npm install esbuild got permission denied

[humbinal]

[root@localhost ~]# npm install esbuild

> esbuild@0.6.30 postinstall /root/node_modules/esbuild
> node install.js

Trying to install "esbuild-linux-64" using npm
Failed to install "esbuild-linux-64" using npm: EACCES: permission denied, mkdir '/root/node_modules/esbuild/.install'
Trying to download "https://registry.npmjs.org/esbuild-linux-64/-/esbuild-linux-64-0.6.30.tgz"
/root/node_modules/esbuild/install.js:176
      throw e;
      ^

Error: EACCES: permission denied, open '/root/node_modules/esbuild/bin/esbuild'
    at Object.openSync (fs.js:465:3)
    at Object.writeFileSync (fs.js:1416:35)
    at /root/node_modules/esbuild/install.js:70:8
    at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
    at fulfilled (/root/node_modules/esbuild/install.js:6:24)
    at processTicksAndRejections (internal/process/task_queues.js:93:5) {
  errno: -13,
  syscall: 'open',
  code: 'EACCES',
  path: '/root/node_modules/esbuild/bin/esbuild'
}
npm WARN enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/root/package.json'
npm WARN root No description
npm WARN root No repository field.
npm WARN root No README data
npm WARN root No license field.

npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! errno 1
npm ERR! esbuild@0.6.30 postinstall: `node install.js`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Failed at the esbuild@0.6.30 postinstall script.
npm ERR! This is probably not a problem with npm. There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     /root/.npm/_logs/2020-09-05T15_42_39_991Z-debug.log

then i set env not download, the problem remains the same.

export ESBUILD_BIN_PATH_FOR_TESTS=/usr/local/bin/esbuild

[root@localhost ~]# npm install esbuild

> esbuild@0.6.30 postinstall /root/node_modules/esbuild
> node install.js

internal/fs/utils.js:269
    throw err;
    ^

Error: EACCES: permission denied, unlink '/root/node_modules/esbuild/bin/esbuild'
    at Object.unlinkSync (fs.js:1136:3)
    at installOnUnix (/root/node_modules/esbuild/install.js:172:8)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/root/node_modules/esbuild/install.js:213:3)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1137:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1157:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:985:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:878:14)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (internal/modules/run_main.js:71:12)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:47 {
  errno: -13,
  syscall: 'unlink',
  code: 'EACCES',
  path: '/root/node_modules/esbuild/bin/esbuild'
}
npm WARN enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/root/package.json'
npm WARN root No description
npm WARN root No repository field.
npm WARN root No README data
npm WARN root No license field.

npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! errno 1
npm ERR! esbuild@0.6.30 postinstall: `node install.js`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Failed at the esbuild@0.6.30 postinstall script.
npm ERR! This is probably not a problem with npm. There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     /root/.npm/_logs/2020-09-05T15_58_04_212Z-debug.log

There is a very confused problem. Who can help me?

[evanw]

Can you provide more details about your situation? What operating system are you using? How are the permissions configured for /root? Are there multiple users involved? Ideally the best case would be if you have enough information to provide a series of steps to reproduce the problem from scratch so I could reproduce it on my end.

[humbinal]

Can you provide more details about your situation? What operating system are you using? How are the permissions configured for /root? Are there multiple users involved? Ideally the best case would be if you have enough information to provide a series of steps to reproduce the problem from scratch so I could reproduce it on my end.

CentOS8.2, root user , has all permissions for all dirs. I also test centos7, the problem are still the same, and change node version from v14.9.0 to v12.18.3, the problem are still the same.
I tried by other linux user(not has root permission), and is ok , but don't known why root can't work? in my project, must use root.

[evanw]

Ah. This might not be something I can debug on my end. I tried installing CentOS into a VM but it didn't result in an OS with an internet connection, so I was unable to test anything.

I found this Stack Overflow answer which says that if you're using npm with the root user and a package has an install script, you'll need to add --unsafe-perm=true to your npm command to get it to work. Does that work for you?

[humbinal]

@evanw I add --unsafe-perm=true for npm install command, and it works !
It's my problem. I didn't know this npm feature before.
thank you very much for your help !