Unable to install `acorn` npm package (inability to symlink on mounted drives)

[EvHaus]

Steps to reproduce:

• Launch "Bash on Ubuntu on Windows" (note that it appears to use the 'root' user by default)
• Install nodejs via: curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_5.x | sudo -E bash -
• sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
• Try to install the acorn package via npm install acorn

You'll get this message:

npm ERR! Linux 3.4.0+
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/nodejs" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "acorn"
npm ERR! node v5.10.1
npm ERR! npm  v3.8.3
npm ERR! path ../acorn/bin/acorn
npm ERR! code EPERM
npm ERR! errno -1
npm ERR! syscall symlink

npm ERR! Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, symlink '../acorn/bin/acorn' -> '/mnt/r/path/node_modules/.bin/acorn'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!  { [Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, symlink '../acorn/bin/acorn' -> '/mnt/r/path/node_modules/.bin/acorn']
npm ERR!   errno: -1,
npm ERR!   code: 'EPERM',
npm ERR!   syscall: 'symlink',
npm ERR!   path: '../acorn/bin/acorn',
npm ERR!   dest: '/mnt/r/path/node_modules/.bin/acorn',
npm ERR!   parent: 'myproject' }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     /mnt/r/path/npm-debug.log

Not sure how to proceed as I'm already root with full permissions

UPDATE: For other nodejs developers finding this issue. Here is what I seem to have uncovered so far:

• npm install -g {anything} doesn't seem to work
• npm install {anything} doesn't seem to work if installing anywhere on /
• npm install {some_packages} on /mnt/{something} sometimes doesn't work depending on whether or not that package needs to create symlinks

[mike-morr]

Did you run the bash window as administrator in Windows? My very limited understanding is that in order for you to actually have elevated permissions to the underlying file system (and probably other stuff) you need to open the window elevated.

[EvHaus]

Launching "Bash on Ubuntu on Windows" with "Run as administrator" did not help resolve this issue. The same error appears.

[EvHaus]

It appears, ln -s doesn't work on the mounted drives, which is what's causing the issue:

cd /mnt/c/Windows/Temp
touch a
ln -s a b
> ln: failed to create symbolic link ‘b’: Operation not permitted

[russalex]

Before going into possible solutions, I should point out that there are some issues with npm not related to symlinks. I have not tried acorn but will make certain this is one of our test.

I should also point out that we have added a little bit about the filesystem here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/commandline/wsl/faq.

That said, are you able to install acorn someplace under '/'?

[EvHaus]

That said, are you able to install acorn someplace under '/'?

No. This works:

cd /tmp
touch a
ln -s a b

But this doesn't:

root@localhost:/tmp# npm install acorn
npm WARN enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/tmp/package.json'
npm WARN tmp No description
npm WARN tmp No repository field.
npm WARN tmp No README data
npm WARN tmp No license field.
npm ERR! Linux 3.4.0+
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/nodejs" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "acorn"
npm ERR! node v5.10.1
npm ERR! npm  v3.8.3
npm ERR! path /tmp/node_modules/.staging/acorn-baee3507
npm ERR! code EACCES
npm ERR! errno -13
npm ERR! syscall rename

npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, rename '/tmp/node_modules/.staging/acorn-baee3507' -> '/tmp/node_modules/acorn'
npm ERR!     at destStatted (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/install/action/finalize.js:25:7)
npm ERR!     at FSReqWrap.oncomplete (fs.js:82:15)
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, rename '/tmp/node_modules/.staging/acorn-baee3507' -> '/tmp/node_modules/acorn'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!  [Error: EACCES: permission denied, rename '/tmp/node_modules/.staging/acorn-baee3507' -> '/tmp/node_modules/acorn']
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.

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

EDIT: But I'm actually unable to install anything in /. All npm packages seem to give that same error message. Tried in /tmp as well as /home.

