Brew install node --without-npm fails

Question

Following John Papa's post on 'How to use npm global without sudo on OSX' and I am running

brew install node --without-npm

I get this info/error(s):

/usr/local > brew install node --without-npm
==> Downloading https://nodejs.org/dist/v5.10.1/node-v5.10.1.tar.xz
Already downloaded: /Library/Caches/Homebrew/node-5.10.1.tar.xz
==> Downloading https://ssl.icu-project.org/files/icu4c/56.1/icu4c-56_1-src.tgz
Already downloaded: /Library/Caches/Homebrew/node--icu4c-56.1.tgz
==> ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/node/5.10.1 --without-npm --with-intl
==> make install
Last 15 lines from /Users/justin/Library/Logs/Homebrew/node/02.make:
#include <limits>
         ^
In file included from ../deps/gtest/src/gtest-death-test.cc:34:
In file included from ../deps/gtest/include/gtest/gtest-death-test.h:41:
In file included from ../deps/gtest/include/gtest/internal/gtest-death-test-internal.h:40:
In file included from ../deps/gtest/include/gtest/internal/gtest-internal.h:40:
../deps/gtest/include/gtest/internal/gtest-port.h:259:10: fatal error: 'ctype.h' file not found
#include <ctype.h>   // for isspace, etc
         ^
1 error generated.
make[1]: *** [/private/tmp/node20160410-11435-157r8bn/node-v5.10.1/out/Release/obj.target/gtest/deps/gtest/src/gtest-filepath.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
1 error generated.
make[1]: *** [/private/tmp/node20160410-11435-157r8bn/node-v5.10.1/out/Release/obj.target/gtest/deps/gtest/src/gtest-death-test.o] Error 1
make: *** [node] Error 2

Following Homebrew's troubleshooting instructions, I ran brew update twice and brew doctor -- but still no luck. I'm not familiar with homebrew and haven't messed with this stuff in a while. Any ideas what these errors mean?

Answer 1

It seems you did not install command line developer tools. Before installing Node with Homebrew, try executing this command in your Terminal:

xcode-select --install

If it is installed successfully this message will be shown:

xcode-select: error: command line tools are already installed, use "Software Update" to install updates

After the installation, run the brew command again.

The ctype.h file should be somewhere like /usr/include/ctype.h.