cube-js/cube · error · Error

${pkg} dependency not found. Please run this command from pr

Error message

${pkg} dependency not found. Please run this command from project directory.

What it means

requireFromPackage() resolves and requires a module from the user's project directory (process.cwd()/node_modules or a given basePath). If the package cannot be found there and silent mode is not enabled, it throws this error telling the developer to run the Cube CLI command from the project root where dependencies are installed.

Source

Thrown at packages/cubejs-backend-shared/src/package.ts:56

  pkg: string,
  opts: RequireBaseOptions & { silent: true }
): T | null;

export function requireFromPackage<T = unknown>(
  pkg: string,
  opts?: RequireBaseOptions
): T;

export function requireFromPackage<T = unknown | null>(pkg: string, options?: RequireOptions): T | null {
  const { basePath = process.cwd(), relative = false, silent = undefined } = options || {};

  const exists = packageExists(pkg, relative, basePath);
  if (!exists) {
    if (silent) {
      return null;
    }

    throw new Error(
      `${pkg} dependency not found. Please run this command from project directory.`
    );
  }

  if (relative) {
    const resolvePath = require.resolve(`${pkg}`);

    // eslint-disable-next-line global-require,import/no-dynamic-require
    return require(resolvePath);
  }

  // eslint-disable-next-line global-require,import/no-dynamic-require
  return require(path.join(basePath, 'node_modules', pkg));
}

export function isSslKey(content: string) {
  return content.startsWith('-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----') || content.startsWith('-----BEGIN EC PRIVATE KEY-----');
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 7d981676b3)

Solutions

cd into your Cube project root (the directory containing package.json and node_modules) and rerun the command
Install the missing dependency: yarn add @cubejs-backend/<driver> (or the package named in the error message)
Verify node_modules/<pkg> exists in the working directory; reinstall with yarn install if node_modules is incomplete
In monorepos/workspaces, ensure the package is added to the workspace that is the cwd, or pass an explicit basePath where the package is installed
Pass { silent: true } if your code should handle absence gracefully instead of throwing

Example fix

# before (thrown from ~/ or wrong dir)
$ npx cubejs-server
Error: @cubejs-backend/server dependency not found. Please run this command from project directory.
# after
cd /path/to/my-cube-project && yarn install && npx cubejs-server

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

const path = require('path');
const fs = require('fs');
function ensureProjectDeps(pkgs) {
  const missing = pkgs.filter((p) => !fs.existsSync(path.join(process.cwd(), 'node_modules', p)));
  if (missing.length) throw new Error(`Missing dependencies: ${missing.join(', ')}. Run from project root and yarn install.`);
}
ensureProjectDeps(['@cubejs-backend/server', '@cubejs-backend/postgres-driver']);

Type guard

null

Try / catch

try {
  const driver = requireFromPackage('@cubejs-backend/postgres-driver');
} catch (e) {
  if (e.message.includes('dependency not found')) {
    console.error('Run this command from your Cube project root and install the dependency: yarn add @cubejs-backend/postgres-driver');
    process.exit(1);
  } else throw e;
}

Prevention

Always run Cube CLI commands from the project root (directory with package.json and node_modules)
Explicitly install every driver/backend package your project needs (yarn add @cubejs-backend/<driver>)
In monorepos, add Cube packages to the correct workspace so they resolve from cwd
Use the silent: true option when your code can handle a missing package gracefully instead of crashing
Re-run yarn install after pulling changes that add new Cube backend dependencies

When it happens

Trigger: Running a Cube CLI command (scaffold, driver install, server start) outside the project directory, or in a directory where the required package (e.g. @cubejs-backend/server, a database driver like @cubejs-backend/postgres-driver, or a scaffolding template) is not installed in node_modules; also when basePath points to a directory without node_modules.

Common situations: Running `npx cubejs-server` or driver commands from home directory instead of project root; forgetting to `yarn add`/`npm install` a required driver package; monorepo setups where node_modules hoisting hides the package from basePath; deleted or incomplete node_modules.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of cube-js/cube@7d981676b3 (2026-09-02). Data as JSON: /api/errors/0427455aec8aab96. Report an issue: GitHub.