[BUG] npx doesn’t consider globally installed namespaced packages

[rauschma]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Related issues

• [BUG] npx binary does not account for globally-installed packages #1746
• [BUG] npx does not work with single executable binaries #2894

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

Installation

I installed a package via sudo npm link (without publishing it to the registry):

% cd ~/tmp/hello/
% sudo npm link

Result:

% npm ls -g
/usr/local/lib
├── @rauschma/hello@1.0.0 -> ./../../../Users/rauschma/tmp/hello
├── corepack@0.24.0
├── npm@10.2.4
└── typescript@5.3.3

Interaction

I’m unable to use npx @rauschma/hello:

% cd $HOME

% hello
Hello!

% npx hello
Hello!

% npx @rauschma/hello
npm ERR! code E404
npm ERR! 404 Not Found - GET https://registry.npmjs.org/@rauschma%2fhello - Not found
npm ERR! 404 
npm ERR! 404  '@rauschma/hello@*' is not in this registry.
npm ERR! 404 
npm ERR! 404 Note that you can also install from a
npm ERR! 404 tarball, folder, http url, or git url.

% npx --package @rauschma/hello hello   
npm ERR! code E404
npm ERR! 404 Not Found - GET https://registry.npmjs.org/@rauschma%2fhello - Not found
npm ERR! 404 
npm ERR! 404  '@rauschma/hello@*' is not in this registry.
npm ERR! 404 
npm ERR! 404 Note that you can also install from a
npm ERR! 404 tarball, folder, http url, or git url.

Expected Behavior

I expected npx @rauschma/hello to work.

Steps To Reproduce

• Clone the following GitHub repo: https://github.com/rauschma/hello
• Use as described in its readme (and above).

Environment

• npm: 10.2.4
• Node.js: v21.6.2
• OS Name: macOS Sonoma 14.3.1
• System Model Name: MacBook Pro 14-inch with an M1 Pro
• npm config:

; "user" config from /Users/rauschma/.npmrc

//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken = (protected) 
loglevel = "error" 

; node bin location = /usr/local/bin/node
; node version = v21.6.2
; npm local prefix = /Users/rauschma/tmp/hello
; npm version = 10.2.4
; cwd = /Users/rauschma/tmp/hello
; HOME = /Users/rauschma
; Run `npm config ls -l` to show all defaults.

[ljharb]

If you’re linking it globally you don’t need npx to use it, tho.

[rauschma]

I know! The idea is to invoke a bin script via npx then users can choose between:

• Installing locally
• Installing globally
• Letting npx install it

[ljharb]

yeah that makes sense - i would definitely expect npx to check local first, then global, then the registry. Is this perhaps a duplicate of #5596?

[rauschma]

i would definitely expect npx to check local first, then global, then the registry.

Right. That’s how it works with non-namespaced packages.

[what1s1ove]

Hey @ljharb !

I have the same problem, and it seems it started with the 20.11 Node release (and its other components).

Node.js - 20.10.0
npm/npx - 10.2.3
build command - pass

Node.js - 20.11.0
npm/npx - 10.2.4
build command - fail (due to the suggestion to install the package. What I really don’t want, but I want to use the version from node_modules (behavior of Node 20.10)

I do not have a lot of time to investigate more now, but hope it will help a bit 🙏

[milaninfy]

not able to reproduce the issue with the steps provided. Likely that this issue might be fixed. Please try with latest npm.

~/workarea/rep $ sudo npm link

added 1 package, and audited 3 packages in 453ms

found 0 vulnerabilities
~/workarea/rep $ hello
Hello dfsdf!
~/workarea/rep $ npx hello
Hello dfsdf!
~/workarea/rep $ npx @rauschma/hello
Hello dfsdf!
~/workarea/rep $ npm -v
10.2.4

[rauschma]

Thanks! It indeed looks like the issue is fixed now.