NPM install -g cordova ionic gives Err -13

Question

I am trying to install ionic (or anything) with npm, and am getting errors everytime. Below is a copy of the error I get when trying to install ionic.

I have already tried uninstall/reinstall, but getting the same issue.

npm ERR! tar.unpack untar error /Users/csutaria/.npm/ionic/1.4.5/package.tgz
npm ERR! Darwin 14.3.0
npm ERR! argv "node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "install" "-g" "cordova" "ionic"
npm ERR! node v0.12.4
npm ERR! npm  v2.10.1
npm ERR! path /usr/local/lib/node_modules/ionic
npm ERR! code EACCES
npm ERR! errno -13

npm ERR! Error: EACCES, mkdir '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/ionic'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!  { [Error: EACCES, mkdir '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/ionic']
npm ERR!   errno: -13,
npm ERR!   code: 'EACCES',
npm ERR!   path: '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/ionic',
npm ERR!   fstream_type: 'Directory',
npm ERR!   fstream_path: '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/ionic',
npm ERR!   fstream_class: 'DirWriter',
npm ERR!   fstream_stack: 
npm ERR!    [ '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/fstream/lib/dir-writer.js:35:25',
npm ERR!      '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/mkdirp/index.js:47:53',
npm ERR!      'FSReqWrap.oncomplete (fs.js:95:15)' ] }
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.
npm ERR! error rolling back Error: EACCES, rmdir '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/cordova'
npm ERR! error rolling back     at Error (native)
npm ERR! error rolling back  { [Error: EACCES, rmdir '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/cordova']
npm ERR! error rolling back   errno: -13,
npm ERR! error rolling back   code: 'EACCES',
npm ERR! error rolling back   path: '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/cordova' }

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     /Users/csutaria/npm-debug.log

I could share the log file but it is HUGE. Let me know if a particular part of it would be useful to share or I can just copy the whole thing in.

Any help would be much appreciated!

-cs

Cody Haines · Accepted Answer · 2015-05-23T18:45:29.513

You're having issues because you don't have write access to the /usr/local directory. A couple options to fix this:

Execute the install as root/administrator using sudo

sudo npm install -g cordova ionic

You can change ownership of the /usr/local directory (and all subdirectories) to the current user, which is usually a fine solution on a single user machine:

sudo chown -R $USER /usr/local

You can change the file permissions on the directory recursively to allow universal write access (not so safe, but still not likely to cause issues)

sudo chmod -R a+w /usr/local

Alternatively, you could change the place where your npm install -g command installs stuff, though you'll also probably have to mess with the PATH variable as well if you want access to the commands. To change the location where npm installs global modules, enter npm config edit and then add a line that says

prefix=/path/to/new/location

Strange...I had tried it using sudo several times and it never worked. Then I just tried it again and it worked. I think in the middle maybe I did something to change permissions. Either way, thank you very much! — sutariachintan, May 23 '15 at 20:37

NPM install -g cordova ionic gives Err -13

1 Answers1