Can't run "npm install" without deleting node_modules after upgrading to NPM 5.4.1

Question

I've upgraded NPM from 5.3.0 to 5.4.1 and after that, it seems that the command npm install works only if I've removed node_modules. When I try to rerun the installation, I'm getting the following error message. (After that, if I again remove node_modules, the command run install works - once.)

PS C:\source\website> npm install
npm ERR! path C:\source\website\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules\aproba\package.jsonvet.Web
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -4048
npm ERR! syscall unlink
npm ERR! Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, unlink 'C:\source\website\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules\aproba\package.json'
npm ERR! {
Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, unlink 'C:\source\website\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules\aproba\package.json'
npm ERR! stack: 'Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, unlink \'C:\source\website\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules\aproba\package.json\'',
npm ERR! errno: -4048,
npm ERR! code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR! syscall: 'unlink',
npm ERR! path:
'C:\source\website\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules\aproba\package.json' } npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.
npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR! C:\Users\butt\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache_logs\2017-09-13T16_42_26_030Z-debug.log
PS C:\source\website>

Nothing else has changed in my setup, as far I'm aware. My environment is Windows 10 and Node 8.2.1. The behavior seems to be consistent on several computers.

I notice that during the re-runs of the installation, there's a lot of waiting time, like if the installer gets stuck, on the following stage of it.

added 995 packages in 29.671s
PS C:\source\website> npm install
[ ......] - postinstall: sill doSerial postinstall 686

I have no clue on how to proceed with this. Is fsevents to blame at all? I recall that it produced warnings but still transpiling fine in earlier versions.

There's a related question on this theme but precisely covering my issue. I can't decide if it's just different working of the same problem or if it's two separate troubles.

Answer 1

I'm running Win 10 and recognized the same issue. The resolution was to downgrade to 5.3. I also noticed that 5.4.0 worked on our build server (TFS 2017).

npm install --global [email protected]

One thing that provided no help at all was all the stuff about admin mode. We lost a few hours reconfiguring and resetting the build pipe using admin rights.

There was a crucial module that required 5.4.1 for some reason, not relevant which in this particular case. We resolved it by separate steps in the pipe - one that reused a pre-built version and one that was dynamically assembled.

Also, I'd not worry about it. In a few days or so, there's got to be an update and the issue will be resolved. Until then - downgrade to 5.3 is the hack-around we used.

Answer 2

This is a common issue many found with npm 5.4 , only option at this point is to downgrade npm back to 5.3

npm i -g [email protected]

For more updates follow this thread.

https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/18380

P.S : you can also try using npm cache clean --force after the downgrade and try installing 5.4 again with npm i -g [email protected] or npm install --no-optional if you really need npm 5.4 to get your work done.

Answer 3

Dont' know what is causing issue but you can try several solutions that worked for others :

• 1

  npm cache clean

  npm install

• 2

  npm i

• 3

  Run your command prompt by right clicking as choose open as administrator and then run your command

Hope this help you.