All the npm package not installed globally can't be executed directly - node.js

Symptom:
I can't execute the npm packages directly that are not installed globally. But I can execute it by npm scripts. How to fix it?
For example:
I installed gulp under the project:
npm install gulp --save-dev
Then I try to execute it by
gulp
zsh: command not found: gulp
But if I add a npm script to package.json:
"scripts": {
"test": "mocha --require intelli-espower-loader && gulp test",
"start": "gulp"
},
Then run
npm start
It can get executed without problem.
P.S.
Same issue with the mocha package, I can't execute mocha directly but I can execute npm test without problem.
Help Wanted:
What I can do to fix that issue?
Notice:
I'm not saying that I want to execute them globally, I just want to execute them under the project.
I don't know where goes wrong, but they are executable not long ago, just don't work recently!

In addition to #Ion's answer: You might need to add the path to the environment variables. In windows OS, it would be %AppData%\npm. For packages installed locally, you should be able to run them like
.\node_modules\.bin\gulp

If you want to execute them globally install with the -g flag
npm install gulp -g
To run directly you could also do ./node_modules/.bin/gulp

That is because the package not installed globally doesn't create a reference in the root node_modules folder . If you want to specifically use the local installed version to run globally on terminal then go to you environment variables and set the path to ./node_modules/gulp/bin/gulp.js or alternatively configure your npm to use the mentioned location as the gulp and execute node_modules/.bin/gulp

You have two choices:
Install the executable modules globally:
npm install -g gulp
This is good if it's a tool you use often (for many different projects). For gulp specifically, the globally installed gulp will also check to see if the project has its own gulp installed (in node_modules) and run that version of gulp. This means that each project can have its own version of gulp. But not all tools have this feature.
Use npx:
npx gulp
Newer versions of npm ships with a command called npx which will search through your project's node_modules directory to find a module to execute. This means you don't need to install project specific tools globally. Apart form avoiding global installs of commands (which may or may not be a security issue) it also allows you to install project specific versions of tools.
If your npm installation does not have npx you can install it from npm itself:
npm install -g npx

Related

How to use project dependencies with ts-node

I am currently debugging a project that uses ts-node to run locally. Do I have to install ts-node globally for this?
I did install it globally, but now i am seeing typescript errors that stems from diverging typescript versions. I fixed it by setting it to the same version.
Is there a way to use my project dependencies in my CLI to run the project? Or do I HAVE to install things globally?
By default, the node_modules folder has a .bin subdirectory. You can run the local version of ts-node while in the project directory.
Here's what you might type into your shell
cd /path/to/project
./node_modules/.bin/ts-node myFile.ts
Since npm#5.2.0, npm ships with the npx package, which lets you run commands from the node_modules/.bin directory in your current project. For example: npx ts-node -v.
If for whatever reason you have an older version of npm, you can install this package globally with npm install -g npx.
You can use npx <package-name> also for packages that aren't installed yet in your project (see its options).
Alternatively, you can put the following into your package.json:
"scripts": {
"start": "ts-node code/start.ts",
}
Commands in the scripts field also use the local version of a package.

Gulp: /usr/local/bin/gulp: No such file or directory

Whenever I run gulp, I get the following error:
/usr/local/bin/gulp: No such file or directory
I've followed the answers to several related questions on SO, but none have solved my issue. I've been using gulp without issue for months, but managed to screw it up somehow.
I've removed gulp and gulp-cli (using npm) both locally and globally.
After running the following:
npm install -g gulp-cli
npm install --save-dev gulp
Any command using gulp, even gulp -v returns the error mentioned above. There are no errors during the installation.
I've confirmed there is nothing at /usr/local/bin/gulp, but shouldn't reinstalling things recreate whatever files are supposed to be there?
Any help is appreciated.
EDIT:
Installing gulp globally npm install -g gulp doesn't fix anything.
Do you want to install gulp locally or globally?
Locally
npm install --save-dev gulp gulp-cli should do the trick. You can then run it using:
./node_modules/.bin/gulp
npm run gulp if you add gulp to the scripts section of package.json.
Globally
Most likely you have a $PATH issue.
Did you check where your global libraries are installed by NPM?
npm list -g
Does installing any other global library work, or is it specific to Gulp?
-- Edit --
If you are using NVM, you should add the NVM setup to your rcfile (that is, ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, ~/.profile or similar). You can do so by appending these lines to your rcfile.
[[ -s $HOME/.nvm/nvm.sh ]] && . $HOME/.nvm/nvm.sh
This will load NVM and update your PATH so that your shell is able to find gulp (or any other globally-installed program by npm or yarn).
Try npx gulp so that npm using the gulp version that is installed in your dependencies.

