[BUG] "ERR! Cannot find module 'agentkeepalive'" trying to "npm install -g npm@7.6.0"

[codingthat]

As far as I know, this is not:

• [BUG] npm install -g npm may break npm installation #555 (I don't recall trying to upgrade and breaking anything, previously; plus, npm is not installed as root: if I try the same command with sudo, I get sudo: npm: command not found)
• [BUG] when globali install v7 I can not instal v6 #2454 (I'm running npm 7.5.3, not 6.x)
• [BUG] npx behavior in CI environments #1935 (not npx, not CI, just a local Linux environment)

Current Behavior:

When I open a terminal, I get this message:

npm notice
npm notice New minor version of npm available! 7.5.3 -> 7.6.0
npm notice Changelog: https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v7.6.0
npm notice Run npm install -g npm@7.6.0 to update!
npm notice

When I run npm install -g npm@7.6.0 as it suggests, I get:

npm ERR! code MODULE_NOT_FOUND
npm ERR! Cannot find module 'agentkeepalive'
npm ERR! Require stack:
npm ERR! - /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.1/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/agent.js
npm ERR! - /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.1/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/index.js
npm ERR! - /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.1/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-registry-fetch/index.js
npm ERR! - /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.1/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/remote.js
npm ERR! - /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.1/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/git.js
npm ERR! - /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.1/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/fetcher.js
npm ERR! - /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.1/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/index.js
npm ERR! - /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.1/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/update-notifier.js
npm ERR! - /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.1/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/cli.js
npm ERR! - /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.1/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR! /home/me/.npm/_logs/2021-03-04T07_50_45_244Z-debug.log

Expected Behavior:

A successful upgrade to npm 7.6.0.

Steps To Reproduce:

1. In Linux Mint 19.3 64-bit,
2. With nvm installed and pointing to v12.16.1 as the default,
3. Run npm install -g npm@7.6.0
4. See the above error

[codingthat]

Interestingly, despite npm --version showing 7.5.3 (matching the terminal notice I was given), I discovered this in attempting to update Node.js itself using nvm just now:

$ nvm use 14.16.0
Now using node v14.16.0 (npm v6.14.11)

So...I ran nvm install-latest-npm and that worked. Now nvm reports npm 7.6.0, and so does npm --version. Hurray!

I guess then the notice should be changed for those of us running nvm?

(I'm also curious why the recommended method didn't work, because I'm pretty sure I've upgraded exactly the same way previously, without trouble.)

[ljharb]

Unfortunately npm v7.5.3 had some issues, and once you'd upgraded to it in your node v12.16.1, you may have had to uninstall and reinstall that node version to be able to get a newer version of npm. I don't think this has anything to do with nvm itself (except that you were able to switch to a different node version that avoided the problem)

[codingthat]

Ah, OK...I didn't have to uninstall anything, I just used nvm to install the latest Node.js and then used nvm to install the latest npm. I'm not sure installing the latest Node.js even helped, necessarily, because as you can see above, the latest still had npm v6 attached to it.

[ljharb]

Only node 15 ships with npm 7 initially.

[paulvandenburg]

I'm not sure if this is the exact same issue, but I also have trouble upgrading my npm to the latest version (now 7.6.1) and I'm on Linux Mint 19.3 as well.
I'm not using nvm but using node 14.16.0.
I'm currently already on npm version 7.6.0, but attempting the upgrade (npm i -g npm) gives a similar error:

npm ERR! code MODULE_NOT_FOUND
npm ERR! Cannot find module 'agentkeepalive'
npm ERR! Require stack:
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/agent.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/index.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-registry-fetch/index.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/remote.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/git.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/fetcher.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/index.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/update-notifier.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/cli.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js

[PierrickGT]

I'm not sure if this is the exact same issue, but I also have trouble upgrading my npm to the latest version (now 7.6.1) and I'm on Linux Mint 19.3 as well.
I'm not using nvm but using node 14.16.0.
I'm currently already on npm version 7.6.0, but attempting the upgrade (npm i -g npm) gives a similar error:

npm ERR! code MODULE_NOT_FOUND
npm ERR! Cannot find module 'agentkeepalive'
npm ERR! Require stack:
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/agent.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/index.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-registry-fetch/index.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/remote.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/git.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/fetcher.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/index.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/update-notifier.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/cli.js
npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js

Had the same problem on Mac OS when running npm install -g npm@7.6.1 it works perfectly by running npm install -g npm@latest
Hope it helps :)

[paulvandenburg]

Just retried the same npm i -g npm and it succeeded this time. Maybe there was some quirk in the npm repos that has been resolved in the mean time?

