# Troubleshoot common issues



Troubleshooting confusing scenarios while developing with the Bare runtime. See [Runtime and languages](/pear/explanation/runtime-and-languages) for background, or [Migrate a Node.js app to Bare](/bare/how-to/migrate-a-nodejs-app-to-bare) if you're porting an existing app.

Looking for Pear CLI or deployment issues instead? See [Pear's troubleshooting guide](/pear/how-to/troubleshooting). Looking for peer-to-peer building-block issues instead? See [P2P's troubleshooting guide](/p2p/how-to/troubleshooting).

### Missing builtin Modules when Running with Bare [#missing-builtin-modules-when-running-with-bare]

Bare doesn't ship every Node.js builtin. If a module throws `MODULE_NOT_FOUND` for a builtin like `fs` or `path`, it likely means the module was written for Node.js only.

#### Writing a module with Support for Bare & Node.js [#writing-a-module-with-support-for-bare--nodejs]

Use `bare` as a package export condition alongside `node` to point at a Bare-compatible entry point:

```json skip="illustrative-package-json"
{
  "name": "my-module",
  "exports": {
    ".": {
      "bare": "./index-bare.js",
      "node": "./index-node.js",
      "default": "./index.js"
    }
  }
}
```

#### Running Third-Party Modules Written for Node.js [#running-third-party-modules-written-for-nodejs]

If a third-party module has no `bare` export condition and depends on Node.js-only builtins, it can't run under Bare unchanged. Check for a Bare-compatible alternative, or wrap the missing builtin with a polyfill package.

### `ModuleError: ADDON_NOT_FOUND: Cannot find addon` when running Bare [#moduleerror-addon_not_found-cannot-find-addon-when-running-bare]

This means a native addon required by a module wasn't built or bundled for the current platform/architecture. The error's `Candidates` list shows the files that Bare tried, such as `prebuilds/darwin-arm64/<name>.bare`, so you can compare them with what the package ships. Rebuild the addon for your target, or confirm the module publishes prebuilds for it. The deprecated `Bare.Addon.resolve()` throws the same error code as an `AddonError`.

### `bare-pack` with conditional module loading [#bare-pack-with-conditional-module-loading]

`bare-pack` bundles by statically resolving `require`/`import` calls, so conditionally loaded modules (`require(cond ? 'a' : 'b')`) can be missed and omitted from the bundle. If you see:

```text skip="illustrative-error-output"
ModuleError: MODULE_NOT_FOUND: Cannot find module 'my-conditional-dep' imported from '<url of the requiring module>'
```

at runtime from a packed app, but not when running unpacked, make the conditional require explicit (for example, two separate static `require` calls with the condition wrapping them) so `bare-pack` can see both branches.

## See also [#see-also]

* [Bare modules reference](/bare/reference/bare/modules)—the full list of Bare's built-in and `bare-*` modules.
* [Migrate a Node.js app to Bare](/bare/how-to/migrate-a-nodejs-app-to-bare)—porting an existing Node.js app, including the builtin/addon issues above.
* [Runtime and languages](/pear/explanation/runtime-and-languages)—how Bare fits into the wider Pear stack.