Encountering ENOENT error when trying to install npm packages directly from GitHub

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1

I’m facing an issue while trying to install npm packages directly from GitHub and I keep getting an ENOENT error related to package.json.

For example, when I attempt to install a package like express from its GitHub URL:

npm install https://github.com/visionmedia/express

it results in an error. In contrast, installing from the npm registry works without any problems:

npm install express

Can someone explain why I’m having difficulties with GitHub package installations?

Here’s the error message I received:

npm http GET https://github.com/visionmedia/express.git
npm http 200 https://github.com/visionmedia/express.git
npm ERR! not a package /home/guym/tmp/npm-32312/1373176518024-0.6586997057311237/tmp.tgz
npm ERR! Error: ENOENT, open '/home/guym/tmp/npm-32312/1373176518024-0.6586997057311237/package/package.json'
npm ERR! code ENOENT
npm ERR! errno 34

Any suggestions on how to resolve this issue?

2

Had this exact problem a few months ago - drove me nuts for hours! You’re using the full GitHub URL, but npm doesn’t like that. Use the shorthand instead: npm install expressjs/express. Just tell npm the organization/repo name and it’ll handle the rest. The format’s always npm install username/repository-name. Also check if there’s actually a package.json in the root - some GitHub repos aren’t meant to be npm packages. The shorthand usually fixes those ENOENT errors since npm fetches the repo differently.

3

The ENOENT error indicates that npm cannot locate the package.json file during extraction, which might suggest an issue with how the GitHub repository is structured or with the download process itself. Consider using a specified branch in your command, such as npm install https://github.com/visionmedia/express#master, or try the git protocol by using npm install git+https://github.com/visionmedia/express.git. Additionally, clearing the npm cache with npm cache clean --force could help resolve the issue. These steps can assist npm in properly extracting the files needed.