Run npm with QProcess under MacOs(osx)

[Dannick Stark]

I try to execute a npm command from my software. For that I call a Process. But I receive as error that /bin/sh: npm: command not found.

I am under MacOS (Catalina).

void AtTerminal::lunch()
{
    if(QSysInfo::productType() == "windows"){
        m_process->setProgram("cmd");
        m_process -> setArguments( QStringList() << "/C" << m_command );
    }else if (QSysInfo::productType() == "osx") {
        m_process->setProgram("sh");
        m_process -> setArguments( QStringList() << "-c" << m_command);
    }else {
        m_process->setProgram("sh");
        m_process -> setArguments( QStringList() << "-c" << m_command );
    }
    m_process->startDetached();
    m_process->close();
}

The process can't recognize the npm command although Nodejs is well installed.
Please, could someone help me.

[jsulm]

@Dannick-Stark What happens if you open a terminal and try to execute npm?
You probably need to use absolute path to npm executable.

[ChrisW67]

Probably the system path that your program has started with, and that sh inherits, does not contain the command npm.
You can check the default environment by looking at QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().toStringList().
You can use the absolute path to npm or insert a suitable PATH through QProcess::setProcessEnvironment().

[Dannick Stark]

@jsulm I try it. With this, the Process is able to recognize npm but not the commands that npm will call.

I get as error: node command not found

[jsulm]

@Dannick-Stark What is content of m_command? And what is its type?

[Dannick Stark]

@ChrisW67 I looked at what was in QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().toStringList(). And indeed npm was not there.
So I added it with:

AtTerminal::AtTerminal()
{
    QProcessEnvironment env = QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment();
    env.insert("npm", "/usr/local/bin/npm");
    env.insert("pnpm", "/usr/local/bin/pnpm");
    m_process->setProcessEnvironment(env);
}

I add the PATH in the constructor of my class. But it had no effect.

@jsulm in m_command there ist: npm install i also try to use /usr/local/bin/npm install

[jsulm]

@Dannick-Stark said in Run npm with QProcess under MacOs(osx):

in m_command there ist: npm install i also try to use /usr/local/bin/npm install

As one string? QProcess parameters need to be a QStringList, all of them:

QStringList m_command << "npm" << "install";

That's why I asked what the type is.

[Dannick Stark]

@jsulm yes as one string.
I pass the command to A QStringList

m_process -> setArguments( QStringList() << "-c" << m_command);

It works well on Windows.

[jsulm]

@Dannick-Stark Please pass it as QStringList. It is also described in QProcess documentation.

[Dannick Stark]

In my code above, you can see that I pass the command to a QStringList.

void AtTerminal::lunch()
{
    if(QSysInfo::productType() == "windows"){
        m_process->setProgram("cmd");
        m_process -> setArguments( QStringList() << "/C" << m_command );
    }else if (QSysInfo::productType() == "osx") {
        m_process->setProgram("sh");
        m_process -> setArguments( QStringList() << "-c" << m_command);
    }else {
        m_process->setProgram("sh");
        m_process -> setArguments( QStringList() << "-c" << m_command );
    }
    m_process->startDetached();
    m_process->close();
}

[jsulm]

@Dannick-Stark Again: ALL parameters should be passed as QStringList.
You said that m_command is a QString containing "npm install", so it basically contains TWO parameters!
It should be like this:

m_process -> setArguments( QStringList() << "-c" << "npm" << "install");

Also, do you really need to start a shell? Can't you call npm directly without sh?

[Dannick Stark]

If it is possible to run npm directly without using sh that would be great.
But so far I haven't found a way to do it.

[jsulm]

@Dannick-Stark said in Run npm with QProcess under MacOs(osx):

But so far I haven't found a way to do it.

Simply use npm as command to execute:

m_process->setProgram("npm");
m_process -> setArguments( QStringList() << "install");

[jsulm]

@Dannick-Stark One correction to what I wrote before (thanks @JonB for the hint): if you use "sh -c" then on Linux you have to pass everything after -c as ONE string!