npm install error - invalid package.json

Question

I'm using this tutorial to understand implementing oauth2 in Node.js.

This is my package.json:

{
  "name": "application-name",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "private": true,
  "scripts": {
    "start": "coffee -w server.coffee"
  },  
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "3.3.4",
    "jade": "*",
    "coffee-script": "latest",
    "passport-http": "latest",
    "passport-http-bearer": "latest",
    "passport-oauth2-client-password": "latest",
    "oauth2orize": "latest",
    "debug" "~0.7.2"
  }
}

I'm getting the error:

npm ERR! install Couldn't read dependencies
npm ERR! Failed to parse json
npm ERR! Unexpected string
npm ERR! File: /Users/jashua/Desktop/auth/package.json
npm ERR! Failed to parse package.json data.
npm ERR! package.json must be actual JSON, not just JavaScript.
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! This is not a bug in npm.
npm ERR! Tell the package author to fix their package.json file. JSON.parse

npm ERR! System Darwin 12.3.0
npm ERR! command "node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "install"
npm ERR! cwd /Users/jashua/Desktop/auth
npm ERR! node -v v0.10.15
npm ERR! npm -v 1.3.5
npm ERR! file /Users/jashua/Desktop/auth/package.json
npm ERR! code EJSONPARSE
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Additional logging details can be found in:
npm ERR!     /Users/me/Desktop/auth/npm-debug.log
npm ERR! not ok code 0

Any ideas what's wrong with my package.json?

score 11 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 11 '13 at 14:18

11

The error means exactly what it states, the JSON in your package.json is not valid and can't be parsed properly. Change "debug" "~0.7.2" to "debug": "~0.7.2".

answered Sep 11 '13 at 14:18

hexacyanide

88,222
31
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4

Also if you install your dependencies with `--save` npm flag you wont have to edit `package.json` manually – dark_ruby Sep 11 '13 at 14:49
Similar problem here. In my case I was missing a comma at the end of a dependency: "requirejs": "\*", (<-- was missing) "karma-requirejs" : "\*" – Ena Feb 23 '15 at 12:53
in my case nothing is wrong, i checked jsonlint.com. What could be the case. – Prasad Oct 13 '17 at 13:21

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited Dec 11 '19 at 06:58

1

C:\Program Files\nodejs>npm cache verify

Fixes it on Windows 10, run it with an Administrator command prompt Window.

edited Dec 11 '19 at 06:58

ppreetikaa

1,149
2
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answered Dec 11 '19 at 05:54

Robert Stefanz

23
7

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:18

I arrived at this page due to the same npm error, but a different cause. After viewing the log files, I realized that npm did not like my comment on the top line of the file.

// package.json
{ ...
}

After removing all comments, npm ran through everything beautifully. My comment was not necessary, so I'm fine as it is. But if you require comments within your xml, see How do I add comments to package.json for npm install?

score 0 · Answer 4 · edited Dec 10 '14 at 18:36

I had the same issue caused by changes that I had made to my package.json file. I just reverted to my backup version of the package.json file. I attached that below if anyone else needs one:

{"name": "OpenShift-Sample-App",
 "version": "1.0.0",
 "description": "OpenShift Sample Application",
 "keywords": [
   "OpenShift",
   "Node.js",
   "application",
   "openshift"
 ],
 "author": {
   "name": "OpenShift",
   "email": "ramr@example.org",
   "url": "http://www.openshift.com/"
 },
 "homepage": "http://www.openshift.com/",
 "repository": {
   "type": "git",
   "url": "https://github.com/openshift/origin-server"
 },
 "engines": {
   "node": ">= 0.6.0",
   "npm": ">= 1.0.0"
 },
 "dependencies": {
   "express": "~3.4.4"
 },
 "devDependencies": {},
 "bundleDependencies": [],
 "private": true,
 "main": "server.js"
}

mik01aj · Answer 5 · 2015-04-07T09:24:36.973

0

Sometimes you might have some weird unicode chars in your package.json. For example you might have \u00A0 (unicode non-breaking space) instead of a space somewhere. It looks the same in editor, so beware.

(I just had such problem after copying a small piece of config from a blog.)

edited Apr 07 '15 at 09:24

answered Apr 07 '15 at 09:17

mik01aj

11,928
15
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score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 15 '16 at 14:26

0

Use this command to fix package.json related issue.

npm cache clean

answered Jul 15 '16 at 14:26

Himabindu Appali

19
1

Please elaborate on what this does to fix the OP's issue and supply a bit more detail? – Dave Jul 15 '16 at 14:31

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Mar 24 '17 at 04:37

0

My project was in D:\wwwroot\Projetos 2017\Android\PluginTest\PluginTest\plugins\cordova-plugin-iservice

The problem is space between Projetos(here)2017

I removed space to: D:\wwwroot\Projetos2017\Android\PluginTest\PluginTest\plugins\cordova-plugin-iservice

and Work fine

answered Mar 24 '17 at 04:37

Anti-puff

1

What does this have to do with the question – Mar 24 '17 at 05:31

npm install error - invalid package.json

7 Answers7