EPERM: operation not permitted

[brody2consult]

Given a local installation I encountered the following error when attempting to add a Node version:

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs add carbon
Downloading [###########################################################################################] 100%
Extracting  [###########################################################################################] 100%
EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\Users\brodybits\AppData\Local\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64\node-v8.9.3-win-x64\node_modules' -> 'C:\Users\brodybits\AppData\Local\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64\node_modules'
Try running again as Administrator.

I don't think I should have to run as administrator if I have everything installed in my local area. Or am I mistaken somehow?

[brody2consult]

What is strange is that I can do nvs use and nvs link by major version number but not by code names such as lts, carbon, boron, etc. I am very suspicious that there is something wrong with the way nvs uses code names on my new system. I will just continue to go by major version number for now. I am still hopeful that we can find the root cause and proper solution at some point.

[jasongin]

You're right, you shouldn't need to run as administrator for installation in your user directory. In this case I think that error message is misleading.

The rename must have failed for some other reason. I've seen a couple reports of this in the past, but haven't been able to reproduce it myself. Maybe a virus scanner or something is locking the directory? I don't know. Does it happen again if you retry?

[jasongin]

What errors are you seeing from nvs use and nvs link? Those don't do a rename.

[brody2consult]

Here is some more output:

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs add lts
Already added at: %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64\node.exe
To use this version now: nvs use node/8.9.3/x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs ls
  node/8.9.3/x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs ls
  node/8.9.3/x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs use lts
Specified version not found.
To add this version now: nvs add node/lts

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ node --version
'node' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs --version
1.4.3

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs ls
  node/8.9.3/x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs use carbon
Specified version not found.
To add this version now: nvs add node/carbon

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs use 8
PATH += %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs ls
 >node/8.9.3/x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs link 8
%LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\default -> %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64
User profile PATH += %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\default

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs add boron
Downloading [###########################################################################################] 100%
Extracting  [###########################################################################################] 100%
EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\Users\brodybits\AppData\Local\nvs\node\6.12.2\x64\node-v6.12.2-win-x64\node_modules' -> 'C:\Users\brodybits\AppData\Local\nvs\node\6.12.2\x64\node_modules'
Try running again as Administrator.

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs ls
>#node/8.9.3/x64
  node/6.12.2/x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs use boron
Specified version not found.
To add this version now: nvs add node/boron

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs use 6
PATH -= %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64
PATH += %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\6.12.2\x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ node --version
v6.12.2

I just got an updated Lenovo laptop from a computer repair shop and they added some kind of an antivirus program. I would not be surprised if this would be the explanation. I will leave this in case someone finds a better explanation in the future, will just manage by major version number for now.

[brody2consult]

P.S. Adding another link in case it may be relevant: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/22325031/npm-please-try-using-this-command-again-as-root-administrator

[jasongin]

It looks like because of that EPERM failure the installations didn't complete. Normally one of the last things that happens is persisting the LTS tag. That's why later trying to nvs use or nvs link using the carbon, boron, or lts aliases didn't work. Try to nvs rm and nvs add those versions again. If they can install completely then you should be fine. If you keep getting the EPERM error then I'd want to do some troubleshooting to see if we can understand what cases that.

[brody2consult]

After removing and adding back a couple times it seems to be OK now. I am wondering if there is some intermediate path that was not created the right way the first time around?

Here is the additional output:

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ node --version
v6.12.2

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs rm boron
Specify a semantic version.

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs rm carbon
Specify a semantic version.

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs rm lts
Specify a semantic version.

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs rm 6 8
PATH -= %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\6.12.2\x64
PATH += %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\default
- C:\Users\brodybits\AppData\Local\nvs\node\6.12.2\x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs ls
>#node/8.9.3/x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs rm 8
User profile PATH -= %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\default
- %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\default
PATH -= %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\default
- C:\Users\brodybits\AppData\Local\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs ls

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs add lts
Extracting  [###########################################################################################] 100%
EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\Users\brodybits\AppData\Local\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64\node-v8.9.3-win-x64\node_modules' -> 'C:\Users\brodybits\AppData\Local\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64\node_modules'
Try running again as Administrator.

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs add boron
Extracting  [###########################################################################################] 100%
Added at: %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\6.12.2\x64\node.exe
To use this version now: nvs use node/6.12.2/x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs use boron
PATH += %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\6.12.2\x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ node --version
v6.12.2

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs ls
  node/8.9.3/x64
 >node/6.12.2/x64 (Boron)

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs rm carbon
Specify a semantic version.

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs rm 8
- C:\Users\brodybits\AppData\Local\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs add lts
Extracting  [###########################################################################################] 100%
Added at: %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64\node.exe
To use this version now: nvs use node/8.9.3/x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs ls
  node/8.9.3/x64 (Carbon)
 >node/6.12.2/x64 (Boron)

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ nvs use lts
PATH -= %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\6.12.2\x64
PATH += %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvs\node\8.9.3\x64

C:\Users\brodybits\chris-work
λ node --version
v8.9.3

[jasongin]

Closing since I haven't heard any further reports of this problem. Feel free to reactivate if it's still valid.

[stevehipwell]

@jasongin I regularly get this issue when running nvs upgrade. Sometimes I can fix it by resetting the inherited permissions of the node folder.

[jasongin]

Reopening because some people are still hitting this. I'll try to investigate more.

[niheaven]

I got an EPERM error when I install nvs by msi, and also got it by git clone into some non-system volumn (E:..., not $Env:LOCALAPPDATA). In such situations, simply rm and add didn't solve the error. By setting $Env:NVS_HOME to some subdir that is not root dir of nvs, the error occurs as before.

But when I try to make a scoop manifest and persist the NVS_HOME, the error gone occasionally. Sometimes it happens once after first nvs add, and rm/add is okay. And sometimes it is always okay. I try to delete persisted nvs_home for a pure installation and not delete for a reinstallation, but things happened irregularly.

This is due to some dir permission inheritance during fs.renameSync(), that is what I can sure, and I hope it should help.

[vladimiry]

Just got this error running Tarvis CI job (windows os):

EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\ProgramData\nvs\node\10.14.2\x64\node-v10.14.2-win-x64\node_modules' -> 'C:\ProgramData\nvs\node\10.14.2\x64\node_modules'

See here why EPERM error is happening on Windows isaacs/node-graceful-fs#119. So often it happens because the resource is locked, but not because of a lack of access rights.

I use this module to cope with EPERM errors on Windows https://github.com/vladimiry/fs-no-eperm-anymore.