Modifying $PATH variable

Question

Trying to install node.js.

Did brew install node

It seems to have worked.

However, received this message upon its completion

Homebrew installed npm.
We recommend prepending the following path to your PATH environment
variable to have npm-installed binaries picked up:
/usr/local/share/npm/bin

Ok ... so, I open my bash_profile...

And this is what I have in it:

 export PATH="/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:~/bin:$PATH"

 [[ -s "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" ]] && source "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" # Load RVM into a shell session *as a function*

Trying to understand how to modify it correctly so I won't ruin it ...

Do I add /usr/local/share/npm/bin like this

export PATH="/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:~/bin/usr/local/share/npm/bin:$PATH"

If not, what is the correct way to add that path?

Thank you for any help provided!

PS. let me know if there is any additional information I could have provided

EDIT

upon seeing which npm in macedigital's answer, I ran that ...

and got this: /usr/local/bin/npm

and that was before I did the second answer (ie, ThiefMaster's answer).

ran which npm again ...

and got the same answer as before ...

i did echo $PATH and got this:

/Users/name/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/bin:/Users/name/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374@global/bin:/Users/name/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p374/bin:/Users/name/.rvm/bin:/usr/local/share/npm/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:~/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/X11/bin:/usr/local/git/bin

So, it looks like I already had it installed?

Therefore, how do I handle the answers? I hate leaving it unresolved since both of you were so helpful and I feel bad that I asked without providing echo $PATH information since that would have told you that I had it installed ...

EDIT 2

ls -la /usr/local/share/npm/bin gets this:

ls: /usr/local/share/npm/bin: No such file or directory

which -a npm gets this: /usr/local/bin/npm

EDIT 3

ls -a /usr/local/bin/npm gets this: /usr/local/bin/npm

there's no timestamp...

Solution 1

Short answer, do this (notice the additional colon I inserted):

export PATH="/usr/local/share/npm/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:~/bin:$PATH"

The $PATH environment variable is colon separated list of directories to look in if you want to run a command without a fully qualified path (e.g. running npm instead of having to type /usr/local/share/npm/bin/npm).

You can try this from a terminal before actually saving the change in bash_profile. If everything is good, which -a npm will show you all fully qualified path(s).

UPDATE

It is not necessary to modify the $PATH variable in order to use npm. What homebrew install recommends instead is to add the directory where npm-installed binaries are stored to the $PATH variables, so its more convenient to use them from the command line later on.

Node modules like phantomjs, phonegap, express, etc. provide binaries which after the change are available on the command prompt without having to type the full path.

Solution 2

The cleanest solution is adding the following between the two lines you posted:

export PATH="/usr/local/share/npm/bin:$PATH"

That way everything stays readable and you prepend it to PATH just like the program suggested it. And if you ever want to undo the change you just remove that line instead of editing a possibly long line.

Solution 3

In PATH ORDER IS IMPORTANT. So anything before desired npm version will still cause problems.

#adding in first place of the path, before anything else
export PATH=/usr/local/bin:otherPathEntries:$PATH

assuming that version of npm You want is in /usr/local/bin, to check all use 'which -a npm'

Comments

[ThiefMaster]

Now if there's a npm binary e.g. in /usr/local/bin the one in /usr/local/share/npm/bin won't be used at all...

[macedigital]

Thanks for downvoting, mate. A which npm (with or without above change(s)) would reveal if and where the first matched npm binary (in order of specified directories...) is located.

[ThiefMaster]

True, but he might want to override another (older/outdated) version that's installed in there. Anyway, it would probably be a good idea to mention the reasoning why you did not prepend the directory in your answer.

[macedigital]

I see your point, but figured it'd be less confusing ("Trying to install node.js") to just point out the missing colon. Anyways, I edited my answer.

[macedigital]

Could you ls -la /usr/local/share/npm/bin just to make sure, the npm command is actually in this directory. You can also try which -a npm, so it lists all found entries, not just the first one. As above path comes before /usr/local/bin it should have been picked first.

[user273072545345]

@macedigital, hey, updated with the additional info as requested ... seems I only have one version ...

[macedigital]

OK, I guess I know now what the issue is. You installed npm alright, homebrew put the executable in /usr/local/bin (which makes sense, btw). All node-modules you install that provide a binary will be put in /usr/local/share/npm/bin (also makes sense). As you have not yet done so, the directory doesn't exist. Steps to verify: 1.) ls -a /usr/local/bin/npm <- it should have a timestamp around when you installed with homebrew. 2.) npm -g install recess (just an example). <- 'recess' should be in /usr/local/share/npm/bin

[macedigital]

Sorry, my bad, I meant to say ls -l. I just updated my answer so its hopefully a bit more clear. Basically just try to install a node-module that provides a binary, npm -g install express is a good starting point. After npm did its trick, express should be available as a command on the command line. which express should then point to /usr/local/share/npm/bin/express. If that is the case you finally enjoy checking out all the cool nodejs stuff ;)

[user273072545345]

@macedigital, hey, this is what i got: lrwxr-xr-x 1 name admin 29 Dec 22 10:38 /usr/local/bin/npm -> ../Cellar/node/0.10.9/bin/npm ... so, yes this shows the timestamp. and yes, which express shows that directory. (this is a modified comment as i asked about grunt and then changed my mind as that's for another post).