78 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
78 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: "Node.js + npm install sanity: versions, PATH, and global installs"
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read_when:
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- You installed Clawdbot but `clawdbot` is “command not found”
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- You’re setting up Node.js/npm on a new machine
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- `npm install -g ...` fails with permissions or PATH issues
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---
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# Node.js + npm (PATH sanity)
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Clawdbot’s runtime baseline is **Node 22+**.
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If you can run `npm install -g clawdbot@latest` but later see `clawdbot: command not found`, it’s almost always a **PATH** issue: the directory where npm puts global binaries isn’t on your shell’s PATH.
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## Quick diagnosis
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Run:
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```bash
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node -v
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npm -v
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npm prefix -g
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echo "$PATH"
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```
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If `$(npm prefix -g)/bin` (macOS/Linux) or `$(npm prefix -g)` (Windows) is **not** present inside `echo "$PATH"`, your shell can’t find global npm binaries (including `clawdbot`).
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## Fix: put npm’s global bin dir on PATH
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1) Find your global npm prefix:
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```bash
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npm prefix -g
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```
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2) Add the global npm bin directory to your shell startup file:
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- zsh: `~/.zshrc`
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- bash: `~/.bashrc`
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Example (replace the path with your `npm prefix -g` output):
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```bash
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# macOS / Linux
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export PATH="/path/from/npm/prefix/bin:$PATH"
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```
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Then open a **new terminal** (or run `rehash` in zsh / `hash -r` in bash).
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On Windows, add the output of `npm prefix -g` to your PATH.
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## Fix: avoid `sudo npm install -g` / permission errors (Linux)
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If `npm install -g ...` fails with `EACCES`, switch npm’s global prefix to a user-writable directory:
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```bash
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mkdir -p "$HOME/.npm-global"
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npm config set prefix "$HOME/.npm-global"
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export PATH="$HOME/.npm-global/bin:$PATH"
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```
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Persist the `export PATH=...` line in your shell startup file.
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## Recommended Node install options
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You’ll have the fewest surprises if Node/npm are installed in a way that:
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- keeps Node updated (22+)
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- makes the global npm bin dir stable and on PATH in new shells
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Common choices:
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- macOS: Homebrew (`brew install node`) or a version manager
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- Linux: your preferred version manager, or a distro-supported install that provides Node 22+
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- Windows: official Node installer, `winget`, or a Windows Node version manager
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If you use a version manager (nvm/fnm/asdf/etc), ensure it’s initialized in the shell you use day-to-day (zsh vs bash) so the PATH it sets is present when you run installers.
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