Performing a npm install via Docker on a windows host

Question

I'm trying to create a docker dev tools container for a devlopement environment on a windows host via docker toolbox but I have some trouble running the npm install command. It worked fine on a linux host but on the windows host I got the following error :

npm ERR! Linux 4.1.13-boot2docker
npm ERR! argv "/usr/local/bin/node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "install"
npm ERR! node v5.5.0
npm ERR! npm  v3.3.12
npm ERR! path /var/www/site/.npm/gulp/3.9.0/package.tgz.e87c24357cd6065ee71ce44c6f23673b
npm ERR! code ETXTBSY
npm ERR! errno -26
npm ERR! syscall rename

npm ERR! ETXTBSY: text file is busy, rename '/var/www/site/.npm/gulp/3.9.0/package.tgz.e87c24357cd6065ee71ce44c6f23673b' -> '/var/www/site/.npm/gulp/3.9.0/package.tgz'
npm ERR!
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this error at:
npm ERR!     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>
npm ERR! Linux 4.1.13-boot2docker
npm ERR! argv "/usr/local/bin/node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "install"
npm ERR! node v5.5.0
npm ERR! npm  v3.3.12
npm ERR! path npm-debug.log.39d944b679d410e5293d6721cbc8287a
npm ERR! code ETXTBSY
npm ERR! errno -26
npm ERR! syscall rename

npm ERR! ETXTBSY: text file is busy, rename 'npm-debug.log.39d944b679d410e5293d6721cbc8287a' -> 'npm-debug.log'
npm ERR!
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this error at:
npm ERR!     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     /var/www/site/npm-debug.log

Here is my Dockerfile :

FROM node:latest

RUN apt-get update
RUN apt-get install vim -y
RUN useradd -ms /bin/bash node
RUN echo "fs.inotify.max_user_watches=100000" > /etc/sysctl.conf

ADD . /var/www/site
RUN chown -R node:node /var/www/site
RUN chown -R node:node /usr/local/lib/node_modules
RUN chown -R node:node /usr/local/bin

USER node
ENV HOME /var/www/site

WORKDIR /var/www/site

RUN npm install -g bower
RUN npm install --global gulp -y

EXPOSE 80 8080 35729

In Docker quickstart terminal, I use the following commands :

Building the image (works fine)

docker build -t dev_tools .

Building the container (works fine)

docker run --name=dev_tools_container -t --rm -v "//c/Users/Public/site:/var/www/site" --net=host dev_tools

Trying to install npm dependencies (shoots the error):

docker exec -it dev_tools_container npm install

Thank you for your time !

Answer 1

Instead of

RUN npm install --global gulp -y

use

RUN sudo npm install --global gulp -y

You try to install gulp as a global package from user node (not superuser).

Or install gulp before switch user to node.

USER node
RUN npm install --global gulp -y

EDIT:

boot2docker is based on VirtualBox. Virtualbox does not allow symlinks on shared folders for security reasons.

To enable symlinks You must set VBoxInternal2/SharedFoldersEnableSymlinksCreate/SHARE_NAME to 1. (Here is link to description how to do it on Vargrant: Symbolic links and synced folders in Vagrant)

VBoxManage setextradata VM_NAME VBoxInternal2/SharedFoldersEnableSymlinksCreate/SHARE_NAME 1

Replace VM_NAME and SHARE_NAME and restart VirtualBox.

Another solution is add --no-bin-link to npm:

RUN npm install -g bower --no-bin-link
RUN npm install --global gulp -y --no-bin-link

EDIT 2

By default Windows 7 security policy does not allow creating symlinks as it's a potential security threat. If user is not in Administrators group run secpol.msc and navigate to Local Policies-User Rights Assignments and add your user to Create symbolic links.

If your user belongs to Administrators group then start VirtualBox with Run as Administrator.

Answer 2

You can mount node_modules as a volume, so it will be a Linux filesystem inside the Docker container. Add this to your Dockerfile:

VOLUME /var/www/site/node_modules

You will see the directory at C:Users/Public/site/node_modules because it is necessary for a mount point, but you will not see any contents unless you are inside the container.