How to fix this npx error?

npm ERR! code ENOTEMPTY

2 min readAug 5, 2024

npm ERR! syscall rename

npm ERR! path

/Users/user_name.npm/_npx/7930a8670f922cdb/node_modules/caniuse-lite
npm ERR! dest /Users/user_name/.npm/_npx/7930a8670f922cdb/node_modules/.caniuse-lite-i2MQXR0B
npm ERR! errno -66
npm ERR! ENOTEMPTY: directory not empty, rename ‘/Users/user_name/.npm/_npx/7930a8670f922cdb/node_modules/caniuse-lite’ -> ‘/Users/user_name/.npm/_npx/7930a8670f922cdb/node_modules/.caniuse-lite-i2MQXR0B’

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in: /Users/hipster/.npm/_logs/2024–08–05T18_54_29_195Z-debug-0.log

The error you’re encountering is related to npm’s internal operations, specifically when it attempts to rename a directory during the installation process. Here’s a breakdown of the error message:

Error Breakdown

ENOTEMPTY: This error code stands for "Error: Not Empty". It indicates that npm tried to rename a directory but failed because the destination directory was not empty.
syscall rename: This shows that the error occurred during a file system operation, specifically a rename operation.
path: The original path that npm attempted to rename.
dest: The destination path that npm tried to move or rename the directory to.

Possible Causes

Directory Issues: The directory where npm is trying to move or rename files may already contain files or directories, causing a conflict.
Cache Corruption: npm’s cache might be corrupted or inconsistent, leading to problems during the installation process.
Permission Issues: There could be permission issues with the directories npm is trying to access or modify.

Steps to Resolve

Clear npm Cache:
Clearing the npm cache can often resolve issues related to corrupted or stale cache data:

npm cache clean --force

Delete the .npm Directory:

Manually delete the .npm directory where npm keeps its cache and temporary files. This directory can be found in your home directory:

rm -rf ~/.npm

Remove Temporary npx Directory:

The issue may be related to npx’s temporary files. Removing the specific npx temporary directory might help:

rm -rf ~/.npm/_npx

Reinstall Node.js and npm:
If the issue persists, consider reinstalling Node.js and npm to ensure that they are properly installed and configured.
Check Permissions:
Ensure that you have the correct permissions for the directories npm is trying to access. You can also try running the command with elevated permissions (though this is generally not recommended):

sudo npx react-native init linha

Consult the Log File:

Check the log file mentioned in the error message for more detailed information about the issue. The log file can be found at:

/Users/user_name/.npm/_logs/2024-08-04T20_29_40_840Z-debug-0.log