npm ls -g empty output (npm 3)

[Alex0007]

alex@alex-Aspire-7741:~/Development/projects/manager$ nvm --version
0.30.1
alex@alex-Aspire-7741:~/Development/projects/manager$ node -v
v5.3.0
alex@alex-Aspire-7741:~/Development/projects/manager$ npm --version
3.3.12

[ljharb]

hm, that definitely shouldn't be possible. What's nvm debug print out? What OS are you on?

[Alex0007]

Ubuntu 16.04 64-bit

alex@alex-Aspire-7741:~$ nvm debug
nvm --version: v0.30.1
$SHELL: /bin/bash
$HOME: /home/alex
$NVM_DIR: '$HOME/.nvm'
$PREFIX: ''
$NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX: ''
nvm current: v5.3.0
which node: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v5.3.0/bin/node
which iojs: 
which npm: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v5.3.0/bin/npm
npm config get prefix: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v5.3.0
npm root -g: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v5.3.0/lib/node_modules
bash: [: : integer expression expected

[ljharb]

(that syntax error at the end is a red herring, fixed in 6094dac)

none of that seems wrong. what about cd $(npm root -g) && ls -la?

[Alex0007]

@ljharb

I've removed all node versions, cleared .npm folder and installed node 5
Everything is normal now

I think the problem was in
nvm reinstall-packages 4 command, but im not sure

[ljharb]

Interesting - any idea what global packages you had previously installed on v4?

[Alex0007]

Something like this, nothing special

├── grunt-cli@0.1.13
├── gulp@3.9.0
├── minihost@0.4.0
├── node-dev@2.7.1
├── np@1.2.1
├── npm@3.3.12
├── watchalive@1.0.5
├── watchalive-less@0.1.0
└── webtorrent@0.67.0

[ljharb]

i wonder if the np somehow conflicted with npm. I guess I'll close this for now but please follow up if it happens again!

[raineorshine]

I'm experiencing the same issue.

Using npm v2.14.7, npm ls -g works as expected:

raine[node_modules]$ nvm use 4
Now using node v4.2.1 (npm v2.14.7)

raine[node_modules]$ ls `npm -g prefix`/lib/node_modules
bower/             nodemon/           npm-check-updates@ stylint/
bower-name/        npm/               snyk/

raine[node_modules]$ npm ls -g
/Users/raine/.nvm/versions/node/v4.2.1/lib
├── bower@1.6.8
├── bower-name@1.1.0
├── nodemon@1.8.1
├── npm@2.14.7
├── npm-check-updates@2.5.6 -> /Users/raine/projects/npm-check-updates
├── snyk@1.1.1
└── stylint@1.2.2

Using npm v3.3.12, npm ls -g prints two empty lines, even though there are clearly modules installed in the global prefix:

raine[node_modules]$ nvm use 5
Now using node v5.1.0 (npm v3.3.12)

raine[node_modules]$ ls `npm -g prefix`/lib/node_modules
bower/                       gulp/                        prefixnote@
browserslist/                gulp-striate@                pulp/
generator-raine-npm-module@  livereload@                  purescript/
generator-refactoru-express/ ngrok/                       striate@
generator-refactoru-html/    node-gyp/                    template20@
generator-yoga@              nodemon/                     yo/
generator-yoga-base@         npm/
generator-yoga-test@         npm-check-updates@

raine[node_modules]$ npm ls -g


raine[node_modules]$ 

[ljharb]

@metaraine What does nvm debug and npm root -g print out?

[raineorshine]

raine[node_modules]$ nvm use 5
Now using node v5.1.0 (npm v3.3.12)

raine[node_modules]$ npm root -g
/Users/raine/.nvm/versions/node/v5.1.0/lib/node_modules

raine[node_modules]$ nvm debug
$SHELL: /bin/bash
$NVM_DIR: '$HOME/.nvm'
$PREFIX: ''
$NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX: ''
nvm current: v5.1.0
which node: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v5.1.0/bin/node
which iojs: 
which npm: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v5.1.0/bin/npm
npm config get prefix: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v5.1.0
npm root -g: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v5.1.0/lib/node_modules
raine[node_modules]$ 

[ljharb]

@metaraine what does npm config list say?

[raineorshine]

raine[node_modules]$ npm config list
; cli configs
user-agent = "npm/3.3.12 node/v5.1.0 darwin x64"

; userconfig /Users/raine/.npmrc
adepth = "-1"
depth = 0

; node bin location = /Users/raine/.nvm/versions/node/v5.1.0/bin/node
; cwd = /Users/raine/.nvm/versions/node/v5.1.0/lib/node_modules
; HOME = /Users/raine
; "npm config ls -l" to show all defaults.