nodejs/node · error · Error

Package name must be specified either as an argument or in…

Error message

Package name must be specified either as an argument or in package.json file

What it means

Thrown by TrustCommand.flagsToOptions when neither a positional package name nor a package.json `name` field is available. Identical root cause to error 62/63 but reached via the create flow: pkgName = pkgPositional || pkgJsonName, and both are undefined. The guard fires before file/entity checks, so it is the first thing flagsToOptions validates.

Solutions

Pass the package name as the first positional: `npm trust gitlab @scope/pkg --file ... --project ...`.
Add a `name` field to the local package.json.
Run the command from the package root that contains a valid package.json.

Example fix

// before
npm trust gitlab --file .gitlab-ci.yml --project g/p --allow-publish
// after
npm trust gitlab @scope/pkg --file .gitlab-ci.yml --project g/p --allow-publish

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

const pkgName = positionalArg || (await readPkgJsonSafe()).name
if (!pkgName) {
  throw new Error('Provide the package name positionally or via package.json#name')
}

Type guard

const hasUsableName = (positional, pkg) =>
  Boolean(positional) || Boolean(pkg && pkg.name)

Try / catch

try {
  await createConfigCommand(...)
} catch (err) {
  if (/Package name must be specified/i.test(err.message)) {
    // supply a positional package name and retry
  } else { throw err }
}

Prevention

Pass the package name as the first positional when scripting trust creation.
Ensure package.json in cwd has a `name` field.
Run from the package's own checkout directory.

When it happens

Trigger: Running `npm trust <provider> --file ... --project ...` from a directory with no package.json (or one missing `name`) and no positional package argument. optionalPkgJson returns {} on read failure.

Common situations: Setting up trust for a package whose checkout isn't present; running from a docs/scripts folder; a scaffolded package.json without a name yet.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of nodejs/node@1b2de5e052 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b63e949b1229d316. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at deps/npm/lib/trust-cmd.js:273

    const usedPkgNameFromPkgJson = !pkgPositional && Boolean(pkgJsonName)
    const invalidPkgJsonProviderType = matchPkg && git && git?.type !== name

    let entity
    let entitySource

    if (flags[entityKey]) {
      entity = flags[entityKey]
      entitySource = 'flag'
    } else if (!invalidPkgJsonProviderType && git?.repository) {
      entity = git.repository
      entitySource = 'package.json'
    }
    const mismatchPkgJsonRepository = matchPkg && git && entity !== git.repository
    const usedRepositoryInPkgJson = entitySource === 'package.json'

    const warnings = []
    if (!pkgName) {
      throw new Error('Package name must be specified either as an argument or in package.json file')
    }

    if (!flags.file) {
      throw new Error(`${providerFile} must be specified with the file option`)
    }
    if (!flags.file.endsWith('.yml') && !flags.file.endsWith('.yaml')) {
      throw new Error(`${providerFile} must end in .yml or .yaml`)
    }

    this.validateFile?.(flags.file)

    if (invalidPkgJsonProviderType) {
      const message = this.warnString`Repository in package.json is not a ${providerEntity}`
      if (!flags[entityKey]) {
        throw new Error(message)
      } else {
        warnings.push(message)
      }

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