Error: npm update

Question

I am using vagrant to set up my enviroment, when I use sudo npm update, I get this error.

npm ERR! Linux 3.13.0-49-generic
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "update"
npm ERR! node v0.12.2
npm ERR! npm  v2.7.4
npm ERR! path ../mime/cli.js
npm ERR! code EPROTO
npm ERR! errno -71

npm ERR! EPROTO, symlink '../mime/cli.js'
npm ERR!
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this error at:
npm ERR!     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>
npm ERR! Linux 3.13.0-49-generic
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "update"
npm ERR! node v0.12.2
npm ERR! npm  v2.7.4
npm ERR! path npm-debug.log.7dead0fa1a1d874805ab6e477bd46e0e
npm ERR! code ETXTBSY
npm ERR! errno -26

npm ERR! ETXTBSY, rename 'npm-debug.log.7dead0fa1a1d874805ab6e477bd46e0e'
npm ERR!
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this error at:
npm ERR!     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     /vagrant/myapp/npm-debug.log

NOTE1: I am using trusty32 box also I am using node 0.12, npm 2.7.4 and mongodb 2.6.

NOTE2: I can not install mongoose and the default express-generator npm modules found in the package.json

UPDATE1: Npm error when i try "sudo npm install mongoose -save"

npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/wrappy/1.0.1/package.tgz
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/brace-expansion/1.1.0/package
.tgz
npm ERR! Linux 3.13.0-49-generic
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "mongoose"
npm ERR! node v0.12.2
npm ERR! npm  v2.7.4
npm ERR! path /vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/mongodb/node_mod
ules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_modules/node-pre-
gyp/node_modules/tar-pack/node_modules/fstream-ignore/node_modules/minimatch/tes
t/extglob-ending-with-state-char.js
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -1

npm ERR! Error: EPERM, open '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/m
ongodb/node_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_mo
dules/node-pre-gyp/node_modules/tar-pack/node_modules/fstream-ignore/node_module
s/minimatch/test/extglob-ending-with-state-char.js'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!  { [Error: EPERM, open '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modul
es/mongodb/node_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/nod
e_modules/node-pre-gyp/node_modules/tar-pack/node_modules/fstream-ignore/node_mo
dules/minimatch/test/extglob-ending-with-state-char.js']
npm ERR!   errno: -1,
npm ERR!   code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR!   path: '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/mongodb/node
_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_modules/node-
pre-gyp/node_modules/tar-pack/node_modules/fstream-ignore/node_modules/minimatch
/test/extglob-ending-with-state-char.js' }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.
npm ERR! Linux 3.13.0-49-generic
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "mongoose"
npm ERR! node v0.12.2
npm ERR! npm  v2.7.4
npm ERR! path /vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/mongodb/node_mod
ules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_modules/node-pre-
gyp/node_modules/npmlog/node_modules/are-we-there-yet/node_modules/readable-stre
am/lib/_stream_duplex.js
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -1

npm ERR! Error: EPERM, open '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/m
ongodb/node_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_mo
dules/node-pre-gyp/node_modules/npmlog/node_modules/are-we-there-yet/node_module
s/readable-stream/lib/_stream_duplex.js'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!  { [Error: EPERM, open '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modul
es/mongodb/node_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/nod
e_modules/node-pre-gyp/node_modules/npmlog/node_modules/are-we-there-yet/node_mo
dules/readable-stream/lib/_stream_duplex.js']
npm ERR!   errno: -1,
npm ERR!   code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR!   path: '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/mongodb/node
_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_modules/node-
pre-gyp/node_modules/npmlog/node_modules/are-we-there-yet/node_modules/readable-
stream/lib/_stream_duplex.js' }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.
npm ERR! Linux 3.13.0-49-generic
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "mongoose"
npm ERR! node v0.12.2
npm ERR! npm  v2.7.4
npm ERR! path npm-debug.log.547bda60a6af6dbfaba7873fdc566e0c
npm ERR! code ETXTBSY
npm ERR! errno -26

npm ERR! ETXTBSY, rename 'npm-debug.log.547bda60a6af6dbfaba7873fdc566e0c'
npm ERR!
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this error at:
npm ERR!     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>
npm ERR! Linux 3.13.0-49-generic
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "mongoose"
npm ERR! node v0.12.2
npm ERR! npm  v2.7.4
npm ERR! path /vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/mongodb/node_mod
ules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_modules/node-pre-
gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/combined-stream/node_modules/delayed-strea
m/lib/delayed_stream.js
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -1

