

Answer 16

Try to run npm run dev in powershell. This worked for me.

Agc

Answer 17

I real all the solution but there is not a standard solution...

JUST REMOVE NODEJS AND INSTALL THE LATEST VERSION OF NODEJS

instead of many bad shortcut solutions.

Extravagant

Answer 18

I finally got it to work by following these steps:

1. Remove the file package-lock.json
2. Run the command: npm install --force
3. Try again to execute npm start

Mortise