Resolving Node.js and npm Issues on macOS
Tags: node, npm, yarn, troubleshooting
Published: 2024-03-29 16:54:20

Recently, I encountered some issues with my Node.js and npm setup on my macOS machine after updating the Node.js version from 20.11.1 to 20.12.0 using NVM (Node Version Manager). I wanted to share my experience and the steps I took to resolve these problems, hoping it might help others facing similar situations.

## Issue 1: Permission Denied Error during `nvm install-latest-npm`

After switching to Node.js version 20.12.0 using `nvm use --lts`, I ran into a permission issue while trying to update npm to the latest version using `nvm install-latest-npm`. The error message looked like this:

```
$ nvm install-latest-npm
Attempting to upgrade to the latest working version of npm...
* Installing latest `npm`; if this does not work on your node version, please report a bug!
npm ERR! code EACCES
npm ERR! syscall rename
npm ERR! path /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/npm
npm ERR! dest /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/.npm-uqSPdfFS
npm ERR! errno -13
npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, rename '/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/npm' -> '/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/.npm-uqSPdfFS'
npm ERR!  [Error: EACCES: permission denied, rename '/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/npm' -> '/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/.npm-uqSPdfFS'] {
npm ERR!   errno: -13,
npm ERR!   code: 'EACCES',
npm ERR!   syscall: 'rename',
npm ERR!   path: '/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/npm',
npm ERR!   dest: '/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/.npm-uqSPdfFS'
npm ERR! }
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! The operation was rejected by your operating system.
npm ERR! It is likely you do not have the permissions to access this file as the current user
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! If you believe this might be a permissions issue, please double-check the
npm ERR! permissions of the file and its containing directories, or try running
npm ERR! the command again as root/Administrator.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in: /Users/anonymous/.npm/_logs/2024-03-29T16_32_51_403Z-debug-0.log
* npm upgraded to: v10.5.0
```

```
EACCES: permission denied, rename '/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/npm' -> '/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/.npm-uqSPdfFS'
```

### Solution

To resolve this permission issue, I used the following command to change the ownership of the `/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules` directory to my user:

```
sudo chown -R anonymous /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules
```

Replace `anonymous` with your own username.

Note: I also tried running `sudo nvm install-latest-npm`, but it threw an error saying that the `nvm` command was not found. It's better to change the directory ownership instead.

## Issue 2: `yarn start:dev` Not Working after npm Update

After successfully updating npm, I encountered another problem where running `yarn start:dev` did not work as expected. I was using Yarn version 4 at the time.

### Solution

To fix this issue, I ran the following command:

```
corepack enable
```

This command enables the Corepack feature, which is a tool for managing package manager versions. After enabling Corepack, `yarn start:dev` started working correctly.

## Conclusion

Dealing with Node.js and npm issues can be frustrating at times, especially when updating versions, but it's important to understand the root cause of the problem and find the appropriate solution. In my case, the permission issue during `nvm install-latest-npm` was resolved by changing the ownership of the relevant directory. The `yarn start:dev` problem was fixed by enabling Corepack.

If you encounter similar issues after updating your Node.js version via NVM, I hope this blog post can provide some guidance and help you resolve them quickly. Remember to always read the error messages carefully and search for solutions specific to your setup.

Happy coding!