AWS Elastic Beanstalk Build Error: node-gyp requires that the user home directory is specified in either of the environmental variables HOME or USERPROFILE

[deerawan]

I have aws elastic beanstalk for node js application and I uploaded my node js app (zip file) to my instance but I saw this error in aws logs

The Error

node-gyp requires that the 'user'\''s' home directory is specified in either of the environmental variables HOME or 'USERPROFILE\n' at new Gyp '(/opt/elasticbeanstalk/node-install/node-v0.8.26-linux-x64/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/lib/node-gyp.js:54:11

Package.json

{
  "name": "testing-beanstalk",
  "description": "Testing Beanstalk",
  "author": "Bugan",
  "version": "1.0",
  "private": true,  
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "3.x",
    "socket.io": "0.9.6",
    "mysql": "2.0.1",
    "cron": "1.0.0",
  }
}

Any idea to solve this problem? How to set user home directory?

Thank you before

[chadkouse]

With eb you can define environment variables - is the question more about what directory to set it to?

[deerawan]

@chadkouse thank you for your response. :)

Where to define environment variables in EB? I tried to create .sh script in .ebextensions like this one below

files:
  "/opt/elasticbeanstalk/hooks/appdeploy/pre/05set_home_env.sh" :
    mode: "000775"
    owner: root
    group: root
    source: |
      #!/usr/bin/env bash
      . /opt/elasticbeanstalk/support/envvars
      export HOME=/home/user-ec2
      echo "Set home user ec2"

But fail when EB execute the sh file. I also check through the EB instance via SSH and run command "set" to see all environment variables and I see "HOME" var is already set to /home/user-ec2. But still node-gyp can't rebuild because the HOME is not set.

[deerawan]

Finally I solved it, there is no node-gyp error related anymore. The solution is I set HOME variable in the script below. This script will be executed in EB. :)

files:
  "/opt/elasticbeanstalk/hooks/appdeploy/pre/50npm.sh" :
    mode: "000775"
    owner: root
    group: root
    content: |
      #!/bin/bash          
      function error_exit
      {
        eventHelper.py --msg "$1" --severity ERROR
        exit $2
      }

      export HOME=/home/ec2-user
      echo "export home"

      OUT=$(/opt/elasticbeanstalk/containerfiles/ebnode.py --action npm-install 2>&1) || error_exit "Failed to run npm install.  $OUT" $?
      echo $OUT

it can be closed now. Thank you

[chadkouse]

@deerawan did you find a way to script this change or you are manually ssh'ing to your instances and making it?

[deerawan]

Yes, I find a way to insert this script without ssh-ing my instance. In EB, you can make configuration for deployment. It is stated in folder .ebextensions. EB will automatically execute file with .config extension. So, I just made a config file named env.config

Here is my node js project structure

- .ebextensions
---- env.config
- node_modules
- package.json
- server.js 

There are some default files (mostly .sh) that EB always execute in deployment process. One of them is 50npm.sh. The default content of this file is

      #!/bin/bash          
      function error_exit
      {
        eventHelper.py --msg "$1" --severity ERROR
        exit $2
      }

      OUT=$(/opt/elasticbeanstalk/containerfiles/ebnode.py --action npm-install 2>&1) || error_exit "Failed to run npm install.  $OUT" $?
      echo $OUT

So, in order to make node-gyp know the HOME environment variable, I just need to create new 50npm.sh in my config file which contain export home statement before npm install command. Below is my config file

env.config

packages:
  yum:
    git: []
    gcc: []
    make: []
    openssl-devel: []
    libxml2: []
    libxml2-devel: []    

option_settings:
  - option_name: NODE_ENV
    value: production
  - namespace: aws:elasticbeanstalk:container:nodejs
    option_name: NodeVersion
    value: 0.10.21

files:
  "/opt/elasticbeanstalk/hooks/appdeploy/pre/50npm.sh" :
    mode: "000775"
    owner: root
    group: root
    content: |
      #!/bin/bash          
      function error_exit
      {
        eventHelper.py --msg "$1" --severity ERROR
        exit $2
      }

      export HOME=/home/ec2-user # ADDED EXPORT COMMAND
      echo "export home" # JUST FOR REMARK

      OUT=$(/opt/elasticbeanstalk/containerfiles/ebnode.py --action npm-install 2>&1) || error_exit "Failed to run npm install.  $OUT" $?
      echo $OUT

The path "/opt/elasticbeanstalk/hooks/appdeploy/pre/50npm.sh" is important because it is the location of the default 50npm.sh. So, we need to replace the old one with ours.

The next step is deploy your node js to EB and voila it works :)

Hope it helps someone else who face the same problem.

[davidsketchdeck]

Thank you for sharing! It's really kind of you

[deerawan]

@davidsketchdeck you are welcome, david :)

[robmaceachern]

Thanks @deerawan :thumbsup:

[et304383]

This is not a valid fix. The module should be able to be installed without needing bash variables set.

