npm5 not working on the windows platform (Error: EPERM: operation not permitted...)

[doberkofler]

I'm opening this issue because:

• npm is crashing.
• npm is producing an incorrect install.
• npm is doing something I don't understand.
• Other (see below for feature requests):

What's going wrong?

npm 5 is not working at all on the windows platform (most likely because of optional dependencies)

How can the CLI team reproduce the problem?

Install webpack, then uninstall and try to install again always leads to this error as visible in the following output:

>npm --version
5.5.1

D:\MyDev\ljs_app\trunk\periscope\examples\bugs\>node --version
v8.8.1

D:\MyDev\ljs_app\trunk\periscope\examples\bugs\>npm cache clear --force
npm WARN using --force I sure hope you know what you are doing.

D:\MyDev\ljs_app\trunk\periscope\examples\bugs\>npm i

> uglifyjs-webpack-plugin@0.4.6 postinstall D:\MyDev\ljs_app\trunk\periscope\examples\bugs\npm\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin
> node lib/post_install.js

npm notice created a lockfile as package-lock.json. You should commit this file.
npm WARN bug-report@1.0.0 No description
npm WARN bug-report@1.0.0 No repository field.
npm WARN optional SKIPPING OPTIONAL DEPENDENCY: fsevents@1.1.2 (node_modules\fsevents):
npm WARN notsup SKIPPING OPTIONAL DEPENDENCY: Unsupported platform for fsevents@1.1.2: wanted {"os":"darwin","arch":"any"} (current: {"os":"win32","arch":"x64"}
)

added 364 packages in 36.542s

D:\MyDev\ljs_app\trunk\periscope\examples\bugs\npm>npm uninstall webpack
npm WARN bug-report@1.0.0 No description
npm WARN bug-report@1.0.0 No repository field.

removed 249 packages in 8.236s

D:\MyDev\ljs_app\trunk\periscope\examples\bugs\npm>npm i webpack

> uglifyjs-webpack-plugin@0.4.6 postinstall D:\MyDev\ljs_app\trunk\periscope\examples\bugs\npm\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin
> node lib/post_install.js

npm ERR! path D:\MyDev\ljs_app\trunk\periscope\examples\bugs\npm\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules\getpass\node_modules
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -4048
npm ERR! syscall lstat
npm ERR! Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, lstat 'D:\MyDev\ljs_app\trunk\periscope\examples\bugs\npm\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules\getpass\node_module
s'
npm ERR!  { Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, lstat 'D:\MyDev\ljs_app\trunk\periscope\examples\bugs\npm\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules\getpass\node_mod
ules'
npm ERR!   stack: 'Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, lstat \'D:\\MyDev\\ljs_app\\trunk\\periscope\\examples\\bugs\\npm\\node_modules\\fsevents\\node_module
s\\getpass\\node_modules\'',
npm ERR!   errno: -4048,
npm ERR!   code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR!   syscall: 'lstat',
npm ERR!   path: 'D:\\MyDev\\ljs_app\\trunk\\periscope\\examples\\bugs\\npm\\node_modules\\fsevents\\node_modules\\getpass\\node_modules' }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     C:\Users\doberkofler.LBITS\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_logs\2017-10-30T15_09_05_838Z-debug.log

{
  "name": "bug-report",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "",
  "main": "index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
  },
  "author": "",
  "license": "ISC",
  "devDependencies": {}
}

supporting information:

• npm -v prints: 5.5.1
• node -v prints: 8.8.1
• npm config get registry prints: http://registry.npmjs.org/
• Windows, OS X/macOS, or Linux?: Windows 7
• Network issues:
  • Geographic location where npm was run:
  • I use a proxy to connect to the npm registry.
  • I use a proxy to connect to the web.
  • I use a proxy when downloading Git repos.
  • I access the npm registry via a VPN
  • I don't use a proxy, but have limited or unreliable internet access.
• Container:
  • I develop using Vagrant on Windows.
  • I develop using Vagrant on OS X or Linux.
  • I develop / deploy using Docker.
  • I deploy to a PaaS (Triton, Heroku).

[ewhitmore]

I am also experiencing this issue on windows. I tried different NPM versions from 5.0.4 to current without success. I tried with the node 6 LTS versions and with node 8 versions.

[DJviolin]

This one solved the #17671 error for me:

$ npm i -f <package>
# or
$ npm install --force <package>

Maybe related here. fsevents has missing dependencies without forced install since v5.0.4. Check the log files if it's complaining about missing fsevents dependencies and check it's folder also.

[ewhitmore]

The npm i -f <package> does work BUT the cost is that you loose the ability to cache packages which increases build time. Great workaround, not a great solution...

[matthiku]

I just installed a fresh
node v8.9.0
npm v5.5.1
on Windows 10.
I am using Git Bash and installed vue-cli, then created a new project using
vue-init webpack-simple stocktrader, then did
npm install and
npm run dev.
I broke out of the dev server (hit Ctrl-C twice!) and tried to install vuex:
npm install --save-dev vuex and got this error:

npm ERR! path C:\laragon\www\stockTrader\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -4048
npm ERR! syscall scandir
npm ERR! Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, scandir 'C:\laragon\www\stockTrader\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules'
npm ERR!  { Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, scandir 'C:\laragon\www\stockTrader\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules'
npm ERR!   stack: 'Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, scandir \'C:\\laragon\\www\\stockTrader\\node_modules\\fsevents\\node_modules\'',
npm ERR!   errno: -4048,
npm ERR!   code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR!   syscall: 'scandir',
npm ERR!   path: 'C:\\laragon\\www\\stockTrader\\node_modules\\fsevents\\node_modules' }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.

