EACCES npm Cache Permission Error — Fix (2026)

The Error

npm ERR! code EACCES
npm ERR! syscall open
npm ERR! path /Users/you/.npm/_cacache/index-v5/3a/bc/defg123
npm ERR! errno -13
npm ERR! permission denied

This error occurs during npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code when the npm cache directory has incorrect ownership, usually caused by a previous sudo npm install.

The Fix

  1. Fix ownership of the npm cache:
sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/.npm
  1. Retry the installation:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
  1. Verify it works:
claude --version

Why This Happens

When you run sudo npm install -g even once, npm creates cache files owned by root in ~/.npm/. Subsequent non-sudo npm commands cannot read or write to these root-owned cache files, causing EACCES errors. The cache is separate from the global install directory — fixing PATH does not help here.

If That Doesn’t Work

  • Delete the entire cache and rebuild:
rm -rf ~/.npm/_cacache
npm cache verify
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
  • Check for other root-owned files in your home directory:
find ~ -maxdepth 3 -user root -type f 2>/dev/null | head -20
  • If using nvm, reinstall nvm’s node to get a clean npm environment:
nvm install 22 --reinstall-packages-from=current

Prevention

Add this to your CLAUDE.md:

# npm Permissions
- Never use sudo with npm install. Use nvm instead.
- If EACCES appears, fix with: sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/.npm
- Use npm config set prefix ~/.npm-global to avoid system directories.

This fix also applies if you see these related error messages:

  • EACCES: permission denied, open '/path/to/file'
  • Error: EPERM: operation not permitted
  • sudo: a terminal is required to read the password
  • EACCES: permission denied, mkdir '/usr/local/lib/node_modules'
  • npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, rename

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I run Claude Code with sudo?

No. Running Claude Code with sudo is strongly discouraged because it changes the ownership of cached files and configuration to root, which causes permission failures in subsequent non-sudo sessions. Instead, fix the underlying permission issue on the specific file or directory.

How do I check file ownership?

Run ls -la /path/to/file to see the owner and group. If the file is owned by root but you run Claude Code as a regular user, run sudo chown $(whoami) /path/to/file to reclaim ownership.

Does this affect CI/CD environments?

Yes. Docker containers and CI runners often execute as root, which creates files that a non-root user cannot modify later. Set USER node in your Dockerfile or use --user $(id -u):$(id -g) with docker run to match the host user.

Why does npm need special permissions?

When Node.js is installed via system package managers, the global node_modules directory is owned by root. Running npm install -g as a regular user fails because the user lacks write access. Use nvm or configure npm to use a user-owned prefix directory to avoid this.

Set it up → Build your permission config with our Permission Configurator.

Try it: Paste your error into our Error Diagnostic for an instant fix.

Permission Issues in Claude Code

File permission errors occur when Claude Code’s process does not have read or write access to the files it needs to operate on. This is common in several scenarios:

System-installed packages. Global npm packages installed with sudo are owned by root. Claude Code runs as your user and cannot modify them. Fix with npm config set prefix ~/.npm-global and add ~/.npm-global/bin to your PATH.

Shared project directories. In team environments, files may be owned by a different user or group. Run ls -la on the failing path to check ownership. Fix with chmod -R u+rw . for the project directory.

macOS security restrictions. macOS Sequoia and later restrict terminal apps from accessing Desktop, Documents, and Downloads without explicit permission. Grant Full Disk Access to your terminal app in System Settings > Privacy & Security.

Fixing Common Permission Patterns

# Fix npm global permission (one-time setup)
mkdir -p ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix ~/.npm-global
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
# Fix project directory permissions
chmod -R u+rw .
# Fix git hook permissions
chmod +x .git/hooks/*
# Check what user Claude Code runs as
whoami
id

Each fix targets a different permission boundary. Apply only the fix that matches your specific error path.