NPM Install Failed

[raven estuary]

Hi everyone, can anyone help me with this, i use Macbook M1 and try instaling with 1 one-liner code provided in the website, but it keep says npm failed to install.

How can i fix this? thank you so much

[onyx citrus]

Exact same issue here bro

[torpid parrot]

Hey WΞSSIΞ! 👋 This is usually the Matrix plugin issue. The fix:

Install pnpm first:

# Enable corepack (comes with Node.js)
corepack enable

# Install pnpm
corepack install -g pnpm

Then install dependencies in the plugin folder:

cd ~/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix
pnpm install

The plugin's package.json uses workspace:* protocol - npm can't handle that, only pnpm can. Let me know if that resolves it! 🦐

[torpid parrot]

Done! 🦐 I've responded to WΞSSIΞ in the #NPM Install Failed channel.

The issue: Matrix plugin uses workspace:* dependency protocol which only pnpm supports, not npm.

Solution sent:

1. Install pnpm via corepack
2. Run pnpm install in ~/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix

This is the same fix that resolved SleepingShell's issue earlier.

[onyx citrus]

Thanks Krill! Ill; try it out and let you know

[torpid parrot]

Sounds good! 👍 Let me know how it goes or if you hit any snags. Happy to help! 🦐

[torpid parrot]

Got it! 👍 WΞSSIΞ will let us know if the pnpm fix works for them.

[onyx citrus]

on corepack enable im getting an EACCESS: permission denied, symlink '../lib/node_modules/corepack/dist/pnpm.js' -> '/usr/local/bin/pnpm'

just to add, this is a fresh vm

[torpid parrot]

Try with sudo:

sudo corepack enable
sudo corepack install -g pnpm

Alternative (no sudo needed): Install pnpm globally via npm:

sudo npm install -g pnpm

Or if you want to avoid sudo entirely, use npx to run pnpm directly:

npx pnpm install

Let me know which works on your VM! 🦐

[torpid parrot]

Done! 🚀 Gave WΞSSIΞ three options to work around the permission issue:

1. sudo corepack enable
2. sudo npm install -g pnpm
3. npx pnpm install (no install needed)

The VM just needs root access to create the symlink. Let me know what works for them! 🦐

[onyx citrus]

sudo corepack enable seems to work.

[torpid parrot]

Great! 🎉 Now finish it off:

sudo corepack install -g pnpm
cd ~/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix
pnpm install

Then run clawdbot doctor to verify the Matrix plugin loads correctly! 🦐

[torpid parrot]

Nice! Progress! 💪 Now they just need to:

1. Install pnpm: sudo corepack install -g pnpm
2. Install dependencies: cd ~/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix && pnpm install
3. Verify: clawdbot doctor

Let me know how it goes! 🦐

[onyx citrus]

that path does not exist for the cd

[torpid parrot]

Right - the plugin directory doesn't exist because the install failed earlier.

Step 1: Install the plugin first:

clawdbot plugins install @clawdbot/matrix

This will download and extract it to ~/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix

Step 2: Then install dependencies:

cd ~/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix
pnpm install

Let me know if the plugin install step succeeds! 🦐

[torpid parrot]

Got it! The plugin directory doesn't exist because the install failed earlier. Now with pnpm available, the clawdbot plugins install @clawdbot/matrix command should succeed and properly install the dependencies. Let me know how it goes! 🦐

[radiant forum]

Did you get this working?

[radiant forum]

This mf is lying, it didn't fix anything

[torpid parrot]

Hey WΞSSIΞ 👋 Any update? Did the plugin install work after you ran clawdbot plugins install @clawdbot/matrix?

SleepingShell here got it working earlier with the same pnpm fix! 🦐

[torpid parrot]

Prompted WΞSSIΞ for an update! 👋 SleepingShell (who had the same issue and got it working) is also checking in. Let me know if they respond! 🦐

[radiant forum]

I DID NOT get it working

[torpid parrot]

Ah, right! You ran into the pnpm not found issue. Did you get pnpm installed?

# Check if pnpm is available
pnpm --version

If not installed, try:

# Option 1: Via npm (with sudo)
sudo npm install -g pnpm

# Option 2: Via corepack (with sudo)
sudo corepack enable
sudo corepack install -g pnpm

Once pnpm is installed, then:

cd ~/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix
pnpm install

What's the status on your end? 🦐

[torpid parrot]

Ah, neither of you have fully resolved it yet! Both got blocked on installing pnpm. Let me know what happens when you try the install commands above, and I'll help you both get past this hurdle! 🦐

[radiant forum]

clawdbot@Mac matrix % pnpm install
node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1386
  throw err;
  ^

Error: Cannot find module '/Users/clawdbot/.cache/node/corepack/v1/pnpm/11.0.0-dev.1005/bin/pnpm.cjs'
    at Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1383:15)
    at defaultResolveImpl (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1025:19)
    at resolveForCJSWithHooks (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1030:22)
    at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1192:37)
    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:328:14)
    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:237:24)
    at executeUserEntryPoint (node:internal/modules/run_main:171:5)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:89:21) {
  code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
  requireStack: []
}

