I’m encountering difficulties when trying to compile d3.js on my Windows computer. I’ve installed cygwin to execute the makefile correctly, but I run into a problem during the ‘npm install’ step while building. I receive the following error:
node.js:201
throw e; // process.nextTick error, or 'error' event on first tick
^
Error: Cannot find module 'C:\cygdrive\c\Program Files (x86)\nodejs\node_modules\npm\bin\npm-cli.js'
at Function._resolveFilename (module.js:332:11)
at Function._load (module.js:279:25)
at Array.0 (module.js:479:10)
at EventEmitter._tickCallback (node.js:192:40)
Makefile:230: recipe for target `install' failed
make: *** [install] Error 1
It appears the problem lies in the fact that cygwin is appending its path prefix (‘cygdrive\c’) to what should be a standard Windows file path. The remainder of the path seems correct.
Has anyone figured out a workaround for this issue? I tried adjusting the NODE_PATH as well as tweaking the Makefile, but nothing seemed to resolve it. I’d prefer to avoid modifying the Makefile if I can.
UPDATE: I found a solution by executing ‘npm install’ directly from the terminal in my IDE rather than through cygwin. Initially, I had to install contextify manually by running ‘npm install contextify -f’ and then shifting the .node file from the contextify downloads into the build/Release folder, followed by ‘npm install jsdom’ and ‘npm install vows’ separately.
The path issue you’re facing is indeed a common one with Cygwin and Node.js on Windows. I encountered a similar problem and found that Cygwin transforms Windows paths into Unix-style, which Node.js doesn’t handle well in Windows environments. If possible, I recommend switching to a proper Windows setup for Node.js. Using Git Bash or PowerShell can give you that Unix-like experience without the compatibility headaches caused by Cygwin. If you must continue with Cygwin, employing cygpath -w to convert paths to Windows format might help, but ensure you’re using the standard Windows version of Node.js to avoid conflicts.
Classic Windows/Cygwin mess - I’ve hit this wall so many times. Cygwin’s shell passes Unix-style paths to Node.js, but Node expects Windows paths. Don’t bother with path conversions - they’re a nightmare. Just make a simple .bat wrapper script that calls Windows npm directly with proper Windows paths. Then call that .bat file from your Makefile instead of npm. Your build stays the same, but you skip Cygwin’s path mangling completely. The trick is making sure Node never sees those /cygdrive paths at all.
Yeah, I’ve hit this exact issue! The symlink trick worked for me - just run ln -s to link from where cygwin expects npm to where it actually lives. Also double-check your PATH points to the Windows node install, not any cygwin version. It’s hacky but gets the job done.