Heroku deployment fails with build error, using Foundation 5 and Bower. Local builds are successul

#1

Local builds are successful, but deploying to Heroku fails on build. Appears to be related to ‘Precompiling Assets.’ Any help or direction would be great - thanks!

I’m using Middleman with Foundation 5, which uses Bower dependencies that appears to be the cause of breaking during the build on Heroku deployment.

Error snippet:

remote:        from vendor/bundle/bin/middleman:16:in `load'
remote:        from vendor/bundle/bin/middleman:16:in `<main>'
remote:        rake aborted!
remote:        Command failed with status (1): [middleman build...]
remote:        /tmp/build_31ad14ee6e4fef7d3ecd248b26518a72/Rakefile:3:in `block (2 levels) in <top (required)>'
remote:        Tasks: TOP => assets:precompile
remote:        (See full trace by running task with --trace)
remote:  !
remote:  !     Precompiling assets failed.
remote:  !
remote: 
remote:  !     Push rejected, failed to compile Ruby app

Full error found here.

Full source and configuration found here.

#2

Additional note, if I build Middleman locally and then push the /build directory to Heroku it successfully deploys. So error is definitely pointing to the build process on Heroku.

I prefer to have the build step occur on the server side though, and have successfully done this using Middleman and Foundation 4 (non-Bower dependency).

#3

Why are you even “deploying” to Heroku? Middleman is a static site generator. Just build what you need and host the static files elsewhere.

You’re getting the error because you’re not using Middleman as intended.

You’ll see that Heroku says:

remote: -----> Ruby app detected
remote: -----> Compiling Ruby/Rack
remote: -----> Using Ruby version: ruby-2.0.0
remote: -----> Installing dependencies using bundler 1.9.7

Heroku has detected a ruby app and is installing dependencies with ruby via bundler. Bower uses NPM, which is Node.

If you comb through the log more, you’ll see:

remote:        /tmp/build_31ad14ee6e4fef7d3ecd248b26518a72/source/assets/stylesheets/foundation_and_overrides.scss:9: File to import not found or unreadable: foundation/functions. (Sass::SyntaxError)

The problem is that it cannot find foundation, which is a bower component. You could try to see if foundation has a ruby gem.

But really, you should be reconsidering “deploying” at all.

#4

Thanks for your suggestion not to use Heroku servers, however it is a project requirement. I’ve had success serving static websites, including Middleman generated sites via Heroku.

The goal is to automate the deployment process by moving the build step to Heroku. A single command to push, build, and deploy the project. Foundation4 and Middleman worked without issue, however Foundation5 introducing Bower to the asset pipeline - which is where all the error are pointing. Still appears to be a path issue for asset pipeline, I just can’t find the disconnect.

Regarding the Heroku errors log for Ruby and Bower, I think you may be switching the two. Those are correct and expected log lines from Heroku. Middleman is indeed a Ruby application, Heroku detects a Ruby app, then issues the Middleman build command. Bower is using NPM to manager the Foundation5 library and other assets, not the actual application. Foundation4 is build as a Ruby Gem, Foundation5 uses Node NPM as you noted.

Thanks for taking a look. I’m still troubleshooting, hope to find more info and share.