"grunt install" returns error on Ubuntu

I get the following error when I try to run "grunt install" on a Ubuntu 14.04 box that has the latest nodejs installed from NodeSource.
jit-grunt: Plugin for the "install" task not found. If you have
installed the plugin already, please setting the static mapping. See
https://github.com/shootaroo/jit-grunt#static-mappings
Warning: Task "install" failed. Use --force to continue.
Aborted due to warnings.
Here is the part of Gruntfile.js related to jit-grunt:
require('jit-grunt')(grunt, {
express: 'grunt-express-server',
useminPrepare: 'grunt-usemin',
ngtemplates: 'grunt-angular-templates',
cdnify: 'grunt-google-cdn',
protractor: 'grunt-protractor-runner',
injector: 'grunt-asset-injector',
buildcontrol: 'grunt-build-control'
});
Can someone point to the right direction?
What is the grunt install task? Can you please paste your package.json file here so we may see your dependencies?
The reason jit-grunt is outputting that error is because it cannot find a node module folder named grunt-contrib-install, grunt-install, or install, with a tasks/ folder with JS files that register a Grunt task named install.
Do you mean either of these packages? If so, you have to call them via their registered task names:
- https://www.npmjs.org/package/grunt-npm-install – grunt npm-install
- https://www.npmjs.org/package/grunt-auto-install – grunt auto_install
For the grunt-auto-install package, you will need to add it to jit-grunt's static mappings, like you have with grunt-express-server and others.
If it's not the above, apart from "maybe you mistyped?", the only other answer I can offer is similar to the assumption #waqas-ahmed made: that you mean to install dependencies and devDependencies from your package.json file, and that perhaps you mean to call npm install, not grunt install.
Try as below:
1) npm install -g grunt-cli
This will put the grunt command in your system path, allowing it to be run from any directory.
Note that installing grunt-cli does not install the Grunt task runner! The job of the Grunt CLI is simple: run the version of Grunt which has been installed next to a Gruntfile. This allows multiple versions of Grunt to be installed on the same machine simultaneously.
2) npm install grunt --save-dev
The easiest way to add Grunt and gruntplugins to an existing package.json is with the command npm install --save-dev. Not only will this install locally, but it will automatically be added to the devDependencies section, using a tilde version range.
for further assistance follow this link
http://gruntjs.com/getting-started

How to install the Grunt task runner?

I am trying to install Grunt (on Windows).
The documentation (http://gruntjs.com/getting-started) says to install grunt-cli and explains that this is not the Grunt task runner but just the program to allow the grunt command to be run from any folder. Ok. Fine. I've done that. My next question is; how to install the Grunt task runner. The implication of the docs is that this will be installed locally in my project directory.
How do I do that?
The project already has a Gruntfile.js and a package.json & works on another machine. I'm just trying to get it run locally.
Specifically I get this message:
"... a Gruntfile wasn't found or Grunt hasn't been installed locally to your project"
Thanks
--Justin Wyllie
npm install --save-dev grunt to install it just like any module and add it to your package.json file as a development dependency.
grunt may also already be listed as a dependency, in which case you may just need to run npm install to install all dependencies.

How do you prevent install of "devDependencies" NPM modules for Node.js (package.json)?

