NPM not creating .bin directory

Question

I'm using npm v1.4.4 and node v0.10.25 on Mac OS X 10.9.2.

I've recently upgraded node and npm, and now npm install is no longer creating the .bin directory in node_modules.

I've deleted node_modules, tried npm install again, but the directory and binaries are never created.

Does anybody have any ideas as to why this is happening?

Here is my package.json:

{
  "name": "redacted",
  "author": {},
  "description": "redacted",
  "dependencies": {
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "karma": "*",
    "karma-coverage": "0.1.2",
    "karma-junit-reporter": "*",
    "karma-coffee-preprocessor": "~0.1",
    "grunt": "^0.4.2",
    "grunt-contrib-requirejs": "^0.4.3",
    "grunt-contrib-concat": "^0.3.0",
    "grunt-contrib-sass": "^0.7.2",
    "grunt-contrib-htmlmin": "^0.2.0",
    "grunt-contrib-cssmin": "^0.7.0",
    "grunt-contrib-coffee": "^0.10.1",
    "grunt-contrib-uglify": "^0.3.3",
    "grunt-contrib-jst": "^0.5.1",
    "grunt-contrib-qunit": "^0.4.0",
    "grunt-contrib-jshint": "^0.8.0",
    "grunt-contrib-watch": "^0.5.3",
    "grunt-contrib-jasmine": "^0.6.1",
    "grunt-contrib-compress": "^0.6.1",
    "grunt-contrib-handlebars": "^0.6.1",
    "grunt-contrib-less": "^0.9.0",
    "grunt-contrib": "^0.9.0"
  }
}

I've updated the question to include the package.json contents. — Gaz, Mar 12 '14 at 06:25
Did you find a solution to this? I am having this issue when running calling `npm install` during a Jenkins build. The build agent is a Docker container, and `npm install` is being called inside a directory that was mounted from the host. Could any of these factors cause the silent failure of `node_modules/.bin` creation? — Cameron Hudson, Feb 11 '20 at 18:25
FWIW - i had this issue. i removed the entire node_modules directory and did `npm ci` and it started working. not sure if either did anything, or it randomly started working. — Cory Mawhorter, Mar 13 '21 at 21:03

score 27 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 16 '20 at 21:20

27

I know this is an old post but I experienced the same issue recently. I had copied files from an existing project including package.json and package-lock.json. The package-lock.json was what prevented the node_module/.bin directory from being created. The solution was to delete the node_modules directory and package-lock.json and run npm install again

answered Aug 16 '20 at 21:20

Balocodes

577
7
6

2

That did it for me! Thanks – iansari Jan 09 '21 at 18:11
2

Who knew that the `package-lock.json` would interfere with correct generation of `node_modules/.bin/`?! Well done! My `npm install` would fail after building only 50% of `.bin` so when other run-scripts were executed the binaries would be missing. SO ODD! Deleted `node_modules` & `package-lock.json` and BAM it worked! Thanks!!! – codejedi365 May 13 '21 at 21:47
1

Fantastic! I deleted the package-lock.json, but not node_modules. Then saw your answer here and deleted both, and now it works! Thanks!! – redfox05 Sep 10 '21 at 10:04
After deleting `package-lock.json` then npm wouldn't even create a `node_modules` folder on `npm install` :/ – derpedy-doo Jul 17 '23 at 11:58

score 4 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 06 '19 at 12:54

4

The ./node_modules/.bin directory is where npm creates links to a node package's binary. From https://docs.npmjs.com/files/folders#executables

Executables

When in global mode, executables are linked into {prefix}/bin on Unix, or directly into {prefix} on Windows.

When in local mode, executables are linked into ./node_modules/.bin so that they can be made available to scripts run through npm. (For example, so that a test runner will be in the path when you run npm test.)

The package.json you pasted above do not have a bin section. Take a look at this example from npm's package.json

{
  "version": "1.4.9",
  "name": "npm",
  "publishConfig": {
    "proprietary-attribs": false
  },
  "description": "A package manager for node",
  ...
  ...
  "main": "./lib/npm.js",
  "bin": "./bin/npm-cli.js",
  "dependencies": {
    "abbrev": "~1.0.4",
    "ansi": "~0.2.1",
    ...
    ...

Specifically the line "bin": "./bin/npm-cli.js" will tell npm to create a link at ./node_modules/.bin/npm to node_modules/npm/npm-cli.js

edited Jun 06 '19 at 12:54

Dexter

2,462
4
24
28

answered May 08 '14 at 08:47

Hanxue

12,243
18
88
130

Presumably one of the dependencies does create `node_module/.bin` — don't grunt and karma both do that? – Lee Goddard Oct 15 '15 at 12:30
1

No `package.json` _requires_ a `bin` section. The .bin dir should still be created. – Auspex Feb 14 '19 at 21:32
2

The link referenced in this answer is broken, and I don't seem to find any entry in the actual docs explaining how npm handles binaries and the `.bin` folder. This is an entry barrier for anyone who's new on this. Any ideas about where can I find proper documentation on this? – Amy Pellegrini Jun 06 '19 at 11:13
1

Oh, no worries, I find it: https://docs.npmjs.com/files/folders#executables – Amy Pellegrini Jun 06 '19 at 11:18
2

@Auspex No, `package.json` does not require a `bin` section. Run `npm init` and install something, and you will see. – Cameron Hudson Feb 11 '20 at 18:04

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 12 '14 at 07:08

3

Seems that all your dependencies are dev dependencies. Could you see if your NODE_ENV environment variable is set to production now? If yes you will need to change it back.

Also, any error happened during installation?

answered Mar 12 '14 at 07:08

saladinxu

372
1
2
12

NODE_ENV is empty. If I move them to dependencies, or use --dev, the result it the same - no .bin directory. No errors at all, everything looks fine. – Gaz Mar 12 '14 at 07:20
Have you tried starting from a clean project? Also see if this helps: https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/2566 – saladinxu Mar 12 '14 at 07:45
A fresh project behaves in the same way. That was the first link I found when trying to diagnose the problem. It didn't help. – Gaz Mar 12 '14 at 08:08

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 06 '19 at 06:50

In my case I had webpack running in watch mode in another console window. I did not get any errors during npm install so it took me a moment to notice.

Ensure the dependencies are not in use, such as karma running tests or webpack running in watch mode
Delete the dependency folders, such as node_modules/karma, or the entire node_modules folder. NPM does not seem to create symlink files in .bin folder if dependency folder already exists.
Retry npm install

With NPM 6.7.0.

Sometimes one just needs to blow away the entire `node_modules` folder to get things working... — Phil, Jun 25 '20 at 12:01

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 06 '21 at 13:21

2

If all packages installed, only the .bin is gone.

you can just run npm rebuild

answered Dec 06 '21 at 13:21

flyflydogdog

307
3
10

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Apr 02 '19 at 09:13

0

Not really an answer to your question, but because I had a similar situation: I run npm with the --no-bin-links option on my VM so my windows host doesn't complain. And then later I don't find the bin links folder... duh!

answered Apr 02 '19 at 09:13

Tominator

1,224
3
19
37

score -1 · Answer 7 · answered May 27 '16 at 14:54

-1

This could happen because of the broken npm. Try following command from the npm troubleshooting and it should just work fine.

curl -L https://www.npmjs.org/install.sh | sh

answered May 27 '16 at 14:54

samarth

3,866
7
45
60

NPM not creating .bin directory

7 Answers7

Executables

Linked