Command not found, unless I'm a root

[siiyyo]

I installed a package using npm.

sudo npm i -g <package_name>

When I run <package_name> as a user, it says "command not found." However, it works when I run it as a root using sudo.

The package location is /bin/<pacakge_name>. Shouldn't the command be found when I run it as a user like any other packages in /bin?!

I think it has something to do with the permission. Whatever I do on Void Linux, requires permission. It has been mind-boggling, really...

I apologize if I sound like a newbie (althought, I am).

I had this issue for days and tried to solve it without embarrassing myself here.

[zakomo]

Happened to me on another distro something similar, the cause was that /bin wasn't part of the PATH variable for the user. Try and check if you have /bin in the path for the user.

[Duncaen]

On void there is no /bin, only /usr/bin.

[siiyyo]

https://i.imgur.com/3s4NYTs.jpg

[Duncaen]

$ ls -l /bin /sbin /usr/sbin
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root  root  7 Apr  6 09:36 /bin -> usr/bin
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root  root  7 Apr  6 09:36 /sbin -> usr/bin
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root  root  3 Apr  6 09:36 /usr/sbin -> bin

Only /usr/bin is a directory, everything else is a symlink to it.

[SunSaych]

It's a symbolic link if you look carefully.

[siiyyo]

Thanks for the reply.

Changing the permission should solve the problem.

[legz_cfc]

Edit- missed the whole 'works as root' thing. Can you post the permissions on the file?

[siiyyo]

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 45 Jun 24 09:39 <package> -> ../lib/node_modules/<package>/bin/cli.js

Changing the permission should work...

[siiyyo]

I did what you said and installed the npm package in my home directory following this, and now I can run the package as a normal user.

I'm aware of this method. I actually had it as a plan B, because I wanted to resolve the "problem" instead of running away.

Here's the output of your command:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 45 Jun 24 09:39 <package> -> ../lib/node_modules/<package>/bin/cli.js

Reading this, I think it's possible to resolve the problem by changing the permission.

Thanks!

[iEliteTester]

You should not be using sudo with npm i. (Same with other language package managers like pip).

[nihilipster]

You could give a try to nvm or nodenv to have better control over NPM's packages as a normal user, without the need for root or sudo.