npm install ends with "npm ERR! Cannot read property '0' of undefined"

[maurelian]

What version of Ajv are you using? Does the issue happen if you use the latest version?
5.2.4

Yes.

Expected behavior

I can install AJV using npm

Observed behavior

I cannot install it.

$ npm install ajv
npm ERR! Cannot read property '0' of undefined

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     /Users/primary/.npm/_logs/2017-10-22T15_44_19_461Z-debug.log

Logs:
2017-10-22T15_44_19_461Z-debug.log

[epoberezkin]

@maurelian did you try re-installing all node modules?

[epoberezkin]

also, can you install the previous version: npm install ajv@5.2.3?

[epoberezkin]

closing it, please re-open if the issue persists

[codyx]

Long story short: delete node_modules folder and package-lock.json file.

Duplicate of npm/npm#17858 and npm/npm#18042

[mrpatel15]

same issues
2018-02-16T03_32_06_898Z-debug.log

[prmichaelsen]

Also be sure that you are simply not running a build watch. That was my issue.

[koteisaev]

Just got that error after any try to use node 8.15.1 and npm 6.9.0 either via nvm or viaoffical node installer.
48387 warn selfcad-api-server@0.0.0 No repository field. 48388 verbose stack TypeError: Cannot read property '0' of undefined 48388 verbose stack at rmStuff (C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\lib\unbuild.js:61:24) 48388 verbose stack at tryCatcher (C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\bluebird\js\release\util.js:16:23) 48388 verbose stack at ret (eval at makeNodePromisifiedEval (C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\bluebird\js\release\promisify.js:184:12), <anonymous>:13:39) 48388 verbose stack at lifecycle.then.then (C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\lib\install\action\unbuild.js:12:12) 48388 verbose stack at tryCatcher (C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\bluebird\js\release\util.js:16:23) 48388 verbose stack at Promise._settlePromiseFromHandler (C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\bluebird\js\release\promise.js:512:31) 48388 verbose stack at Promise._settlePromise (C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\bluebird\js\release\promise.js:569:18) 48388 verbose stack at Promise._settlePromise0 (C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\bluebird\js\release\promise.js:614:10) 48388 verbose stack at Promise._settlePromises (C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\bluebird\js\release\promise.js:694:18) 48388 verbose stack at Promise._fulfill (C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\bluebird\js\release\promise.js:638:18) 48388 verbose stack at C:\Users\kote\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\bluebird\js\release\nodeback.js:42:21 48388 verbose stack at <anonymous> 48389 verbose cwd F:\repos\node_gcs\backend 48390 verbose Windows_NT 10.0.17134 48391 verbose argv "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Users\\kote\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js" "install" 48392 verbose node v8.15.1 48393 verbose npm v6.9.0 48394 error Cannot read property '0' of undefined 48395 verbose exit [ 1, true ]
Really frustrating.
I just ried ot upgrade our project to node 8 and spent few hours on this problem!

[alpha3media]

Hi,
I found the issue. It seems like it is linked to all modules in package.json with "*", latest version. By changing the asterix with the latest version of each package it fix the problem.

I logged the what we are receiving on AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\lib\unbuild.js:61:24 file and found that for some libraries I was getting package information without the name.

[trackmystories]

Hey,
this issue is linked to the node_modules, I know this because I installed firebase and it did not complete installation however was registered to package.json.

I first removed firebase from package.json and hit npm install but the issue still persist.
I resolved this issue with the following steps (Please see the screen shot attached) :

step one: remove the faulty dependency from package.json in my case this was firebase.

step two : delete node_modules with rm -rf node_modules

step three : re-install node_modules with npm install

step four : npm start and it should work, at this stage you can reinstall the module which was cause an error which i did in my case firebase.

[rkretzer]

Certainly no thorough and persistent solution, but patching my

/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/unbuild.js:61

to

var parent = (pkg.name && pkg.name[0] === '@') ? path.dirname(path.dirname(folder)) : path.dirname(folder), hence adding pkg.name && to the condition and checking, if the package name exists, enabled me to make my installation work as a hotfix. Have spent hours frustrated before with this problem.

[A30001835]

still seeing this issue in node 10.13.0 with npm 6.4.1

[aaronamm]

@rkretzer Thank you so much. You've saved my life.