larksuite/cli · error

npm not found in PATH: %w

Error message

npm not found in PATH: %w

What it means

RunNpmInstall updates the CLI by running `npm install -g <package>@<version>`. Before spawning the process it resolves npm via exec.LookPath; if npm is not on PATH the error wraps the LookPath failure and is stored in NpmResult.Err instead of being returned directly.

Source

Thrown at internal/selfupdate/updater.go:243

		if part == ".pnpm" {
			return true
		}
		if part == "pnpm" && i+1 < len(parts) && parts[i+1] == "store" {
			return true
		}
	}
	return false
}

// RunNpmInstall executes npm install -g @larksuite/cli@<version>.
func (u *Updater) RunNpmInstall(version string) *NpmResult {
	if u.NpmInstallOverride != nil {
		return u.NpmInstallOverride(version)
	}
	r := &NpmResult{}
	npmPath, err := exec.LookPath("npm")
	if err != nil {
		r.Err = fmt.Errorf("npm not found in PATH: %w", err)
		return r
	}
	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), npmInstallTimeout)
	defer cancel()
	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, npmPath, "install", "-g", NpmPackage+"@"+version)
	cmd.Stdout = &r.Stdout
	cmd.Stderr = &r.Stderr
	r.Err = cmd.Run()
	if ctx.Err() == context.DeadlineExceeded {
		r.Err = fmt.Errorf("npm install timed out after %s", npmInstallTimeout)
	}
	return r
}

// RunPnpmInstall executes pnpm add -g @larksuite/cli@<version>.
func (u *Updater) RunPnpmInstall(version string) *NpmResult {
	if u.PnpmInstallOverride != nil {
		return u.PnpmInstallOverride(version)

View on GitHub (pinned to 7fd6ef3c07)

Solutions

1. Install Node.js/npm or verify with `npm --version` in the same shell
2. Add the npm bin directory to PATH (e.g. `export PATH="$HOME/.nvm/versions/node/vX/bin:$PATH"` for nvm)
3. Prefer the built-in update path if available, or reinstall manually (npm i -g <package>@<version>) once npm is on PATH
4. Check NpmResult.Err (not a returned error) — the updater surfaces this wrapped cause

Example fix

// before
$ lark update  # npm not found in PATH: exec: "npm": executable file not found in $PATH
// after
export PATH="$HOME/.nvm/versions/node/v20/bin:$PATH"
$ lark update

if _, err := exec.LookPath("npm"); err != nil {
	return fmt.Errorf("npm is required for self-update; install Node.js or add npm to PATH")
}

res := updater.RunNpmInstall(version)
if res.Err != nil {
	var execErr *exec.Error
	if errors.As(res.Err, &execErr) || strings.Contains(res.Err.Error(), "not found in PATH") {
		// fall back to manual update instructions instead of retrying
	}
	return res.Err
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling RunNpmInstall (self-update flow) on a machine where the npm executable is not installed, or exists only in a directory not on the current PATH (e.g. installed via nvm but PATH not loaded in non-interactive shells).

Common situations: Node.js installed but npm missing/broken; nvm/fnm managed Node not active in cron/CI/non-login shells; minimal containers without Node; PATH stripped under sudo.

Related errors

• pnpm not found in PATH: %w
• %s not found in PATH: %w
• lark-cli not found
• npm install timed out after %s
• cannot locate binary: %w

AI-assisted analysis of larksuite/cli@7fd6ef3c07 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/31f0352fcec07492. Report an issue: GitHub.