The NPM package should be installable without any shell variables set. Please fix this. Nothing should be installed assuming a HOME directory or need a home directory value set. Nothing should be writing to the user home directory if I'm installing NPM packages globally.

[et304383]

Also, running Chef through CloudFormation using the nodejs_npm resource of the nodejs cookbook (https://github.com/redguide/nodejs) there is no opportunity to set bash variables.

Fix this properly - $HOME should NOT be required to install ANY software.

[ajf]

@eric-tucker :+1:

[smoya]

What is the current status of this issue? Because i have the same problem.

[kylev]

FWIW, I deployed a Node app to EB based on Amazon Linux 2015.03 today and this problem is no longer present. I poked around a bit and /opt/elasticbeanstalk/containerfiles/ebnode.py (which is used to drive the npm install) now sets $HOME.

(I'm not a fan of build tools depending on a homedir, but it does now seem to work.)

[chadkouse]

good news. Maybe I will try eb again. I gave up after many, many confusing and stalled deployments.

On Thu, Jul 23, 2015, 5:46 PM Kyle VanderBeek notifications@github.com wrote:

FWIW, I deployed a Node app to EB based on Amazon Linux 2015.03 today and this problem is no longer present. I poked around a bit and /opt/elasticbeanstalk/containerfiles/ebnode.py (which is used to drive the npm install) now sets $HOME.

(I'm not a fan of build tools depending on a homedir, but it does now seem to work.)

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub https://github.com/TooTallNate/node-gyp/issues/414#issuecomment-124248111 .

--chad

[rhyeal]

We ended up using a slightly modified version for our problem. Leaving it here for anyone else who may need it (bcrypt specific):

files:
  "/opt/elasticbeanstalk/hooks/appdeploy/pre/50npm.sh" :
    mode: "000775"
    owner: root
    group: root
    content: |
      #!/bin/bash
      #==============================================================================
      # Copyright 2013 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
      #
      # Licensed under the Amazon Software License (the "License"). You may not use
      # this file except in compliance with the License. A copy of the License is
      # located at
      #
      #       http://aws.amazon.com/asl/
      #
      # or in the "license" file accompanying this file. This file is distributed on
      # an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, express or
      # implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions
      # and limitations under the License.
      #==============================================================================

      export HOME=/home/ec2-user
      export USERPROFILE=/home/ec2-user

      sudo rm -rf /tmp/deployment/application/node_modules/bcrypt

      set -xe

      /opt/elasticbeanstalk/containerfiles/ebnode.py --action npm-install

[pauloaguiar91]

Thank you so much! @rhyeal and all. Your solution did the trick. Relatively painless process thanks to this thread.

[joelwass]

Don't forget to have an .ebignore file. The .ebignore file should (generally) just be:

node_modules/

This was my error - I was on a wild goose chase for hours.

[GuillaumeSarfati]

Hello,

Sorry I have the same issue , I have tried your solutions but nothing works..

I have tried deerawan's config I have tried rhyeal's config

Do you have other solutions ?

node version: 4.4.3 os: 64bit Amazon Linux 2016.03 v2.1.1 running Node.js

Thanks !

[whatch]

this is still an issue; deploying to aws elastic beanstalk, and running into this same issue. Also have issues with it on windows, docker, and on it goes. It literally has to be the largest point of failure in the node world. fix it for christ sakes

[akaNightmare]

+1

[dankolesnikov]

@GuillaumeSarfati Were you able to resolve the issue? This is still active:/

[florianbepunkt]

Also still having issues deploying to AWS EB. node-gyp rebuild fails… anyone came up with a solution?

[bnoordhuis]

A solution is outlined in https://github.com/nodejs/node-gyp/issues/414#issuecomment-37620497. As to this:

Fix this properly - $HOME should NOT be required to install ANY software.

node-gyp needs a place to download the SDK to. If you don't pass --devdir, it defaults to $HOME/.node-gyp. See the README for more info.

[andythecoderman]

We ended up using a slightly modified version for our problem. Leaving it here for anyone else who may need it (bcrypt specific):

files:
  "/opt/elasticbeanstalk/hooks/appdeploy/pre/50npm.sh" :
    mode: "000775"
    owner: root
    group: root
    content: |
      #!/bin/bash
      #==============================================================================
      # Copyright 2013 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
      #
      # Licensed under the Amazon Software License (the "License"). You may not use
      # this file except in compliance with the License. A copy of the License is
      # located at
      #
      #       http://aws.amazon.com/asl/
      #
      # or in the "license" file accompanying this file. This file is distributed on
      # an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, express or
      # implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions
      # and limitations under the License.
      #==============================================================================

      export HOME=/home/ec2-user
      export USERPROFILE=/home/ec2-user

      sudo rm -rf /tmp/deployment/application/node_modules/bcrypt

      set -xe

      /opt/elasticbeanstalk/containerfiles/ebnode.py --action npm-install

Thank you this worked for me, or at least got me past this issue :)

[fahads]

None of the above worked for me. This is what did. In root add .npmrc file and in it:

unsafe-perm=true

Then eb deploy again and you should be good to go.

from SO