Following Github Actions tutorial but getting an npm EACCES error #27033

seddonr · 2021-07-01T16:31:54Z

seddonr
Jul 1, 2021

I’m following the tutorial here: Introduction to GitHub Actions - GitHub Docs

I’ve followed the instructions exactly, including copy-pasting the example code, but when I push and Github Actions runs it produces the following error:

Run npm install -g bats npm WARN checkPermissions Missing write access to /usr/local/lib/node_modules npm ERR! code EACCES npm ERR! syscall access npm ERR! path /usr/local/lib/node_modules npm ERR! errno -13 npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, access '/usr/local/lib/node_modules' npm ERR! [Error: EACCES: permission denied, access '/usr/local/lib/node_modules'] { npm ERR! errno: -13, npm ERR! code: 'EACCES', npm ERR! syscall: 'access', npm ERR! path: '/usr/local/lib/node_modules' npm ERR! } npm ERR! npm ERR! The operation was rejected by your operating system. npm ERR! It is likely you do not have the permissions to access this file as the current user npm ERR! npm ERR! If you believe this might be a permissions issue, please double-check the npm ERR! permissions of the file and its containing directories, or try running npm ERR! the command again as root/Administrator.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in: npm ERR! /home/runner/.npm/_logs/2021-07-01T15_33_20_179Z-debug.log Error: Process completed with exit code 243.

Answered by jsoref

Jul 2, 2021

Problem

Each run statement almost certainly gets its own environment.

The one where it mattered the most was source ~/.profile, where you really needed it to last to the next step (npm install ...).

Recommendation

I think you want this (untested):

name: learn-github-actions
on: [push]
jobs:
  check-bats-version:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v2
      - run: |
           mkdir ~/.npm-global
           npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
           echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.profile
           source ~/.profile
           npm install -g bats
           bats -v

For reference, I picked the | …

View full answer

jsoref · 2021-07-01T17:15:05Z

jsoref
Jul 1, 2021

You are correct, the instructions are flawed.

Reported at:

  <a href="https://github.com/github/docs/issues/7866" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow ugc">github.com/github/docs</a>

Following Github Actions tutorial but getting an npm EACCES error

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  <div class="date">
    opened <span class="discourse-local-date" data-format="ll" data-date="2021-07-01" data-time="17:13:04" data-timezone="UTC">05:13PM - 01 Jul 21 UTC</span>
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I followed the instructions:

I created a repository https://github.com/jsoref/188088
I went to https://github.com/jsoref/188088/new/main?filename=.github%2Fworkflows%2Fblank.yml&workflow_template=blank
I copy and pasted the filename and the contents from the help page
I clicked start commit
I pasted the url into the commit
I waited for the action to run and checked the results

It fails:
https://github.com/jsoref/188088/runs/2965080849?check_suite_focus=true

Precisely as reported here:
https://github.community/t/following-github-actions-tutorial-but-getting-an-npm-eacces-error/188088/1

Yes. I know how to do this right, but I should be able to follow the instructions (as @seddonr faithfully attempted) and get a working product.

To learn one of many ways to fix this, you could read:

  <a href="https://danillolima.com/en/npm/how-to-fix-permissions-on-globally-installing-npm-packages-on-linux/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow ugc">danillo lima</a>

How to fix permissions on globally installing npm packages on linux - danillo...

Is common have packages that works globally, they make the work more easy in some ways, provide functionalities, et al.. The difference in npm packages that are installed globally and locally is that you will setup a package like a program avaliable...

I’m sorry you hit a document that gave incorrect instructions.

0 replies

seddonr · 2021-07-01T18:51:39Z

seddonr
Jul 1, 2021
Author

Thank you for reporting the problem.

I attempted to implement the suggested fix, .github/workflows/learn-github-actions.yml now looks like this:

name: learn-github-actions
on: [push]
jobs:
  check-bats-version:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v2
      - run: mkdir ~/.npm-global
      - run: npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
      - run: echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.profile
      - run: source ~/.profile
      - run: npm install -g bats
      - run: bats -v

However now I get a different error:

Run bats -v
/home/runner/work/_temp/d705b0bc-8901-4f83-8cef-8b2c049df00e.sh: line 1: bats: command not found
Error: Process completed with exit code 127.

0 replies

jsoref · 2021-07-02T19:21:57Z

jsoref
Jul 2, 2021

Problem

Each run statement almost certainly gets its own environment.

The one where it mattered the most was source ~/.profile, where you really needed it to last to the next step (npm install ...).

Recommendation

I think you want this (untested):

name: learn-github-actions
on: [push]
jobs:
  check-bats-version:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v2
      - run: |
           mkdir ~/.npm-global
           npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
           echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.profile
           source ~/.profile
           npm install -g bats
           bats -v

For reference, I picked the | based on:
https://yaml-multiline.info/
I pretty much always consult this webpage…

Note: technically yo don’t need to use ~/.profile here, you could just do:

name: learn-github-actions
on: [push]
jobs:
  check-bats-version:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v2
      - run: |
           mkdir ~/.npm-global
           npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
           export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH
           npm install -g bats
           bats -v

Alternative

FWIW, there is an alternative,

https://docs.github.com/en/actions/reference/workflow-commands-for-github-actions#setting-an-environment-variable
https://docs.github.com/en/actions/reference/environment-variables

However, in reading that pair of pages in context w/ a goal here, I expect that the average reader will be mislead. So, I guess I get to file another bug.

0 replies

lar-mo · 2021-07-03T17:56:11Z

lar-mo
Jul 3, 2021

Thanks Jsoref:

Confirming this solution worked for me:

name: learn-github-actions
on: [push]
jobs:
  check-bats-version:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v2
      - run: |
           mkdir ~/.npm-global
           npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
           export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH
           npm install -g bats
           bats -v

Output from GitHub Job:

/home/runner/.npm-global/bin/bats -> /home/runner/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/bats/bin/bats
+ bats@1.3.0
added 1 package from 1 contributor in 0.531s
Bats 1.3.0

Best~ lar-mo

0 replies

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Following Github Actions tutorial but getting an npm EACCES error #27033

seddonr Jul 1, 2021

Problem

Recommendation

Replies: 4 comments

jsoref Jul 1, 2021

Following Github Actions tutorial but getting an npm EACCES error

What article on docs.github.com is affected?

What part(s) of the article would you like to see updated?

Additional information

How to fix permissions on globally installing npm packages on linux - danillo...

seddonr Jul 1, 2021 Author

jsoref Jul 2, 2021

Problem

Recommendation

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lar-mo Jul 3, 2021

seddonr
Jul 1, 2021

jsoref
Jul 1, 2021

seddonr
Jul 1, 2021
Author

jsoref
Jul 2, 2021

lar-mo
Jul 3, 2021