Error: EACCES: permission denied, access '/usr/lib/node_modules'

Question

I am trying install typescript with command npm install -g typescript, and it returns this error:

    npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, access '/usr/lib/node_modules'     npm ERR!     at Error (native)     npm ERR!  { Error: EACCES: permission denied, access '/usr/lib/node_modules'     npm ERR!     at Error (native)     npm ERR!   errno: -13,     npm ERR!   code: 'EACCES',     npm ERR!   syscall: 'access',     npm ERR!   path: '/usr/lib/node_modules' }     npm ERR!      npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.     npm ERR! Linux 4.4.0-93-generic     npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/nodejs" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "-g" "typescript"     npm ERR! node v6.11.2     npm ERR! npm  v3.10.10     npm ERR! path npm-debug.log.1024969454     npm ERR! code EACCES     npm ERR! errno -13     npm ERR! syscall open          npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, open 'npm-debug.log.1024969454'     npm ERR!     at Error (native)     npm ERR!  { Error: EACCES: permission denied, open 'npm-debug.log.1024969454'     npm ERR!     at Error (native)     npm ERR!   errno: -13,     npm ERR!   code: 'EACCES',     npm ERR!   syscall: 'open',     npm ERR!   path: 'npm-debug.log.1024969454' }     npm ERR!      npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.          npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:     npm ERR!     /npm-debug.log     jramirez@jramirez:/$ ^C     jramirez@jramirez:/$ npm install typescript     npm WARN checkPermissions Missing write access to /     /     └── [email protected]           npm WARN enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/package.json'     npm WARN !invalid#1 No description     npm WARN !invalid#1 No repository field.     npm WARN !invalid#1 No README data     npm WARN !invalid#1 No license field.     npm ERR! Linux 4.4.0-93-generic     npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/nodejs" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "typescript"     npm ERR! node v6.11.2     npm ERR! npm  v3.10.10     npm ERR! path /     npm ERR! code EACCES     npm ERR! errno -13     npm ERR! syscall access          npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, access '/'     npm ERR!     at Error (native)     npm ERR!  { Error: EACCES: permission denied, access '/'     npm ERR!     at Error (native) errno: -13, code: 'EACCES', syscall: 'access', path: '/' }     npm ERR!      npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.     npm ERR! Linux 4.4.0-93-generic     npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/nodejs" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "typescript"     npm ERR! node v6.11.2     npm ERR! npm  v3.10.10     npm ERR! path npm-debug.log.2387664261     npm ERR! code EACCES     npm ERR! errno -13     npm ERR! syscall open          npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, open 'npm-debug.log.2387664261'     npm ERR!     at Error (native)     npm ERR!  { Error: EACCES: permission denied, open 'npm-debug.log.2387664261'     npm ERR!     at Error (native)     npm ERR!   errno: -13,     npm ERR!   code: 'EACCES',     npm ERR!   syscall: 'open',     npm ERR!   path: 'npm-debug.log.2387664261' }     npm ERR!      npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.          npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:     npm ERR!     /npm-debug.log 

Additionally, I run npm install typescript (without -g), but it doesn't work. Does there exist any other way to install typescript? My OS is Linux Ubuntu 16.04. I seldom use node and don't know like to fix this issue.

My question is: exactly which directories need that permission?

Answer 1

It's not recommended to use sudo with npm install, follow the steps from npmjs official docs instead :)

Make a directory for global installations:

mkdir ~/.npm-global 

Configure npm to use the new directory path:

npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global' 

Open or create a ~/.profile file and add this line:

export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH 

Back on the command line, update your system variables:

source ~/.profile 

Test: Download a package globally without using sudo.

npm install -g typescript 

Source: https://docs.npmjs.com/getting-started/fixing-npm-permissions

Answer 2

When installing global packages in ubuntu, you need special write permissions as you are writing to the usr/bin folder. It is for security reasons.

So, everytime you install a global package, use:

sudo npm install -g [package-name]

for your specific case:

sudo npm install -g typescript

When you try it without -g all that you are doing is installing the package locally in whatever folder you are in:

so: npm install typescript will create a node_modules folder in the folder you are in.