[BUG] --scripts-prepend-node-path doesn't populate PATH

[Gerrit-K]

Current Behavior:

The flag --scripts-prepend-node-path, which is supposed to add the calling node executable to the PATH variable, doesn't seem to work. The directory isn't added.

Expected Behavior:

The directory of the calling node executable should be added to PATH.

Steps To Reproduce:

• Download NodeJS and npm via nvm (in my case 14.15.5 and 7.6.0 respectively)
• Create some skeleton with a package.json (in my case npm init nx-workspace)
• Call node and npm in isolation to any shell environment:

  env -i bash --noprofile --norc -c '/path/to/.nvm/versions/node/v14.15.5/bin/node /path/to/.nvm/versions/node/v14.15.5/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js --scripts-prepend-node-path run nx'

  (note: in order to fix sh: nx: command not found I've prepended the node call with PATH=$PATH:/path/to/.nvm/versions/node/v14.15.5/lib/node_modules/nx/bin)

Expected Behavior:

The help message of nx

Current Behavior:

env: node: No such file or directory

If you add a script with env or echo $PATH to the package.json you can see that PATH doesn't contain the directory to the calling node executable, so I assume it's not a bug of nx.

Environment:

• macOS 11.1
• NodeJS 14.15.5
• npm 7.6.0

[ljharb]

I’m confused, how would npm run if node wasn’t in the PATH already?

[Gerrit-K]

As commented by calling npm-cli.js with a node binary, both referenced with the full path

[ljharb]

ok - why would you do that tho, if you already have the full path?

[Gerrit-K]

I'm not actively doing that. It's the way IDEs like WebStorm call scripts with a node and npm version that you can select in the preferences or on a per-project basis. For reference, see this issue (and feel free to comment there, too).

[ljharb]

Running npm or node without node and npm in the PATH is a bad idea, because many things will expect it to be there - especially npm run-scripts. The comment that "that's what npm does" isn't really relevant, because WebStorm isn't npm.

[Gerrit-K]

Well, I agree that it's probably not the intended way to run it and also that npm is not responsible for any failing sub script, but the docs clearly define how --scripts-prepend-node-path should work:

npm run sets the NODE environment variable to the node executable with which npm is executed. Also, if the --scripts-prepend-node-path is passed, the directory within which node resides is added to the PATH. If --scripts-prepend-node-path=auto is passed (which has been the default in npm v3), this is only performed when that node executable is not found in the PATH.

And as far as I can see it, that's not working in my (maybe exotic, but still valid) case. (edit: of course that's assuming that npm-cli.js should be able to be run via an arbitrary node executable)

Another edit:

The comment that "that's what npm does" isn't really relevant, because WebStorm isn't npm.

I believe the JetBrains employee was referencing this line from the npm shell wrapper.

[ljharb]

right - that’s not something anything else should be doing. npm is part of the platform, webstorm is not.

[Gerrit-K]

Okay, let's put WebStorm aside for a moment and look at the simple question: "Is calling npm-cli.js with an arbitrary node version supported or not?".

If not and if you could point me to some sort of documentation about this, I'd gladly pass that information on to JetBrains and ask them to change how they call npm.

[Gerrit-K]

I just noticed npm/statusboard#117. If I interpret that correctly, the flag in question isn't even in the code anymore (which would explain why I wasn't able to find it after all). Can you confirm that?

[darcyclarke]

@Gerrit-K apologize for the confusion here; --scripts-prepend-node-path was actually removed for npm v7 & that doc you referenced is out-of-date (will leave this open until we fix that reference). If you'd like us to reintroduce this flag, can you create an RRFC of RFC over at https://github.com/npm/rfcs

[Gerrit-K]

@darcyclarke thanks, that clarification helps a lot. I'll point JetBrains to this issue and let them know that they need to adjust their calling code.

[Fryuni]

Quite odd, an RFC is required to put the flag back but there is no RFC or even a mention on a commit message anywhere in that repository about removing it. It was just gone breaking every development environment that uses more than one node version.

It is also not mentioned in any changelog here since 2016 when it was added. The problem here is clearly not about docs, that option should not have been removed