npm hangs on postinstall / unlock

Question

I have a Linux server that runs some virtual Machines using KVM. Host machine is a Debian derivate with kernel 2.6.32-32(-pve).

In roughly 75% of the times I run npm install, it hangs while installing modules. I ran it in silly debug level and it always hangs at the line

npm info postinstall [module name] (older npm versions)

or

npm verb unlock done using [...] (newer npm versions)

forever.

It happens in every project on the host machine and on the virtualized systems for every node and every npm version I have tested (a lot, including the newest ones (2.7.x atm)).

It also is not deterministic. Sometimes it works, sometimes not and most of the times it hangs on a different module.

On my dev machine (which is in the same network, running OS X 10.10) it works fine.

I am not behind any kind of proxy.

What could possibly be wrong here?

EDIT: For the time being I solved this problem by checking in all my dependencies as gzipped files using https://github.com/JamieMason/shrinkpack

Elude

Do you know what particular package's post-install this is hanging on? Also what is the node version? What is the output of ~/.npmrc? Have you tried doing npm cache clean to remove the lock files before running npm install? – Grinder

The package on which it is hanging varies. I tried a lot of node and npm versions, as well as doing a npm cache clean. I'm going to check the ~/.npmrc output. – Elude

Just want to add that in general I found that the more the connection is stable the more the npm install is stable and does not get stuck, i tried with multiple versions of npm nothing helped only making my internet/intranet connection more stable (best wired). – Coca

Answer 1

I was having the same issue for several hours, and couldn't work out what the problem was. I tried re-installing everything a few times, manually installing individual modules, switching from x64 to x86 versions of NodeJS, etc, and got nowhere.

In the end, I changed networks, from WiFi over ADSL2+ [~2mbps] to 4G Hotspot [~20mbps] and it worked in 30 seconds. No idea why, since it didn't seem like a network speed issue, but it solved the problem.

Hope this helps someone else, too!

Christianachristiane

I can confirm that. Changing from wifi to lan worked. Thanks! :) – Zingale

Answer 2

I had the same problem on our Jenkins slaves based on Ubuntu, and it was solved by upgrading npm.

Default npm installed by apt-get has version 1.3.10 now, which is very old (shown by npm --version). There are at least two ways to upgrade it:

1. Run sudo npm install -g npm command. If you want to install a specific version you can run append it at the end of command: sudo npm install -g [email protected].
2. Or you could add NodeSource repositories using these instructions and run usual sudo apt-get update.

Crosswise

I am sorry but I already tried a lot of npm versions (including the newest ones (2.7.x)) with no luck... – Elude

npm install npm feels weird, but it works... By the way, the reason for the old npm version might by that the nodejs package from apt-get is the LTS version of Node and probably uses npm from that time. – Vergeboard

Answer 3

I have the same problem on Windows. I deleted my npm-cache folder and reinstalled npm. Everything started working normally after that. The npm-cache folder can be found at

<your-drive>\Users\<your-name>\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache

Remember to turn on 'View hidden files because the AppData folder by default is hidden

You can reinstall npm by using the command,

npm i npm -g

Kirkwall

Reinstalling npm worked for me, thanks! – Vorster

Answer 4

On Windows make sure you are in a native CMD (not in VSCODE or whatever IDE). Also, try increasing the max memory limit for node:

set NODE_OPTIONS=--max_old_space_size=8096 

Teena

Answer 5

I did the same, switched my network from WiFi to 3G and it worked.

Bough

Answer 6

I'm experiencing the same problem, this is the issue on Github: https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/7862

There are some useful tips that seemed to help a few people.

For me doing $ npm install -g node-gyp (as suggested here: http://gangmax.me/blog/2013/05/13/resolve-npm-update-node-gyp-hung-problem/) fixed the problem.

Ravish

Answer 7

I had the same problem and just run

npm cache clean

And it works!

Paranoid

Answer 8

Had this same problem in Windows. The solution was to restart after installing node and npm and then run command prompt as administrator.

Homosporous

Answer 9

In my case, a system restart did the work. I ran npm install --verbose which suggested some lock on a file in npm-cache. And I think the system released the file (which was under use) after the system restart. I am using windows.

Secondbest

Answer 10

Try cloning the project again and then run npm install to install the packages in your terminal.

Ordinarily

npm cache clean --force. this also you can try – Ordinarily

or change your network might be internet issue – Ordinarily

Answer 11

I ran into this with npm v6, and it turned out I was just being impatient. I just needed to wait a little longer and it proceeded to the next step.

Collard

Answer 12

npm cache clean --force 

works for me :)

Clementia

Answer 13

=> this method working with me When npm block in installation Package for IONIC installation and ReactNative and another package npm.

you can change temporary : npm config set prefix C:\Users[username]\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules2

• change the Path in Environment Variables set C:\Users[username]\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules2

• Run the your command to install your package .

• open file explorer copy the link C:\Users[username]\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules

  ok file yourpackage.CMD created another folder Created "node_modules2" in node_modules and contain your package folder.

• copy your package file CMD to parent folder "npm"

• copy your package folder to parent folder "node_modules"

• now run npm config set prefix C:\Users[username]\AppData\Roaming\npm

• change the Path in Environment Variables set C:\Users[username]\AppData\Roaming\npm

• now package working correctly with Command line

Bathelda

Maybe you could try to format it a bit better, and add some more in-depth details about the procedure you mention? – Mozellemozes