npm not found on PATH. Install manually: npm install -g @age

Error message

npm not found on PATH. Install manually: npm install -g @agentmemory/agentmemory

What it means

During first-run global-install prompting, agentmemory tries to install the CLI globally via npm (`npm install -g @agentmemory/agentmemory`). Before running it, it checks for an npm executable on PATH with whichBinary; if none is found it warns with the manual install command and skips auto-install. The library does not fail — it delegates installation to the user.

Source

Thrown at src/cli.ts:1218

    message:
      "Install agentmemory globally so the bare `agentmemory` command works in any shell? [Y/n]",
    initialValue: true,
  });
  if (p.isCancel(answer)) {
    // Treat Ctrl+C as "not now" rather than "never". Don't persist.
    return;
  }
  if (answer === false) {
    writePrefs({ skipGlobalInstall: true });
    p.log.info(
      "Skipped. Re-run via `npx @agentmemory/agentmemory` or install later with: npm install -g @agentmemory/agentmemory",
    );
    return;
  }

  const npmBin = whichBinary("npm");
  if (!npmBin) {
    p.log.warn(
      "npm not found on PATH. Install manually: npm install -g @agentmemory/agentmemory",
    );
    return;
  }
  const ok = runCommand(
    npmBin,
    ["install", "-g", `@agentmemory/agentmemory@${VERSION}`],
    { label: `Installing @agentmemory/agentmemory@${VERSION} globally` },
  );
  if (ok) {
    p.log.success(
      "Installed globally. `agentmemory stop` etc. will now work in new shells.",
    );
    // Persist so we never re-prompt even if the user happens to npx
    // again from a CI-less TTY.
    writePrefs({ skipGlobalInstall: true });
  } else {
    p.log.warn(

View on GitHub (pinned to e04ba88819)

Solutions

Install Node.js/npm or fix PATH so `npm` resolves (`which npm` must succeed).
With nvm: `source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh` or ensure the nvm init line is in your shell rc for non-interactive shells.
Install the package manually as the message says: `npm install -g @agentmemory/agentmemory`.
Re-run `agentmemory` setup; it will detect the global install and skip the prompt.

Example fix

// before: npm missing from PATH
$ echo $PATH   # no nvm/node bin dirs
// after
$ source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh && which npm && agentmemory start

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

import { execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
function npmOnPath(): boolean {
  try { execFileSync(IS_WINDOWS ? "where" : "which", ["npm"], { stdio: "ignore" }); return true; }
  catch { return false; }
}
if (!npmOnPath()) console.error("Install Node.js/npm first");

Prevention

Source nvm/fnm/volta init in non-interactive shells too.
Use full Node distributions that ship npm (not slim/scratch images).
After installing Node, reopen shells so PATH updates apply.
Verify with `which npm` before first-run setup.

When it happens

Trigger: Running the CLI from a system where `which npm` (or `where npm` on Windows) returns nothing — Node installed via a version manager whose bin dir is not on PATH in this shell, or npm removed after a partial Node uninstall.

Common situations: Docker slim images shipping node without npm symlinks; nvm/fnm/volta not initialized in non-interactive shells; using npx in an environment lacking npm; Windows PATH not refreshed after Node install.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of rohitg00/agentmemory@e04ba88819 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1aa7f30f68ed6375. Report an issue: GitHub.