title: npm global path prefix
body: <p>I am being more cautious than usual because I have been confused by the behavior of <code>npm</code> in the past. </p>
  
  <p>I am on a Mac and have installed node.js through <code>brew install node</code>. </p>
  
  <p>Now that I want to run <code>jslint.js</code> on the command-line as the command <code>jslint</code> I find that the canonical way to accomplish this is <code>sudo npm install -g jslint</code> which ran successfully with this output: </p>
  
  <pre><code>$ sudo npm install -g jslint
  npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/jslint
  npm http 200 https://registry.npmjs.org/jslint
  npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/jslint/-/jslint-0.1.9.tgz
  npm http 200 https://registry.npmjs.org/jslint/-/jslint-0.1.9.tgz
  npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/nopt
  npm http 200 https://registry.npmjs.org/nopt
  npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/nopt/-/nopt-1.0.10.tgz
  npm http 200 https://registry.npmjs.org/nopt/-/nopt-1.0.10.tgz
  npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/abbrev
  npm http 200 https://registry.npmjs.org/abbrev
  npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/abbrev/-/abbrev-l.0.4.tgz
  npm http 200 https://registry.npmjs.org/abbrev/-/abbrev-1.0.4.tgz
  /usr/local/share/npm/bin/jslint -&gt; /usr/local/share/npm/lib/node_modules/jslint/
  bin/jslint.js
  jslint@0.1.9 /usr/local/share/npm/lib/node_modules/jslint
  └── nopt@1.0.10 (abbrev@1.0.4)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Subsequently</p>
  
  <pre><code>$ jslint ply.js
  zsh: command not found: jslint
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>due to <code>/usr/local/share/npm/bin</code> not being in my <code>$PATH</code>. </p>
  
  <p>1) Why did <code>brew</code> not install global <code>npm</code> <code>bin</code> path to path? Maybe it did, but something <code>zsh</code> does is messing it up. Where might I be able to find that?<br>
  2) Should I do this? (Append <code>:/usr/local/share/npm/bin</code> to the exported <code>$PATH</code> at the bottom of my <code>~/.zshrc</code>)</p>
  
  <p>It seems like this isn't the right way to do it because if I install something else later (using Homebrew or something) I'll be needing to append it to my zsh startup script to set the path. I guess in this particular instance it's just a matter of the <code>npm install -g</code> not making the right symlinks in a "proper" location (like <code>/usr/local/bin</code> maybe).</p>
  
  <p>I think what I will do is manually build out symlinks inside <code>/usr/local/bin</code> for any programs that I have trouble with and it should be good enough for my purposes. </p>
  
  <p><strong>EDIT</strong>: I'm updating this in 2019, because this old question is popular but now outdated both in terms of my personal workflow and also in terms of how to best go about installing node and managing its various dependencies. </p>
  
  <p>My personal workflow is now to use the installer obtained from nodejs.org to install node on systems. I actually trust this more than the homebrew package itself, because it knows best how to manage the files. If you want to change your system node from 8.10 to 10.15, whether on Mac or Windows, simply download the installer from nodejs.org for 10.15 for your OS. Attempting to upgrade node installed via homebrew has always proven to be a more difficult approach in my experience.</p>
  
  <p>Also, the biggest thing to point out is that the use of sudo as shown in my npm install of jslint example above is highly discouraged; I am fairly certain that homebrew packages should never be installed or interacted with in any way using the superuser. It should not be necessary, and will lead to file permission headaches!</p>
  
  <p>Furthermore I recommend ESLint over jslint, and have not used jslint in years. </p>