# n8n 2.44.6: our test log

Canonical: https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/n8n · Last verified: 2026-10-25 · Published: 2026-10-25 · Author: Agentic Weekly (operated independently from Texas, US) · Evidence: Tested by us on 2026-10-25. Local open-weight model, not the vendor's hosted models. A smoke test on a CPU-only box, not a benchmark.

> n8n 2.44.6 installed from npm on Node 24 in 1 min 54 s (2,343 packages), imported a three-node workflow from the CLI and executed it: a Code node returned 42 and a request to a local model returned "42".

## Result at a glance

Table: n8n test record

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Result | Passed |
| Version tested | 2.44.6 |
| Date and time | 2026-10-25, 22:45 to 23:00 CDT (America/Chicago) |
| Task | Install n8n from npm, import a workflow with a Manual trigger, a Code node that returns {a:17, b:25, sum:42} and an HTTP Request node that asks the local Qwen2.5-3B model "What is 17 + 25?", and execute it headless with `n8n execute`. Pass means status success with sum 42 and the model answer containing 42. |
| Model used | Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct (Q4_K_M) through Ollama 0.40.11 |
| Hardware | Linux x86_64 virtual machine (Debian 13), 8 vCPU (Intel Xeon, 1 thread per core), 15 GiB RAM, no GPU |
| Install (npm, Node 24) | 1 min 54 s, 2,343 packages |
| Execute (CLI, incl. start) | 3.5 s |
| Workflow status | success |

## What we found

- The CLI execution finished with status success: the Code node produced the sum 42 and the Ollama-compatible request returned the text 42.
- n8n logged a warning that it could not start its Python task runner because its virtual environment is missing; the JavaScript Code node (what we used) worked. Python Code nodes were not tested.
- The log also lists deprecations: running outside a container is deprecated and internal task-runner mode is going away, so the supported path is shifting toward Docker.

## What we ran, step by step

Table: Commands run, wall-clock time and exit code

| Step | Wall time | Exit code | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm install on Node 24 | 1 min 54 s | 0 | added 2,343 packages in 2m (user 1m36s, sys 28s); real 1m54s. |
| Import the workflow | n/a | 0 | Needed an explicit workflow id (the import file sets "id": "smoke1"). |
| Execute | 3.5 s | 0 | real 0m3.481s for the CLI process including start; the workflow itself ran about 1 s (Code node 504 ms the first time, model request about 0.74 s in the later run). |

Exact commands (paths shortened)

```
# npm install on Node 24
npm install n8n

# Import the workflow
n8n import:workflow --input=wf-import.json

# Execute
n8n execute --id=smoke1
```

## Raw output (excerpts)

wf.json (the whole workflow)

```
{"name":"smoke","nodes":[
{"parameters":{},"name":"Manual","type":"n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger","typeVersion":1,"position":[0,0]},
{"parameters":{"jsCode":"return [{json:{a:17,b:25,sum:17+25}}];"},"name":"Code","type":"n8n-nodes-base.code","typeVersion":2,"position":[220,0]},
{"parameters":{"method":"POST","url":"http://127.0.0.1:11434/v1/chat/completions","sendBody":true,"specifyBody":"json","jsonBody":"={{ JSON.stringify({model:'qwen2.5-3b',temperature:0,max_tokens:20,messages:[{role:'user',content:'What is '+$json.a+' + '+$json.b+'? Answer with just the number.'}]}) }}","options":{}},"name":"Ollama","type":"n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest","typeVersion":4.2,"position":[440,0]}
],"connections":{"Manual":{"main":[[{"node":"Code","type":"main","index":0}]]},"Code":{"main":[[{"node":"Ollama","type":"main","index":0}]]}},"settings":{}}
```

Execution output (first lines, trimmed)

```
n8n Task Broker ready on 127.0.0.1, port 5679
Failed to start Python task runner in internal mode. because its virtual environment is missing from this system. Launching a Python runner in internal mode is intended only for debugging and is not recommended for production. Users are encouraged to deploy in external mode. See: https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/configuration/task-runners/#setting-up-external-mode
[license SDK] Skipping renewal on init: renewOnInit is disabled in config
[license SDK] Skipping renewal on init: license cert is not initialized
Registered runner "JS Task Runner" (77CEduUM-yHY2wluYh1kZ) 
Execution was successful:
====================================
{
  "data": {
    "vers
```

Install log

```
Sun Oct 25 22:45:55 CDT 2026

added 2343 packages in 2m

real	1m54.151s
user	1m35.955s
sys	0m27.970s
EXIT=0
Sun Oct 25 22:47:49 CDT 2026
```

## Gotchas and things that broke

- This run used Node 24. An earlier note in our repository recorded n8n failing to run on Node 20; we did not re-run Node 20 for this log, so we make no claim about it.
- 2,343 packages is a large dependency tree; install took nearly two minutes even on a fast link.

## What we did not test

- The editor UI, webhooks, credentials, scheduled triggers, community nodes, Python Code nodes and queue mode.
- Docker deployment, which n8n now recommends.

## Reproduce it

Versions change. These commands install whatever is latest on the day you run them unless a version is pinned, so expect different results later. The version we measured is in the table above.

```
# Node 24
npm install n8n
npx n8n import:workflow --input=wf-import.json
npx n8n execute --id=smoke1
```

## How to read this test

Every number on this page was measured on this one machine, which also ran other jobs, so timings are indicative and vary run to run. A pass means our small task worked once or as stated, a fail means it did not work as we ran it; neither says how the tool behaves with a vendor's frontier model, on a GPU, or at scale. Where a tool could not run without an account or a GPU, we say so instead of guessing.

See the [testing rig](https://theagenticweekly.com/methodology#testing-rig) for the hardware, the local model and the rules we follow, and the [test hub](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests) for every other test.

## FAQ

### Can n8n call a local Ollama model?

Yes: an HTTP Request node posted to the OpenAI-compatible /v1/chat/completions endpoint of a local Ollama and returned 42 in our run. We did not use the dedicated Ollama node.

## Sources

- [n8n repository](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n) (fetched 2026-10-25)

## Related

- [All test logs](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests)
- [Methodology and testing rig](https://theagenticweekly.com/methodology#testing-rig)
- [Study: the silent version downgrade on older Node, and other install traps](https://theagenticweekly.com/research/older-node-silent-downgrades)

## How to cite

Agentic Weekly, "n8n 2.44.6: our test log", last updated 2026-10-25, https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/n8n