[BUG] npm ERR! Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'isStream')

[mahfuzkhan12]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

npm ERR! Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'isStream')
Can't install any node packages

Full error -
npm verb cli /usr/bin/node /usr/bin/npm
npm info using npm@9.8.0
npm info using node@v20.5.0
npm verb title npm install
npm verb argv "install" "--loglevel" "verbose"
npm verb logfile logs-max:10 dir:/home/mahfuz/.npm/_logs/2023-08-07T05_59_47_571Z-
npm verb logfile /home/mahfuz/.npm/_logs/2023-08-07T05_59_47_571Z-debug-0.log
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/win32-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/win32-ia32
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/win32-arm64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/sunos-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/openbsd-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/netbsd-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-s390x
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-riscv64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-ppc64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-mips64el
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-loong64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-ia32
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-arm64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-arm
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/freebsd-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/freebsd-arm64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/darwin-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/darwin-arm64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/android-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/android-arm64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/android-arm
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/fsevents
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/win32-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/win32-ia32
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/win32-arm64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/sunos-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/openbsd-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/netbsd-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-s390x
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-riscv64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-ppc64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-mips64el
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-loong64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-ia32
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-arm64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-arm
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/freebsd-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/freebsd-arm64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/darwin-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/darwin-arm64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/android-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/android-arm64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/android-arm
npm verb audit error TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'isStream')
npm verb audit error at new Body (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/lib/body.js:43:18)
npm verb audit error at new Request (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/lib/request.js:51:5)
npm verb audit error at makeFetchHappen (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/lib/index.js:9:19)
npm verb audit error at doFetch (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-registry-fetch/lib/index.js:108:15)
npm verb audit error at async [getReport] (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/audit-report.js:335:21)
npm verb audit error at async AuditReport.run (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/audit-report.js:106:19)
npm verb audit error TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'isStream')
npm verb audit error at new Body (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/lib/body.js:43:18)
npm verb audit error at new Request (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/lib/request.js:51:5)
npm verb audit error at makeFetchHappen (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/lib/index.js:9:19)
npm verb audit error at doFetch (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-registry-fetch/lib/index.js:108:15)
npm verb audit error at async [getReport] (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/audit-report.js:335:21)
npm verb audit error at async AuditReport.run (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/audit-report.js:106:19)
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/hpagent
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@types/yauzl
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-x64
npm verb reify failed optional dependency /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch/node_modules/vite/node_modules/@esbuild/linux-x64
npm verb stack TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'isStream')
npm verb stack at new Body (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/lib/body.js:43:18)
npm verb stack at new Request (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/lib/request.js:51:5)
npm verb stack at makeFetchHappen (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/lib/index.js:9:19)
npm verb stack at doFetch (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-registry-fetch/lib/index.js:108:15)
npm verb cwd /home/mahfuz/app_d/farrer_watch
npm verb Linux 5.15.0-78-generic
npm verb node v20.5.0
npm verb npm v9.8.0
npm ERR! Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'isStream')
npm verb exit 1
npm verb unfinished npm timer reify 1691387987664
npm verb unfinished npm timer reify:unpack 1691387987896
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:web/frontend/node_modules/scheduler 1691387987896
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:web/frontend/node_modules/react-router-dom 1691387987896
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:web/frontend/node_modules/react-dom 1691387987896
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:web/frontend/node_modules/react 1691387987896
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:web/frontend/node_modules/@shopify/polaris 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/zod-to-json-schema 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/zod 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/zip-stream 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/yoga-wasm-web 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/yocto-queue 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/yn 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/yauzl 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/yarn 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/yargs-parser 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/yaml 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/yallist 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/xmlchars 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/xml-name-validator 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/ws 1691387987897
npm verb unfinished npm timer reifyNode:node_modules/write-f

Expected Behavior

No response

Steps To Reproduce

1. In this environment...
2. With this config...
3. Run '...'
4. See error...

Environment

• npm:
• Node.js:
• OS Name:
• System Model Name:
• npm config:

; copy and paste output from `npm config ls` here

[BAKFR]

I've got this bug when trying a npm install foobar on an empty project.

This is from a system install on Gentoo

npm config:

; node bin location = /usr/bin/node
; node version = v20.6.1
; npm local prefix = /home/bak/tmp
; npm version = 9.8.1
; cwd = /home/bak/tmp
; HOME = /home/bak
; Run `npm config ls -l` to show all defaults.

Full log: 2023-12-07T14_49_12_036Z-debug-0.log

The relevant part:

TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'isStream')
      at new Body (/usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/lib/body.js:43:18)
      at new Request (/usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/lib/request.js:51:5)
      at makeFetchHappen (/usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/make-fetch-happen/lib/index.js:9:19)
      at doFetch (/usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-registry-fetch/lib/index.js:108:15)
      at async RegistryFetcher.packument (/usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/registry.js:87:19)
      at async RegistryFetcher.manifest (/usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/pacote/lib/registry.js:118:23)

[BAKFR]

I've found the problem:
the npm system install is inconsistent: there is a minipass 3.3.6 inside the node_modules of minipass-fetch 3.0.3, but it should be v5

jq '.version, .dependencies' < /usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/package.json

"3.0.3"
{
  "minipass": "^5.0.0",
  "minipass-sized": "^1.0.3",
  "minizlib": "^2.1.2"
}

jq '.version' < /usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/node_modules/minipass/package.json

"3.3.6"

---

It may be specific to Gentoo. @mahfuzkhan12 on which OS did you get this error ?

In my case, I suspect the nodejs system upgrade does not cleanup all obsolete files.

[BAKFR]

After more thought, i'm 95% sure of what's happened.

I used npm install -g npm in the past, leading to the creation of /usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch.
When I did a system update, it installed the new npm version in its usual path: /usr/lib64/node_modules/npm.
However, this action didn't remove the npm node_modules content, but instead did overwrite the file, thus preserving the folder /usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass-fetch/node_modules/minipass.

The recent npm version use the different path /usr/lib64/node_modules/npm/node_modules/minipass for this dependency.

When resolving dependencies with nodejs, the old version takes priority: old minipass is nested inside minipass-fetch. new minipass is at the same level.

---

I believe this bug is not specific to Gentoo.

Quick fix : uninstall system npm, remove /usr/lib64/node_modules/npm if the folder is still there, then reinstall npm.

Bug #6665 is a duplicate of this one.

[yjeanrenaud]

it is not specicific to Gentoo. Had this on debian, too

[pekingPow]

Quick fix : uninstall system npm, remove /usr/lib64/node_modules/npm if the folder is still there, then reinstall npm.

Similar issue on Mint 20.
This solution worked for me:

1. Uninstall npm:
   sudo apt-get remove npm

2. Remove npm directory:
   sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/node_modules/npm # This path might vary

3. Reinstall npm:

nvm install node  # Installs the latest version of Node.js and npm
nvm use node

4. Verify installation:
   npm -v

5. Reinstall project dependencies:

cd /path/to/your/project
npm install

[milaninfy]

Closing I believe this issue might have been fixed on latest since recent versions have some fixes and improvements.
If issue persist feel free to create new issue or reopen this.