[BUG] npm doctor erroneously reports permissions problem for nonexistent ~/node_modules & /.bin

[luckman212]

Environment:

• OS: macOS 11.3
• Node: 16.0.0
• npm: 7.11.2

There's a problem with npm doctor reporting not ok Check the permissions of files in $HOME/node_modules (should be owned by current user) for Perms check, even when those directories don't exist. Started around 7.5.x I believe, sorry not sure exactly which version. But continues as of 7.11.2.

$ pwd
/Users/luke

$ npm doctor
npm WARN checkFilesPermission error getting info for /Users/luke/node_modules
npm WARN checkFilesPermission error getting info for /Users/luke/node_modules/.bin
Check                               Value   Recommendation/Notes
npm ping                            ok
npm -v                              ok      current: v7.11.1, latest: v7.11.1
node -v                             ok      current: v16.0.0, recommended: v16.0.0
npm config get registry             ok      using default registry (https://registry.npmjs.org/)
which git                           ok      /usr/local/bin/git
Perms check on cached files         ok
Perms check on local node_modules   not ok  Check the permissions of files in /Users/luke/node_modules (should be owned by current user)
Perms check on global node_modules  ok
Perms check on local bin folder     not ok  Check the permissions of files in /Users/luke/node_modules/.bin
Perms check on global bin folder    ok
Verify cache contents               ok      verified 3148 tarballs

npm ERR! Some problems found. See above for recommendations.

$ stat /Users/luke/node_modules
stat: /Users/luke/node_modules: stat: No such file or directory
$ stat /Users/luke/node_modules/.bin
stat: /Users/luke/node_modules/.bin: stat: No such file or directory

[luckman212]

Anyone else seeing this? Is it a mis-configuration on my end?

[darcyclarke]

Known issue with npm doctor at the moment; Needs much love... setting priority accordingly

[wraithgar]

#4495

[wraithgar]

Fixed in v8.5.4

[luckman212]

Thanks @wraithgar

Confirmed! 🚀

$ npm doctor
Check                               Value  Recommendation/Notes
npm ping                            ok
npm -v                              ok     current: v8.5.4, latest: v8.5.4
node -v                             ok     current: v17.7.0, recommended: v17.7.0
npm config get registry             ok     using default registry (https://registry.npmjs.org/)
which git                           ok     /opt/homebrew/bin/git
Perms check on cached files         ok
Perms check on local node_modules   ok
Perms check on global node_modules  ok
Perms check on local bin folder     ok
Perms check on global bin folder    ok
Verify cache contents               ok     verified 5473 tarballs

[Tim4497]

same for me but I have over 1000 warnings:

Check                               Value   Recommendation/Notes
npm ping                            ok
npm -v                              ok      current: v8.5.5, latest: v8.5.5
node -v                             ok      current: v16.14.2, recommended: v16.14.2
npm config get registry             ok      using default registry (https://registry.npmjs.org/)
which git                           ok      /usr/local/bin/git
Perms check on cached files         not ok  Check the permissions of files in /Users/tim/.npm (should be owned by current user)
Perms check on local node_modules   not ok  Check the permissions of files in /Users/tim/node_modules (should be owned by current user)
Perms check on global node_modules  ok
Perms check on local bin folder     ok
Perms check on global bin folder    not ok  Check the permissions of files in /usr/local/bin
Verify cache contents               ok      verified 7487 tarballs