Cannot use Express after installing globally OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion

[kkerley]

I've been trying for the better part of 2 hours now to go through the Jumpstart Node.js book and I'm about ready to just give up. I've tried, countless times, to install express using

sudo npm install -g express@2.5.8

and even just the most recent version by removing everything after (and including) the @ symbol. It continues to install just fine, but EVERY time I try to do anything using "express <whatever>" in the terminal, I receive the following message:

-bash: express: command not found

I've ben searching all over Google to find a solution and I can't. I'm at my wit's end. I've tried running
npm link express (with and without sudo)

and that did nothing. I found a few posts on Stack Overflow about updating my .bash_profile and $PATH and nothing is working. I don't get it. And given the complete lack of topics anywhere about this, it would seem as though there is something I'm just not doing right because if this was a widespread issue, I would've been able to find a solution.

I'm following the book's instructions exactly but am unable to proceed and I'm about ready to throw my Macbook off my balcony. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Don Nguyen]

Can you post the console output of:

sudo npm install -g express@2.5.8

In the meantime, a global install is not strictly necessary. All that

express XYZ

does is create a directory with some default files. I have run the command myself and zipped up the output here:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12337149/template.zip

Let me know how you go

[kkerley]

Hey Don,

Thanks for the reply. This is the terminal output after running "sudo npm install -g express@2.5.8"

npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/express/2.5.8
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/express/2.5.8
npm WARN engine express@2.5.8: wanted: {"node":">= 0.4.1 < 0.7.0"} (current: {"node":"v0.8.8","npm":"1.1.59"})
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/mime/1.2.4
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/connect
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/qs
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/mkdirp/0.3.0
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/qs
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/mime/1.2.4
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/mkdirp/0.3.0
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/connect
npm WARN package.json connect@1.9.2 No README.md file found!
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/formidable
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/formidable
/usr/local/share/npm/bin/express -> /usr/local/share/npm/lib/node_modules/express/bin/express
express@2.5.8 /usr/local/share/npm/lib/node_modules/express
├── qs@0.4.2
├── mime@1.2.4
├── mkdirp@0.3.0
└── connect@1.9.2 (formidable@1.0.11)

[Don Nguyen]

What happens if you try to run

/usr/local/share/npm/bin/express

[kkerley]

I just got this:

Kyles-MacBook-Pro:~ kkerley$ /usr/local/share/npm/bin/express
destination is not empty, continue? y

create : .
create : ./package.json
create : ./app.js
create : ./public/javascripts
create : ./public/images
create : ./public/stylesheets
create : ./public/stylesheets/style.css
create : ./views
create : ./views/layout.jade
create : ./views/index.jade
create : ./routes
create : ./routes/index.js
create : ./public

dont forget to install dependencies:
$ cd . && npm install


...I don't get it.

[Don Nguyen]

That actually looks OK. The only thing missing is a directory. For now if you use

/usr/local/share/npm/bin/express

anywhere in the book you are supposed to type 'express' into the console you should be able to proceed.

[kkerley]

Yes...it's working now. Thank you so much, Don!