nvm: Unable to use `nvm`, `node` and `npm` with sudo

Operating system and version:

Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS

`nvm debug` output:

❯ nvm debug
nvm --version: v0.39.1
$SHELL: /usr/bin/zsh
$SHLVL: 1
whoami: 'lnuno'
${HOME}: /home/lnuno
${NVM_DIR}: '${HOME}/.nvm'
${PATH}: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v14.18.3/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games:/snap/bin:${HOME}/OM/projects/mms/gwctl
$PREFIX: ''
${NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX}: ''
$NVM_NODEJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
$NVM_IOJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
shell version: 'zsh 5.8 (x86_64-ubuntu-linux-gnu)'
uname -a: 'Linux 5.11.0-46-generic #51~20.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jan 7 06:51:40 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux'
checksum binary: 'sha256sum'
OS version: Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS  
curl: /usr/bin/curl, curl 7.68.0 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu) libcurl/7.68.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1f zlib/1.2.11 brotli/1.0.7 libidn2/2.2.0 libpsl/0.21.0 (+libidn2/2.2.0) libssh/0.9.3/openssl/zlib nghttp2/1.40.0 librtmp/2.3
wget: /usr/bin/wget, GNU Wget 1.20.3 built on linux-gnu.
git: /usr/bin/git, git version 2.25.1
ls: cannot access 'grep:': No such file or directory
grep: grep: aliased to grep --color=auto --exclude-dir={.bzr,CVS,.git,.hg,.svn,.idea,.tox} (grep --color=auto --exclude-dir={.bzr,CVS,.git,.hg,.svn,.idea,.tox}), grep (GNU grep) 3.4
awk: /usr/bin/awk, awk: not an option: --version
sed: /usr/bin/sed, sed (GNU sed) 4.7
cut: /usr/bin/cut, cut (GNU coreutils) 8.30
basename: /usr/bin/basename, basename (GNU coreutils) 8.30
rm: /usr/bin/rm, rm (GNU coreutils) 8.30
mkdir: /usr/bin/mkdir, mkdir (GNU coreutils) 8.30
xargs: /usr/bin/xargs, xargs (GNU findutils) 4.7.0
nvm current: v14.18.3
which node: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v14.18.3/bin/node
which iojs: iojs not found
which npm: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v14.18.3/bin/npm
npm config get prefix: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v14.18.3
npm root -g: ${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/v14.18.3/lib/node_modules

`nvm ls` output:

❯ nvm ls
       v12.22.9
->     v14.18.3
       v16.13.2
default -> lts/fermium (-> v14.18.3)
iojs -> N/A (default)
unstable -> N/A (default)
node -> stable (-> v16.13.2) (default)
stable -> 16.13 (-> v16.13.2) (default)
lts/* -> lts/gallium (-> v16.13.2)
lts/argon -> v4.9.1 (-> N/A)
lts/boron -> v6.17.1 (-> N/A)
lts/carbon -> v8.17.0 (-> N/A)
lts/dubnium -> v10.24.1 (-> N/A)
lts/erbium -> v12.22.9
lts/fermium -> v14.18.3
lts/gallium -> v16.13.2

How did you install `nvm`?

Followed the instructions in the section Installing and Updating of the README.md. I also followed the steps in Deeper Shell Integration in order to call nvm use automatically in a directory with a .nvmrc file, so I updated my $HOME/.zshrc.

What steps did you perform?

Everything works fine, I can install different versions of NodeJs/NPM and switch them as per my needs with no issues.

What happened?

The problem came when I tried to install globally a package with sudo. The output of the command sudo npm i -g <package-name> was:

sudo: npm: command not found

Then I tried something simple with node and nvm like checking the versions and the result was the same:

❯ nvm --version
0.39.1

❯ sudo nvm --version
sudo: nvm: command not found

❯ node -v 
v14.18.3

❯ sudo node -v
sudo: node: command not found

❯ npm -v      
6.14.15

❯ sudo npm -v
sudo: npm: command not found

What did you expect to happen?

I expect all those commands work with sudo as well, just like when NodeJS/NPM are installed in my system without NVM.

Is there anything in any of your profile files that modifies the `PATH`?

I just add an specific directory to the PATH, so I have the next line in my $HOME/.zshrc file:

export PATH=$PATH:~/projects/mms

About this issue

Original URL
State: open
Created 2 years ago
Comments: 15 (7 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

You’re not supposed to use them with sudo. nvm is per-user, and you run every command as yourself.

+17

ljharb on Jan 12, 2022

They should not and can not, due to the nature of linux and that nvm is not installed under the root user.

Using sudo with npm install -g is not a feature, it is a burden - one nvm liberates you from.

ljharb on Jan 12, 2022

@jgwinner what I’ve ended up doing is re-ordering the CodeDeploy hooks, so that npm, composer and testing is run in later (not dedicated) step so moving things from AfterInstall to later ApplicationStart stage and run all as a user only on that hook but still had to symlink npm and node to /usr/bin/node & npm. Thanks

slejnej on Feb 2, 2023

nvm does not support symlinks like that.

ljharb on Feb 2, 2023

@adampatterson i’m saying that you should ignore the sudo part of those instructions when using nvm, because nvm-managed nodes don’t require root permissions to install global packages.

ljharb on Jan 2, 2023