I’m having trouble compiling d3.js on my Windows machine. I’ve got Cygwin set up to run the makefile, but I’m hitting a snag with the ‘npm install’ command. Here’s what’s going on:
When the makefile runs ‘npm install’, it fails with an error. The error message shows that it’s trying to locate the npm-cli.js file, but the path has ‘cygdrive\c’ appended to it, which messes up the full file path even though the rest is accurate.
Error: Cannot find module 'C:\\cygdrive\\c\\Program Files (x86)\\nodejs\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js'
I’ve attempted to set the NODE_PATH environment variable and have even modified the Makefile, but nothing seems to work. I would prefer not to change the Makefile if there’s a possible workaround available.
If anyone has encountered this issue and found a solution, please share your ideas. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
I’ve encountered this issue before when working with d3.js on Windows. One solution that worked for me was to use the --prefix flag when running npm install. Try this command:
npm install --prefix $(cygpath -w $(npm config get prefix))
This forces npm to use the correct Windows path format. Also, ensure your PATH includes both the Windows Node.js directory and Cygwin’s /usr/local/bin.
If you’re still having troubles, consider using a package manager like Chocolatey to install Node.js. It often handles these path issues more gracefully on Windows systems.
Lastly, if all else fails, setting up a small Linux VM or using Docker for your d3.js development might save you headaches in the long run.
Hey SkippingLeaf, had similar issues with Cygwin and npm. Try running ‘npm config set prefix $HOME/.npm’ in Cygwin terminal. This sets npm’s global prefix to ur home dir, avoiding the cygdrive path mess. if that doesn’t work, maybe try using WSL instead? It’s been smoother for me with node stuff.
I’ve wrestled with this exact problem before. What finally worked for me was using the POSIX path format in Cygwin instead of the Windows-style paths. Try running this command in your Cygwin terminal:
npm config set script-shell /bin/bash
This forces npm to use the Cygwin bash shell for running scripts, which handles paths correctly. Also, make sure your PATH environment variable includes both the Windows Node.js directory and the Cygwin /bin directory.
If you’re still hitting walls, consider using a virtual machine with a Linux distro for your d3.js development. It’s a bit more setup initially, but it eliminates these Windows-specific headaches entirely.