refactor: replace module-alias dependency with internal alias resolver

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ Thanks to: @dathbe.
   - Improve test reliability and maintainability
 - [tests] add alert module tests for different welcome_message configurations (#3867)
 - [lint-staged] use `prettier --write --ignore-unknown` in `lint-staged` to avoid errors on unsupported files (#3888)
+- [core] refactor: replace `module-alias` dependency with internal alias resolver (#3893)
 
 ### Updated
 

jest.config.js

@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+const aliasMapper = {
+	logger: "<rootDir>/js/logger.js"
+};
+
 const config = {
 	verbose: true,
 	testTimeout: 20000,
@@ -6,21 +10,21 @@ const config = {
 		{
 			displayName: "unit",
 			globalSetup: "<rootDir>/tests/unit/helpers/global-setup.js",
-			moduleNameMapper: {
-				logger: "<rootDir>/js/logger.js"
-			},
+			moduleNameMapper: aliasMapper,
 			testMatch: ["**/tests/unit/**/*.[jt]s?(x)"],
 			testPathIgnorePatterns: ["<rootDir>/tests/unit/mocks", "<rootDir>/tests/unit/helpers"]
 		},
 		{
 			displayName: "electron",
 			testMatch: ["**/tests/electron/**/*.[jt]s?(x)"],
+			moduleNameMapper: aliasMapper,
 			testPathIgnorePatterns: ["<rootDir>/tests/electron/helpers"]
 		},
 		{
 			displayName: "e2e",
 			testMatch: ["**/tests/e2e/**/*.[jt]s?(x)"],
 			modulePaths: ["<rootDir>/js/"],
+			moduleNameMapper: aliasMapper,
 			testPathIgnorePatterns: ["<rootDir>/tests/e2e/helpers", "<rootDir>/tests/e2e/mocks"]
 		}
 	],

js/alias-resolver.js

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// Internal alias mapping for default and 3rd party modules.
+// Provides short require identifiers: "logger" and "node_helper".
+// For a future ESM migration, replace this with a public export/import surface.
+
+const path = require("node:path");
+const Module = require("module");
+
+const root = path.join(__dirname, "..");
+
+// Keep this list minimal; do not add new aliases without architectural review.
+const ALIASES = {
+	logger: "js/logger.js",
+	node_helper: "js/node_helper.js"
+};
+
+// Resolve to absolute paths now.
+const resolved = Object.fromEntries(
+	Object.entries(ALIASES).map(([k, rel]) => [k, path.join(root, rel)])
+);
+
+// Prevent multiple patching if this file is required more than once.
+if (!Module._mmAliasPatched) {
+	const origResolveFilename = Module._resolveFilename;
+	Module._resolveFilename = function (request, parent, isMain, options) {
+		if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(resolved, request)) {
+			return resolved[request];
+		}
+		return origResolveFilename.call(this, request, parent, isMain, options);
+	};
+	Module._mmAliasPatched = true; // non-enumerable marker would be overkill here
+}

js/app.js

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-// Alias modules mentioned in package.js under _moduleAliases.
-require("module-alias/register");
+// Load lightweight internal alias resolver
+require("./alias-resolver");
 
 const fs = require("node:fs");
 const path = require("node:path");

js/check_config.js

@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
+// Ensure internal require aliases (e.g., "logger") resolve when this file is run as a standalone script
+require("./alias-resolver");
+
 const path = require("node:path");
 const fs = require("node:fs");
 const { styleText } = require("node:util");
 const Ajv = require("ajv");
 const globals = require("globals");
 const { Linter } = require("eslint");
+const Log = require("logger");
 
 const rootPath = path.resolve(`${__dirname}/../`);
-const Log = require(`${rootPath}/js/logger.js`);
 const Utils = require(`${rootPath}/js/utils.js`);
 
 const linter = new Linter({ configType: "flat" });

js/utils.js

@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
-const path = require("node:path");
-
-const rootPath = path.resolve(`${__dirname}/../`);
-const Log = require(`${rootPath}/js/logger.js`);
 const os = require("node:os");
 const fs = require("node:fs");
 const si = require("systeminformation");
+const Log = require("logger");
 
 const modulePositions = []; // will get list from index.html
 const regionRegEx = /"region ([^"]*)/i;

modules/default/calendar/debug.js

@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
  * use this script with `node debug.js` to test the fetcher without the need
  * of starting the MagicMirror² core. Adjust the values below to your desire.
  */
-// Alias modules mentioned in package.js under _moduleAliases.
-require("module-alias/register");
+// Load internal alias resolver
+require("../../../js/alias-resolver");
 const Log = require("logger");
 
 const CalendarFetcher = require("./calendarfetcher");

package.json

@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@
 		"helmet": "^8.1.0",
 		"html-to-text": "^9.0.5",
 		"iconv-lite": "^0.7.0",
-		"module-alias": "^2.2.3",
 		"moment": "^2.30.1",
 		"moment-timezone": "^0.6.0",
 		"node-ical": "^0.21.0",
@@ -121,9 +120,5 @@
 	},
 	"engines": {
 		"node": ">=22.18.0"
-	},
-	"_moduleAliases": {
-		"node_helper": "js/node_helper.js",
-		"logger": "js/logger.js"
 	}
 }