Then I did a npm cache verify and tried to install vuex again, and bingo! it worked.

[corvinrok]

This issue has now become the main problem with node since 7.10.1.

Because of this, our project can't move past node 7.10.1, even though we would have liked to move to all latest versions of node 8 (and later to node 9..)..

Has NPM decided that they will not fix this issue? It's hard to believe since anyone using Windows and installing a native dependency (from node-sass to xml libraries and more) will run into this issue.

We are considering moving to yarn because of this since it has killed our use of npm.

[DJviolin]

For me, Yarn doesn't even install fsevents on Windows, even if I used --force or npm cache verify.

Throwing error because win32 is an unsupported platform.

[matthiku]

fsevents is only designed for iOS anyway. So that's fine and as designed.
But what annoys me is that you always get a warning about it each time you install a package about it.

[Laughing-Vergil]

So it is pretty clear that what is happening is that the cache is being corrupted somehow on installation. It is a pretty minor corruption, since npm cache verify will fix it, and it is cache related since --force allows the install to work.

Now if someone could simply identify what is being changed when the cache is verified, we would be much closer to identifying the root issue.

[SiggeSeb]

Apparently @Cito has a solution at the end of this error but the solution has yet to be merged to master

[doberkofler]

@SiggeSeb I know, and it works like a charm.

[uglycoyote]

I'm getting this trying to use angular-cli, under Windows 10, trying to do "ng new myAppName"
node v8.9.1, npm v5.3.0.

running as administrator as suggested in the error message does not solve it.
npm cache clean --force does not solve it

npm ERR! path D:\temp\myAppName\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -4048
npm ERR! syscall scandir
npm ERR! Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, scandir 'D:\temp\myAppName\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules'
npm ERR!  { Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, scandir 'D:\temp\myAppName\node_modules\fsevents\node_modules'
npm ERR!   stack: 'Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, scandir \'D:\\temp\\myAppName\\node_modules\\fsevents\\node_modules\'',
npm ERR!   errno: -4048,
npm ERR!   code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR!   syscall: 'scandir',
npm ERR!   path: 'D:\\temp\\myAppName\\node_modules\\fsevents\\node_modules' }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     C:\Users\admin\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_logs\2017-11-15T19_56_23_620Z-debug.log

[puttuo]

In Windows, you can try to start the command line using "Run as administrator". This option may solve the problem.

[ryanbuening]

@puttuo "Run as administrator" didn't solve the problem for me.

[EwertonDutra]

For me, every time I run a command it gives an error. Then the second time it works out.
Ex: npm i --save-dev webpack@1.14.0 webpack-dev-server@1.16.2

1 st wrong
Right 2

I use windows 7 x64
npm --v 5.5.1
CMD: cmder

[JustasKuizinas]

npm install -g yarn

[matthiku]

This is just an intermittent issue (at least in my case), probably caused by some syncing issue in Windows.
Just repeat the last command and everything is fine!!

And it's always that annoying 'fsevents' package which is causing this issue!

[jacobq]

Does anyone have a solution for this other than downgrading or switching to yarn? My situation is quite similar to those described by others in this thread and the previous one. One thing I noticed though was that it seems to be related to packages that are platform-dependent. For example, I have an electron app that can be packaged to install on Windows, Linux, or Mac OS, and on Windows npm will correctly skip the linux & mac stuff, but then this scandir/EPERM error comes up and lists one of the modules for a different platform (which is not installed and not supposed to be installed!).

[doberkofler]

5.6.0 solves this problem!

[uglycoyote]

@doberkofler can you a be a bit more specific about what problem was solved and when it was solved? The release notes do not mention this bug specifically and nothing in the 5.6.0 notes appears directly related.

I did notice that the 5.1.0 release notes mention:

394436b #17552 Make refresh-package-json re-verify the package platform. This fixes an issue most notably experienced by Windows users using create-react-app where fsevents would not short-circuit and cause a crash during its otherwise-skipped native build phase. (@zkat)

This seemed of interested to me: I got involved with this thread because I'm getting EPERM errors with fsevents under Windows. However I was still getting those problems on npm 5.3.0.

Given that a wide variety of users seem to be getting these EPERM errors in a wide variety of situations, It seems to me like a major widespread problem that deserves mention in the release notes if it was fixed. Since it's not in the release notes and there's not much detail in your issue-close comment I'm feeling skeptical.

[cdanielsen]

@uglycoyote I think @doberkofler is referring to the first item in the 5.6.0 notes

bc263c3fd #19054 Fully cross-platform package-lock.json. Installing a failing optional dependency on one platform no longer removes it from the dependency tree, meaning that package-lock.json should now be generated consistently across platforms! 🎉 (@iarna)

#19054 is the currently approved/merged fix for this issue

[MikaelLambert]

@doberkofler Upgrading to 5.6.0 worked for me, thanks.

[fromorbonia]

I had a similar problem with an Azure automated Git deployment using 5.3.0, switching to to 5.6.0 worked. Thanks

[EBMike]

@doberkofler This issue is still happening in 5.6 (even running as Administrator, only fix i've found so far is setting permissions on the node_modules folder to "Everyone" will full perms)...
Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rename

UPDATE:
noticed this in another issue... "It looks like a background process is preventing npm from doing the job"... I had Visual Studio 2017 opened, so I closed that, then npm installed and it worked.