# Testing a homey app without homey pro **URL:** \ **Category:** Developers\ **Tags:** homey-pro\ **Created:** [April 1, 2024, 7:27pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497 "2024-04-01T19:27:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![s\_dimaio](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/s_dimaio/32/78995_2.png) [@s\_dimaio](https://community.homey.app/u/s_dimaio)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2024, 7:27pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/1 "2024-04-01T19:27:47Z")
Hi everyone, I’m developing an app to connect Homey to an eWeLink account in order to have access to all the account’s devices from the Homey app. I have a Homey Premium subscription but I haven’t purchased a Homey Pro yet. Is it possible to test the app without having Homey Pro? Thank you, Simone ---
**Author:** ![Dijker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dijker](https://community.homey.app/u/Dijker)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/2 "2024-04-01T19:40:00Z")
> [@s\_dimaio](#): > > I haven’t purchased a Homey Pro yet. Is it possible to test the app without having Homey Pro? Technical if the App also would run on Homey (Cloud) it could… But: You need to Develop for Cloud, so a Verified App: [Homey Cloud | Homey Apps SDK](https://apps.developer.homey.app/guides/homey-cloud#verified-apps) So you need to be a Homey Verified Developer, Therefore you need to be a company or developing for a company. and you need a [Homey Verified Developer | Homey Store](https://homey.app/nl-nl/store/product/homey_developer_athom_12m/) and have a VAT number. Beside that is possible (You have a VAT number and become a Verified Developer…) It could be Athom isn’t going to publish your App for Homey Cloud if You are not in contact with eWeLink … ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Rockall](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/adrian_rockall/32/13209_2.png) [@Adrian\_Rockall](https://community.homey.app/u/Adrian_Rockall)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 3:23am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/3 "2024-04-02T03:23:20Z")
Do you need to be a verified developer to run a Homey app in Docker for testing? ---
**Author:** ![Dijker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dijker](https://community.homey.app/u/Dijker)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 4:42am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/4 "2024-04-02T04:42:56Z")
> [@Adrian\_Rockall](#): > > Do you need to be a verified developer Good one, I didn’t test that. In that case nothing would be necessary. ---
**Author:** ![s\_dimaio](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/s_dimaio/32/78995_2.png) [@s\_dimaio](https://community.homey.app/u/s_dimaio)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 7:34pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/5 "2024-04-02T19:34:42Z")
Thank you guys. To run a Homey App for testing I don’t need to be a verified developer but I need Docker and I need to have a Homey Pro. Is my undestranding correct? I’m trying to run the basic app (created with ‘homey app create’) but I get the error: code: ‘MODULE\_NOT\_FOUND’, requireStack: [‘/homey-app-runner/lib/App.js’, ‘/homey-app-runner/index.js’] I think the problem was that I’m trying tu run the app without Homey Pro. Is it correct? ---
**Author:** ![s\_dimaio](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/s_dimaio/32/78995_2.png) [@s\_dimaio](https://community.homey.app/u/s_dimaio)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/6 "2024-04-04T20:33:00Z")
any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Rockall](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/adrian_rockall/32/13209_2.png) [@Adrian\_Rockall](https://community.homey.app/u/Adrian_Rockall)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 12:51pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/7 "2024-06-03T12:51:06Z")
Have you followed the steps in [Getting Started | Homey Apps SDK](https://apps.developer.homey.app/the-basics/getting-started), including the bit about installing Docker? AFAIK, no Homey Pro is required to run via Docker. ---
**Author:** ![s\_dimaio](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/s_dimaio/32/78995_2.png) [@s\_dimaio](https://community.homey.app/u/s_dimaio)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/8 "2024-06-29T15:24:27Z")
Hi Adrian and first of all sorry for the delay in replying. I’m trying to create the initial sample app (homey app create) and launch it (homey app run) but I’m getting the error “Cannot find module ‘/app/app.json’”. Docker is correctly started. In the guide it says: " First, make sure that Homey is either: - directly connected to your PC/laptop over USB, or - connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the PC/laptop you are working on." Hence the doubt that it is not possible to program an app for Homy unless you have a Homy Pro available. It’s correct? Simone ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Rockall](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/adrian_rockall/32/13209_2.png) [@Adrian\_Rockall](https://community.homey.app/u/Adrian_Rockall)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/9 "2024-06-29T15:29:26Z")
Do you have a Homey (cloud) account? The error you report seems more like the app is not complete. Do you have an app.json file as part of the app? ---
**Author:** ![s\_dimaio](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/s_dimaio/32/78995_2.png) [@s\_dimaio](https://community.homey.app/u/s_dimaio)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/10 "2024-06-29T16:32:49Z")
I have also a Homey Pro but in another house. I’d like to develop also when I haven’t Homey Pro available. App.json is present in the root of the project (with app.js). I have only done “homey app create” (with no error) and then “honey app run” as in the guide. ---
**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/11 "2024-06-29T16:35:03Z")
I assume the file `app.json` exists in your project directory and it’s not being excluded due to it being mentioned in `.gitignore` or `.homeyignore`? ---
**Author:** ![s\_dimaio](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/s_dimaio/32/78995_2.png) [@s\_dimaio](https://community.homey.app/u/s_dimaio)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2024, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/12 "2024-06-30T17:21:14Z")
this is the explorer of my project: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/b/6/b62b3308efb366d00f21741dc78a0616fca83916.png) and this is the content of the file.gitignore: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/8/8/88fb38a71ae7da0b765895e9bab2a731e4bbb0ec.png) ---
**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 5:02am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/13 "2024-07-01T05:02:50Z")
That looks okay. Do you use Windows? ---
**Author:** ![s\_dimaio](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/s_dimaio/32/78995_2.png) [@s\_dimaio](https://community.homey.app/u/s_dimaio)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 6:12am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/14 "2024-07-01T06:12:08Z")
Yes, win10 with VS Code ---
**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 6:28am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/15 "2024-07-01T06:28:27Z")
Could be that, Athom doesn’t really test on Windows and historically there’ve been issues with the CLI tool. ---
**Author:** ![s\_dimaio](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/s_dimaio/32/78995_2.png) [@s\_dimaio](https://community.homey.app/u/s_dimaio)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 8:20pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/16 "2024-07-01T20:20:44Z")
So to develop app for homey I need to use Linux or Mac? ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Rockall](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/adrian_rockall/32/13209_2.png) [@Adrian\_Rockall](https://community.homey.app/u/Adrian_Rockall)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/17 "2024-07-01T21:21:35Z")
I use Windows and have no issues with the CLI. ---
**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 4:51am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/18 "2024-07-02T04:51:34Z")
Also no issues with the boilerplate app that gets created by `homey app create`? ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Rockall](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/adrian_rockall/32/13209_2.png) [@Adrian\_Rockall](https://community.homey.app/u/Adrian_Rockall)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 5:53am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/19 "2024-07-02T05:53:01Z")
It used to work, but I haven’t created a new app for about 9 months, so maybe something has broken since then. I have just thought, as it is trying to run on a cloud account, I wonder if the app.json has been targeted as a cloud app? ---
**Author:** ![s\_dimaio](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/s_dimaio/32/78995_2.png) [@s\_dimaio](https://community.homey.app/u/s_dimaio)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2024, 6:57pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497/20 "2024-07-08T18:57:07Z")
I tried to launch the example project on my network with Homey Pro but I still get the same error (“Cannot find module ‘/app/app.json’”). I had a doubt: should Docker just be started or is some configuration necessary? [Next page](https://community.homey.app/t/testing-a-homey-app-without-homey-pro/107497.md?page=2)