I have this in my package.json file (shortened version):
{
"name": "a-module",
"version": "0.0.1",
"dependencies": {
"coffee-script": ">= 1.1.3"
},
"devDependencies": {
"stylus": ">= 0.17.0"
}
}
I am using NPM version 1.1.1 on Mac 10.6.8.
When I run the following command from the project root, it installs both the dependencies and devDependencies:
npm install
I was under the impression that this command installed the devDependencies:
npm install --dev
How do I make it so npm install only installs dependencies (so production environment only gets those modules), while something like npm install --dev installs both dependencies and devDependencies?
The npm install command will install the devDependencies along other dependencies when run inside a package directory, in a development environment (the default).
In version 8.x and above use --omit=dev flag to install only regular dependencies:
npm install --omit=dev
This will install only dependencies, and not devDependencies, regardless of the value of the NODE_ENV environment variable.
If you use 6.x or an earlier version, you need to use the --only=prod flag instead.
Note:
Before v3.3.0 of npm (2015-08-13), the option was called --production, i.e.
npm install --production
You may also need --no-optional flag.
I run into that problem too! npm install is somewhat confusing and web posts keep bringing in the -d/--dev flags as if there is an explicit 'development' install mode.
npm install will install both "dependencies" and "devDependencies"
npm install --production will only install "dependencies"
npm install --dev will only install "devDependencies"
The new option is:
npm install --only=prod
If you want to install only devDependencies:
npm install --only=dev
If you have already installed all your dependencies, and you want to avoid having to download your production packages from NPM again, you can simply type:
npm prune --production
This will remove your dev dependencies from your node_modules folder, which is helpful if you're trying to automate a two step process like
Webpack my project, using dev dependencies
Build a Docker image using only production modules
Running npm prune in between will save you from having to reinstall everything!
If you read this POST in 2016, please achieve what you want by using
--only={prod[uction]|dev[elopment]}
argument will cause either only devDependencies or only non-devDependencies to be installed regardless of the NODE_ENV.
from: https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/install
When using "npm install" the modules are loaded and available throughout your application regardless of if they are "devDependencies" or "dependencies". Sum of this idea: everything which your package.json defines as a dependency (any type) gets installed to node_modules.
The purpose for the difference between dependencies/devDependencies/optionalDependencies is what consumers of your code can do w/ npm to install these resources.
Per the documentation: https://npmjs.org/doc/json.html...
If someone is planning on downloading and using your module in their
program, then they probably don't want or need to download and build
the external test or documentation framework that you use.
In this case, it's best to list these additional items in a
devDependencies hash.
These things will be installed whenever the --dev configuration flag
is set. This flag is set automatically when doing npm link or when
doing npm install from the root of a package, and can be managed like
any other npm configuration param. See config(1) for more on the
topic.
However, to resolve this question, if you want to ONLY install the "dependencies" using npm, the following command is:
npm install --production
This can be confirmed by looking at the Git commit which added this filter (along with some other filters [listed below] to provide this functionality).
Alternative filters which can be used by npm:
--save => updates dependencies entries in the {{{json}}} file
--force => force fetching remote entries if they exist on disk
--force-latest => force latest version on conflict
--production => do NOT install project devDependencies
--no-color => do not print colors
#dmarr try using npm install --production
npm will install dev dependencies when installing from inside a package (if there is a package.json in the current directory). If it is from another location (npm registry, git repo, different location on the filesystem) it only installs the dependencies.
I suggest to use npm ci. If you want to install only production-needed packages (as you wrote - without devDependencies) then:
npm ci --only=production
or
NODE_ENV=production npm ci
If you prefer oldschool npm install then:
npm install --production
or
NODE_ENV=production npm install
Here is good answer why you should use npm ci.
It's worth mentioning that you can use the NODE_ENV environment variable to achieve the same result. Particularly useful if you're containerizing your Node application (e.g. Docker).
NODE_ENV=production npm install
The above code will install all your dependencies but the dev ones (i.e. devDependencies).
if you need to use environment variables in your Dockerfile more information can be found here.
Environment variables are easy to overwrite whenever needed (e.g. if you want to run your test suite say on Travis CI). If that were the case you could do something like this:
docker run -v $(pwd):/usr/src/app --rm -it -e NODE_ENV=production node:8 npm install
NPM Documentation here
production
Default: false
Type: Boolean
Set to true to run in "production" mode.
devDependencies are not installed at the topmost level when running local npm install without any arguments.
Set the NODE_ENV="production" for lifecycle scripts.
Happy containerization =)
npm install --production --no-optional
It installs only deps from dependencies and will ignore optionalDependencies and devDependencies
Use npm install packageName --save this will add package in dependencies, if you use npm install packageName --save-dev then it devDependencies.
npm install packageName --save-dev should be used for adding packages for development purpose. Like adding TDD packages (Chai, mocha, etc). Which are used in development and not in production.
I have found that, when trying to install dev dependencies for a package that contains a node addon, you cannot avoid building the addon when running npm install --dev even if you just want to install the devDependencies. So, I had to go around npm's back:
node -e 'console.log( Object.keys( require( "./package.json" ).devDependencies ) );' | \
sed -e "s/^[^']*'//" -e "s/'.*$//" | \
xargs npm install
Or, better (and more succinctly) yet,
node -e 'Object.keys( require( "./package.json" ).devDependencies )
.map( function( item ){ console.log( item ) } );' | xargs npm install
I ran into a problem in the docker node:current-slim (running npm 7.0.9) where npm install appeared to ignore --production, --only=prod and --only=production. I found two work-arounds:
use ci instead (RUN npm ci --only=production) which requires an up-to-date package-lock.json
before npm install, brutally edit the package.json with:
RUN node -e 'const fs = require("fs"); const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync("./package.json", "utf-8")); delete pkg.devDependencies; fs.writeFileSync("./package.json", JSON.stringify(pkg), "utf-8");'
This won't edit your working package.json, just the one copied to the docker container.
Of course, this shouldn't be necessary, but if it is (as it was for me), there's your hack.
Need to add to chosen answer: As of now, npm install in a package directory (containing package.json) will install devDependencies, whereas npm install -g will not install them.
npm install --production is the right way of installing node modules which are required for production. Check the documentation for more details
Now there is a problem, if you have package-lock.json with npm 5+. You have to remove it before use of npm install --production.

Resources