postinstall script fails on Linux when installing globally using sudo

[RaederDev]

When installing the package on Linux using sudo:
"sudo npm install -g nwjs"

The postinstall script fails because the process loses elevated privileges most likely due to invoking the "node" command.

/usr/bin/nw -> /usr/lib/node_modules/nwjs/nw

> [email protected] postinstall /usr/lib/node_modules/nwjs
> node postinstall.js

shell.js: internal error
Error: EACCES: permission denied, mkdir '/root/.nwjs'
    at Object.fs.mkdirSync (fs.js:846:18)
    at mkdirSyncRecursive (/usr/lib/node_modules/nwjs/node_modules/shelljs/src/mkdir.js:11:8)
    at /usr/lib/node_modules/nwjs/node_modules/shelljs/src/mkdir.js:63:7
    at Array.forEach (native)
    at _mkdir (/usr/lib/node_modules/nwjs/node_modules/shelljs/src/mkdir.js:48:8)
    at /usr/lib/node_modules/nwjs/node_modules/shelljs/src/common.js:240:23
    at Object.<anonymous> (/usr/lib/node_modules/nwjs/postinstall.js:6:1)
    at Module._compile (module.js:573:32)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:582:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:490:32)
npm ERR! Linux 4.8.6-1-ARCH

The workaround I found was elevating to root before invoking npm and then manually creating the cache directory for the correct user "mkdir ~/.nwjs". However since this is the first time I've encountered an issue like that with a global npm package this can probably be considered a bug.

Another issue with creating the directory at install time is: Should the directory ever be removed or the command be invoked by another user the nw command will fail:

> nw ls
Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, scandir '/home/benni/.nwjs'

This could be fixed if the command would create the directory at runtime and not during installation.

[mythril]

I think I ran into the same problem: https://gitter.im/nwjs/nw.js?at=5842fc4290f847041bf2fb7e

[mythril]

https://gist.github.com/mythril/31eb0d99297d8e01b2d49a813fd9551c

[alejandro11k]

my solution:
first make directory manually
mkdir /home/user/.nwjs
and then
sudo npm i -g nwjs
xubuntu 16.04

[dotbloup]

I had a similar issue
during install of npm i nwjs -g
it stated mkdir: cannote create direct /user/MYNAME/.nwjs

Ubuntu 18.10

I manually created /user/myname/.nwjs before doing nw install 0.35.4-sdk

[fritx]

You guys might have permission problems with node.js (needs sudo).

It is recommended to use nvm to manage (multiple) node.js versions painlessly, with no more permission issues :)

nvm installs node.js in user directory not root.

https://github.com/creationix/nvm

[dotbloup]

this may work using on linux

sudo npm i -g nwjs --unsafe-perm