npm ERR! Error: EPERM, open '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/m
ongodb/node_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_mo
dules/node-pre-gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/combined-stream/node_module
s/delayed-stream/lib/delayed_stream.js'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!  { [Error: EPERM, open '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modul
es/mongodb/node_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/nod
e_modules/node-pre-gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/combined-stream/node_mo
dules/delayed-stream/lib/delayed_stream.js']
npm ERR!   errno: -1,
npm ERR!   code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR!   path: '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/mongodb/node
_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_modules/node-
pre-gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/combined-stream/node_modules/delayed-s
tream/lib/delayed_stream.js' }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/lodash._basetostring/3.0.0/pa
ckage.tgz
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/lodash._createpadding/3.6.0/p
ackage.tgz
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/lodash._createpadding/3.6.0/p
ackage.tgz
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/lodash._createpadding/3.6.0/p
ackage.tgz
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/lodash._basetostring/3.0.0/pa
ckage.tgz
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/lodash._basetostring/3.0.0/pa
ckage.tgz
npm ERR! Linux 3.13.0-49-generic
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "mongoose"
npm ERR! node v0.12.2
npm ERR! npm  v2.7.4
npm ERR! path /vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/mongodb/node_mod
ules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_modules/node-pre-
gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/har-validator/node_modules/is-my-json-vali
d/test/json-schema.js
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -1

npm ERR! Error: EPERM, open '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/m
ongodb/node_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_mo
dules/node-pre-gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/har-validator/node_modules/
is-my-json-valid/test/json-schema.js'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!  { [Error: EPERM, open '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modul
es/mongodb/node_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/nod
e_modules/node-pre-gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/har-validator/node_modu
les/is-my-json-valid/test/json-schema.js']
npm ERR!   errno: -1,
npm ERR!   code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR!   path: '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/mongodb/node
_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_modules/node-
pre-gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/har-validator/node_modules/is-my-json-
valid/test/json-schema.js' }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.
npm ERR! Linux 3.13.0-49-generic
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "mongoose"
npm ERR! node v0.12.2
npm ERR! npm  v2.7.4
npm ERR! path /vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/mongodb/node_mod
ules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_modules/node-pre-
gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/har-validator/node_modules/bluebird/js/bro
wser/bluebird.min.js
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -1

npm ERR! Error: EPERM, open '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/m
ongodb/node_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_mo
dules/node-pre-gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/har-validator/node_modules/
bluebird/js/browser/bluebird.min.js'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!  { [Error: EPERM, open '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modul
es/mongodb/node_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/nod
e_modules/node-pre-gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/har-validator/node_modu
les/bluebird/js/browser/bluebird.min.js']
npm ERR!   errno: -1,
npm ERR!   code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR!   path: '/vagrant/myapp/node_modules/mongoose/node_modules/mongodb/node
_modules/mongodb-core/node_modules/bson/node_modules/bson-ext/node_modules/node-
pre-gyp/node_modules/request/node_modules/har-validator/node_modules/bluebird/js
/browser/bluebird.min.js' }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/ansi-styles/2.0.1/package.tgz

npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/has-ansi/1.0.3/package.tgz
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/strip-ansi/2.0.1/package.tgz
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/escape-string-regexp/1.0.3/pa
ckage.tgz
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/supports-color/1.3.1/package.
tgz
npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /home/vagrant/.npm/graceful-readlink/1.0.1/packa
ge.tgz

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     /vagrant/myapp/npm-debug.log

UPDATE2: Switching to nvm works better with npm update but i cant not install mongoose i got the same error

UPDATE3: I think the problem is because the path

Answer 1

You are using an older version of NPM, the current latest version is 2.8.4 you are currently on 2.7.4. The release notes for 2.7.5 mention an issue with symbolic links that was fixed.

Updating NPM should fix this, run:

sudo npm install npm -g

Answer 2

There are two problems with using sudo with npm

1. 99 problems like this.
2. It's a security issue.

The best solution is to use a node version manager. I use nvm. Another called n exists as well.

It felt like a couple steps "backwards" and I resisted it for a week or two, but making the switch was worth it.

NOTE: You should uninstall your "sudo" version of node.js, then install nvm as described on the github page.