[codingthat]

Interesting that the different formats give different results even though they target the same version in the end! Maybe that's the easiest way to fix the notification text so that it's universally applicable, then...

[xakraz]

Hi there 👋🏻

I am currently facing the same issue.

Env:

• Docker image: node:15-alpine
• Node: v15.12.0
• Npm 7.6.3

FROM node:15-alpine

# == Runtime config
#
RUN printf '\e[1;32m%-6s\e[m\n' "RUN - Updating NodeJS environment" \
    && npm set progress=false \
    && npm update -g npm \
    && printf '\e[1;32m%-6s\e[m\n' "-> Print version" \
    && node --version \
    && npm --version

npm notice 
npm notice New minor version of npm available! 7.6.3 -> 7.7.4
npm notice Changelog: <https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v7.7.4>
npm notice Run `npm install -g npm@7.7.4` to update!
npm notice 
npm notice 
npm notice New minor version of npm available! 7.6.3 -> 7.7.4
npm notice Changelog: <https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v7.7.4>
npm notice Run `npm install -g npm@7.7.4` to update!
npm notice 
npm ERR! code MODULE_NOT_FOUND
npm ERR! Cannot find module 'agentkeepalive'
npm ERR! Require stack:
npm ERR! - /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/agent.js
npm ERR! - /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/index.js
npm ERR! - /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-registry-fetch/index.js
npm ERR! - /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/remote.js
npm ERR! - /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/git.js
npm ERR! - /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/fetcher.js
npm ERR! - /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/index.js
npm ERR! - /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/update-notifier.js
npm ERR! - /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/cli.js
npm ERR! - /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     /root/.npm/_logs/2021-03-25T15_07_44_458Z-debug.log

[xakraz]

Interesting ...

When removing the line npm set progress=false it works every time 🤔

RUN - Updating NodeJS environment
-> Install latest NPM

removed 1 package, changed 14 packages, and audited 253 packages in 2s

11 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details

found 0 vulnerabilities
npm notice 
npm notice New minor version of npm available! 7.6.3 -> 7.7.4
npm notice Changelog: <https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v7.7.4>
npm notice Run `npm install -g npm@7.7.4` to update!
npm notice 
-> Print version
Node: v15.12.0
Npm: 7.7.4

[mikeharder]

This appears to be a transient issue. Using these repro steps, sometimes the install succeeds, and sometimes it fails with Cannot find module 'agentkeepalive':

$ docker run -it --rm --entrypoint bash node:15

root@9a2b1d9bf8b5:/# npm install -g npm@7.7.5

[aravindvnair99]

Node.js 15.13.0 here with npm 7.8.0

Failing in my CI environment when trying to upgrade to 7.9.0:

Step 11/14 : RUN npm -g config set user root
   ---> Running in f28f36afe680
  npm notice 
  npm notice New minor version of npm available! 7.8.0 -> 7.9.0
  npm notice Changelog: <https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v7.9.0>
  npm notice Run `npm install -g npm@7.9.0` to update!
  npm notice 
  Removing intermediate container f28f36afe680
   ---> d5ec03d8a834
  Step 12/14 : RUN npm i -g npm@latest
   ---> Running in 30964ef6d112
  npm ERR! code MODULE_NOT_FOUND
  npm ERR! Cannot find module 'agentkeepalive'
  npm ERR! Require stack:
  npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/agent.js
  npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/index.js
  npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-registry-fetch/index.js
  npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/remote.js
  npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/git.js
  npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/fetcher.js
  npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/index.js
  npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/update-notifier.js
  npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/cli.js
  npm ERR! - /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js
  
  npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
  npm ERR!     /root/.npm/_logs/2021-04-08T18_15_42_999Z-debug.log
  The command '/bin/sh -c npm i -g npm@latest' returned a non-zero code: 1