Furthermore, trying to install a package globally returns an entirely new error:

root@localhost:/home# npm install -g acorn
Error: could not get uid/gid
net.js:135
    this._handle.open(options.fd);
                 ^

Error: EINVAL: invalid argument, uv_pipe_open
    at Error (native)
    at new Socket (net.js:135:18)
    at createWritableStdioStream (internal/process/stdio.js:142:16)
    at process.stdout (internal/process/stdio.js:10:14)
    at console.js:99:37
    at NativeModule.compile (node.js:395:5)
    at Function.NativeModule.require (node.js:340:18)
    at node.js:223:27
    at Object.<anonymous> (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/uid-number/get-uid-gid.js:16:1)
    at Module._compile (module.js:413:34)

    at /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/uid-number/uid-number.js:37:16
    at ChildProcess.exithandler (child_process.js:209:5)
    at emitTwo (events.js:100:13)
    at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:185:7)
    at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:850:16)
    at Socket.<anonymous> (internal/child_process.js:323:11)
    at emitOne (events.js:90:13)
    at Socket.emit (events.js:182:7)
    at Pipe._onclose (net.js:475:12)

Sorry for all the error messages, just trying to post as much information for you guys as possible.

[russalex]

Actually, love the info. Thanks!

I'll take this up to the devs tomorrow. The fact that you're seeing the socket error makes me think that we have a bug someplace in our code. I'll make certain it gets to the right place.

[jokeyrhyme]

Related to #6 and/or #9 ?

[mike-morr]

@russalex This could be an issue with running the command as root. I was getting the same stack and the same "could not get uid/gid" running:

npm install npm -g 

I found these switches --user and --unsafe-perm

unsafe-perm

• Default: false if running as root, true otherwise
• Type: Boolean

Set to true to suppress the UID/GID switching when running package
scripts. If set explicitly to false, then installing as a non-root user
will fail.

user

• Default: "nobody"
• Type: String or Number

The UID to set to when running package scripts as root.

When I executed:

npm --user root --unsafe-perm true install npm -g

It gets all the way to the end and fails.

I tried again with a few different accounts existing and non-existing. It always makes it to the end and fails with this:

root@localhost:~# npm --user sync --unsafe-perm true install npm -g
- async-some@1.0.2 node_modules/npm/node_modules/async-some
npm ERR! Linux 3.4.0+
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/nodejs" "/usr/bin/npm" "--user" "sync" "--unsafe-perm" "true" "install" "npm" "-g"
npm ERR! node v5.10.1
npm ERR! npm  v3.8.3
npm ERR! path /usr/lib/node_modules/npm
npm ERR! code EACCES
npm ERR! errno -13
npm ERR! syscall rename

npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, rename '/usr/lib/node_modules/npm' -> '/usr/lib/node_modules/.npm.DELETE'
npm ERR!     at moveAway (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/install/action/finalize.js:38:5)
npm ERR!     at destStatted (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/install/action/finalize.js:27:7)
npm ERR!     at FSReqWrap.oncomplete (fs.js:82:15)
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, rename '/usr/lib/node_modules/npm' -> '/usr/lib/node_modules/.npm.DELETE'
npm ERR!     at Error (native)
npm ERR!  [Error: EACCES: permission denied, rename '/usr/lib/node_modules/npm' -> '/usr/lib/node_modules/.npm.DELETE']
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.

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

I've got to call it a night, but I will try to look into it more tomorrow. Hopefully someone will have a workaround by then.

[russalex]

Ok, good news and bad news.

First the good news. Running through the steps on /tmp on one of our dev branches. Looks like there's a fix inbound. This morning I was able to:

/tmp$ npm install acorn
/tmp
└── acorn@3.0.4

npm WARN enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/tmp/package.json'
npm WARN tmp No description
npm WARN tmp No repository field.
npm WARN tmp No README data
npm WARN tmp No license field.

Bad news is that this does not work through /mnt/c. I'll need to write a bug on that one.

The team is hard at work fixing bugs. Every build we put out should have visible improvements. Not certain when this one will hit the insider flight, but it is inbound.

[EvHaus]

@russalex Thanks for the update! When files are written to / where do they actually go? Somewhere on the C: partition? Will files written to / disappear if Bash on Windows is uninstalled?

[jgchristopher]

#14

I believe these are related.