npm install Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, symlink '../mkdirp/bin/cmd.js'

Question

Still failed even after reinstall node and npm.
Here is the full error message

npm ERR! Linux 4.8.0-34-generic
npm ERR! argv "/home/lt1pchanifa/.nvm/versions/node/v6.9.3/bin/node" "/home/lt1pchanifa/.nvm/versions/node/v6.9.3/bin/npm" "install"
npm ERR! node v6.9.3
npm ERR! npm  v4.0.5
npm ERR! path ../mkdirp/bin/cmd.js
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -1
npm ERR! syscall symlink

npm ERR! Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, symlink '../mkdirp/bin/cmd.js' -> '/media/lt1pchanifa/B0D0-8B34/Edwin/thinkster-ng2/node_modules/@angular-cli/ast-tools/node_modules/.bin/mkdirp'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!  { Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, symlink '../mkdirp/bin/cmd.js' -> '/media/lt1pchanifa/B0D0-8B34/Edwin/thinkster-ng2/node_modules/@angular-cli/ast-tools/node_modules/.bin/mkdirp'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!   errno: -1,
npm ERR!   code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR!   syscall: 'symlink',
npm ERR!   path: '../mkdirp/bin/cmd.js',
npm ERR!   dest: '/media/lt1pchanifa/B0D0-8B34/Edwin/thinkster-ng2/node_modules/@angular-cli/ast-tools/node_modules/.bin/mkdirp',
npm ERR!   parent: '@angular-cli/ast-tools' }

Answer 1

You are trying to run npm in a linux platform within a Windows FAT32 folder.

/media/lt1pchanifa/B0D0-8B34/Edwin/thinkster-ng2

According to github issue, permission problems occur while trying to access Windows partition. Try to move the project to Home directory which is EXT4 and run the command.

Answer 2

I haven't tried this myself but maybe you could skip creating symlinks if it's only problem with them.

npm install --no-bin-links

See more here:

• npm install: when to use --no-bin-links?
• Installing npm modules in a VM shared directory and grunt issues