Node modules have 755 permissions, what permissions should I set so that npm don't require sudo?

Question

I'm using a framework which runs npm and webpack automatically, the directory /usr/lib/node_modules have 755 permissions which require to run npm through sudo. The framework I use doesn't allow adding sudo to the command.

Now I need to install npm packages in global form (e.g., npm install webpack -g) without using sudo.

What permissions will be OK for /usr/lib/node_modules? If I set 777 permissions will that be OK and secure?

Thank You!

Solution

You don't need to alter permission of npm to be able to use it without sudo. TO set up npm to run without sudo follow these steps:

Option 1:

1. Get path of npm directory:

   npm config get prefix
   

2. If you got /usr go to option 2 else change owner of npm directories to yours:

    sudo chown -R $(whoami) $(npm config get prefix)/{lib/node_modules,bin,share}
   

Option 2:

1. Create directory for global installations:

   mkdir ~/.npm-global
   

2. Configure to use that directory:

   npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
   

3. Open or create ~/.profile and add this:

   export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH
   

4. Add this also to your ~/.bashrc file (optional) :

   export PATH=/home/username/.npm-global/bin:$PATH
   export NODE_PATH=/usr/lib/nodejs:/usr/lib/node_modules:/usr/share/javascript:/home/username/.npm-global/lib/node_modules
   

5. Refresh the files:

   source ~/.bashrc
   

6. Test by running:

   npm install -g jshint
   

source:

https://docs.npmjs.com/getting-started/fixing-npm-permissions

http://www.competa.com/blog/how-to-run-npm-without-sudo/

Comments

[steeldriver]

Presumably related to I made /usr/local/ world writable, is it secure?

[muru]

Easier to use ACLs (like in my answer here: askubuntu.com/a/867337/158442, just change username and path to values suited to your case)

[Indu Pillai]

A nice detailed answer, let me try it!

[George Udosen]

That's how I use npm on my system.

[Indu Pillai]

I'm using Zshell, so I need to add the stuff to ~/.zshrc in the step 4 ?

[Indu Pillai]

And do I need to change it for Zshell, or it will work as such?

[George Udosen]

sure that is right.

[George Udosen]

Add it to that shell too.

[George Udosen]

Please remember to source those files after adding.

[Indu Pillai]

what do you mean by "to source those files" ?

[Indu Pillai]

You meant keep the backup of the dot files ?

[George Udosen]

Is just to refresh the file like this source ~/.bashrc or source ~/.zshrc...

[Indu Pillai]

Oh. :) I restarted the terminal and it worked.

[George Udosen]

ok same thing then cheers :).

[Ilmari Karonen]

You really should replace "if you got /usr" with "if you got anything that isn't under your home directory". And, since anything under your home directory is almost certainly owned by you anyway, you might as well leave option 1 out entirely, and just skip straight to option 2.

[Brady Dean]

Should the path be set in both files?

[Ilmari Karonen]

Also, step 4 (modifying .bashrc) in your second option should be unnecessary: your .profile will be run automatically when you first log in, and any changes to PATH made in it will be inherited by subshells, so repeating the changes in .bashrc is redundant and will just needlessly bloat your PATH with duplicate entries. (You probably do want to add something like export NODE_PATH=~/.npm-global/lib/node_modules:$NODE_PATH to .profile, though.)

[George Udosen]

@ilmariKaronen yes step 4 is not needed, updated answer to reflect that.

[George Udosen]

@BradyDean no it should not, updated OP to reflect that.