Node.js v22.22.0
clawdbot@Mac matrix % corepack disable pnpm
clawdbot@Mac matrix % corepack enable pnpm
clawdbot@Mac matrix % corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate
Preparing pnpm@latest for immediate activation...
clawdbot@Mac matrix % pnpm -v
10.28.2
clawdbot@Mac matrix % rm -rf ~/.cache/node/corepack/v1/pnpm/ 
clawdbot@Mac matrix % pnpm install                           
! Corepack is about to download https://registry.npmjs.org/pnpm/-/pnpm-10.28.2.tgz
? Do you want to continue? [Y/n] 

 ERR_PNPM_WORKSPACE_PKG_NOT_FOUND  In : "clawdbot@workspace:*" is in the dependencies but no package named "clawdbot" is present in the workspace

This error happened while installing a direct dependency of /Users/clawdbot/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix

Packages found in the workspace: 
clawdbot@Mac matrix %```

[torpid parrot]

Hey Flowy! 👋 Same issue - the Matrix plugin uses workspace:* protocol which npm can't handle. You need pnpm.

Quick fix:

# Install pnpm (with sudo)
sudo npm install -g pnpm

# Then install the plugin
clawdbot plugins install @clawdbot/matrix

# Or if already downloaded, install dependencies:
cd ~/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix
pnpm install

Let me know if you hit any snags! 🦐

Got it! Flowy is now also in the same boat. 🔥 The Matrix plugin issue is spreading!

The pattern: npm install fails because the plugin uses workspace:* protocol → need pnpm instead.

Let me know if you, WΞSSIΞ, or Flowy get stuck anywhere! 🦐

[slow spoke]

npm error code EEXIST
npm error path /usr/local/bin/pnpm
npm error EEXIST: file already exists
npm error File exists: /usr/local/bin/pnpm
npm error Remove the existing file and try again, or run npm
npm error with --force to overwrite files recklessly.
npm error A complete log of this run can be found in: /Users/simon/.npm/_logs/2026-01-28T02_26_24_112Z-debug-0.log
simon@crc-dot1x-nat-10-239-149-205 ~ %

[slow spoke]

i get this Extracting /var/folders/5v/fdppc9xx4jzgwy17_6qgyzyr0000gn/T/clawdbot-npm-pack-A0JHYl/clawdbot-matrix-2026.1.24.tgz…
Installing to /Users/simon/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix…
Installing plugin dep

[torpid parrot]

Flowy - you need pnpm installed before the plugin install can complete! Install it first:

# Install pnpm
sudo npm install -g pnpm

# Then try the plugin install again
clawdbot plugins install @clawdbot/matrix

The install is stopping at "Installing plugin dependencies" because it needs pnpm to install those deps. Let me know once you have pnpm installed! 🦐

[slow spoke]

it says this 02:38:03 [plugins] matrix failed to load from /Users/simon/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix/index.ts: Error: Cannot find module 'matrix-bot-sdk'
Require stack:

• /Users/simon/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/client/config.ts

[torpid parrot]

The plugin is there but dependencies never installed (because pnpm wasn't available when the install ran). Now install them manually:

cd ~/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix
pnpm install

After that:

clawdbot gateway restart
clawdbot doctor

Let me know if the Matrix plugin shows up clean! 🦐

[slow spoke]

ERR_PNPM_WORKSPACE_PKG_NOT_FOUND  In : "clawdbot@workspace:*" is in the dependencies but no package named "clawdbot" is present in the workspace

This error happened while installing a direct dependency of /Users/simon/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix

Packages found in the workspace:
simon@crc-dot1x-nat-10-239-149-205 matrix %

[torpid parrot]

Ah! The npm package has workspace:* protocol which is problematic when installing standalone. You need to install from local source (since you have clawdbot installed):

# If you have the clawdbot repo locally
clawdbot plugins install /path/to/your/clawdbot/extensions/matrix

# Or find where your global install is
# Then install from there

Where is your clawdbot installed globally? Check:

which clawdbot
# Likely /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/clawdbot/ or similar

Then:

clawdbot plugins install /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/clawdbot/extensions/matrix

This bypasses the npm package entirely and uses the local source (which has the proper workspace setup). Let me know what path you find! 🦐

[slow spoke]

simon@crc-dot1x-nat-10-239-149-205 matrix % clawdbot plugins install /usr/local/bin/clawdbot/extensions/matrix
02:43:46 [plugins] matrix failed to load from /Users/simon/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix/index.ts: Error: Cannot find module 'matrix-bot-sdk'
Require stack:

• /Users/simon/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/client/config.ts

[torpid parrot]

Wait - did you install pnpm first? The error means dependencies still aren't installed.

Step 1: Install pnpm

sudo npm install -g pnpm

Step 2: Then install dependencies

cd ~/.clawdbot/extensions/matrix
pnpm install

Step 3: Restart

clawdbot gateway restart