Nvm: Trouble using NVM as non-root user

[Jaynator495]

• Operating system and version:
  CentOS 7.5.1804
• nvm debug output:
  
  
  

nvm --version: v0.33.11
$SHELL: /usr/local/cpanel/bin/jailshell
$SHLVL: 1
$HOME: /home/squak
$NVM_DIR: '$HOME/.nvm'
$PATH: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v8.9.4/bin:/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/lib/path-bin:/usr/local/jdk/bin:/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/lib/path-bin:/usr/lib64/qt-3.3/bin:$HOME/perl5/bin:/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/lib/path-bin:/usr/local/jdk/bin:/usr/kerberos/sbin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/root/bin:/opt/bin:/opt/cpanel/composer/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:$HOME/.local/bin:$HOME/bin
$PREFIX: ''
$NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX: ''
$NVM_NODEJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
$NVM_IOJS_ORG_MIRROR: ''
shell version: 'GNU bash, version 4.2.46(2)-release (x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu)'
uname -a: 'Linux 3.10.0-042stab130.1 #1 SMP Tue May 22 09:19:34 MSK 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux'
curl: /bin/curl, curl 7.29.0 (x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu) libcurl/7.29.0 NSS/3.34 zlib/1.2.7 libidn/1.28 libssh2/1.4.3
wget: /bin/wget, GNU Wget 1.14 built on linux-gnu.
git: /usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/lib/path-bin/git, git version 2.18.0
grep:  (grep --color=auto), grep (GNU grep) 2.20
awk: /bin/awk, GNU Awk 4.0.2
sed: /bin/sed, sed (GNU sed) 4.2.2
cut: /bin/cut, cut (GNU coreutils) 8.22
basename: /bin/basename, basename (GNU coreutils) 8.22
rm:  (rm -i), rm (GNU coreutils) 8.22
mkdir: /bin/mkdir, mkdir (GNU coreutils) 8.22
xargs: /bin/xargs, xargs (GNU findutils) 4.5.11
nvm current: v8.9.4
which node: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v8.9.4/bin/node
which iojs: which: no iojs in ($NVM_DIR/versions/node/v8.9.4/bin:/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/lib/path-bin:/usr/local/jdk/bin:/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/lib/path-bin:/usr/lib64/qt-3.3/bin:$HOME/perl5/bin:/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/lib/path-bin:/usr/local/jdk/bin:/usr/kerberos/sbin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/root/bin:/opt/bin:/opt/cpanel/composer/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:$HOME/.local/bin:$HOME/bin)
which npm: $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v8.9.4/bin/npm
npm config get prefix:
npm root -g:

• nvm ls output:
  
  
  

->       v8.9.4
default -> node (-> v8.9.4)
node -> stable (-> v8.9.4) (default)
stable -> 8.9 (-> v8.9.4) (default)
iojs -> N/A (default)
lts/* -> lts/carbon (-> N/A)
lts/argon -> v4.9.1 (-> N/A)
lts/boron -> v6.14.4 (-> N/A)
lts/carbon -> v8.11.4 (-> N/A)

• How did you install nvm? (e.g. install script in readme, Homebrew):
  install script in readme using curl

• What steps did you perform?

nvm install 8.9.4

• What happened?

manpath: can't open the manpath configuration file /etc/man_db.conf
nvm is not compatible with the npm config "prefix" option: currently set to ""
Run nvm use --delete-prefix v8.9.4 to unset it.

• What did you expect to happen?
  I expected it to be installed properly to allow for node usage on SSH for other cPanel accounts that don't have access to root

• Is there anything in any of your profile files (.bashrc, .bash_profile, .zshrc, etc) that modifies the PATH?
  Only what NVM put there

[ljharb]

nvm is per-user - each user account needs its own copy of nvm.

[Jaynator495]

I'm aware, installing it as root it works fine, however when I install it as another user who does not have root permissions, I get that error.

[ljharb]

Again, nvm can’t be shared across users - you shouldn’t install it as root at all, and each user should get their own distinct copy of nvm.

[Jaynator495]

Sorry for the misunderstanding,
I've uninstalled it from the root user, and then installed under another user, and it seemed to work.
So I logged into the user that was having trouble, and uninstalled then reinstalled, and on first glance it seemed to work. Should the situation change I'll update here

I still however get the manpage error, which pops up everytime I login (to a non-root user) after installing NVM.

I checked the permissions of the man_db file and it's 644, so I don't know the issue there.

stat -c "%a %n" /etc/man_db.conf
644 /etc/man_db.conf

I get the same issue whenever I type man or manpage

[ljharb]

Thanks; the manpage error seems legitimate.

nvm, when changing versions, updates MANPATH - what happens if you call manpath prior to installing nvm?

[Jaynator495]

Calling manpath on a user that has not yet installed nvm get's the following:

manpath
/usr/share/man:/usr/local/man:/usr/local/share/man

[Jaynator495]

Any updates to this? I'm still unable to use man on any account that has installed NVM

[ljharb]

Sorry for the delay.

This line: https://github.com/creationix/nvm/blob/master/nvm.sh#L2839 strips /share/man from MANPATH on nvm deactivate.

This line: https://github.com/creationix/nvm/blob/master/nvm.sh#L2944 changes /share/man to the nvm version dir, and sets it as $MANPATH.

I'm not sure why this would be causing the issues you're seeing.