How to use a different version of python during NPM install

Question

I have terminal access to a VPS running centos 5 9 and default python 2 4 3 installed  I also installed python 2 7 3 via these commands   I used make altinstall instead of make install   wget http   www python org ftp python 2 7 3 Python-2 7 3 tgz tar -xf Python-2 7 3 tgz cd Python-2 7 3   configure make make altinstall   then I installed node js from source via these commands   python2 7   configure make make install   The problem is  when I use npm install and try to install a node js package which requires python   2 4 3 I get this error   gyp ERR  configure error gyp ERR  stack Error  Python executable  python  is v2 4 3  which is not supported by gyp  gyp ERR  stack You can pass the --python switch to point to Python  gt   v2 5 0  amp   lt  3 0 0  gyp ERR  stack     at failPythonVersion   usr local lib node modules npm node modules node-gyp lib configure js 125 14  gyp ERR  stack     at  usr local lib node modules npm node modules node-gyp lib configure js 114 9   how should I  pass the --python switch to point to Python    v2 5 0

User · Answer

set python to python2 7 before running npm install  Linux   export PYTHON python2 7   Windows   set PYTHON python2 7

User · Answer

for quick one time use this works  npm install --python  c  python27

User · Answer

This one works better if you don t have the python on path or want to specify the directory      for Windows npm config set python C  Python27 python exe    for Linux npm config set python  usr bin python27

User · Answer

Ok  so you ve found a solution already  Just wanted to share what has been useful to me so many times   I have created setpy2 alias which helps me switch python   alias setpy2  mkdir -p  tmp bin  ln -s  which python2 7   tmp bin python  export PATH  tmp bin  PATH    Execute setpy2 before you run npm install  The switch stays in effect until you quit the terminal  afterwards python is set back to system default   You can make use of this technique for any other command tool as well

User · Answer

For Windows users something like this should work   PS C  angular gt  npm install --python C  Python27 python exe

User · Answer

You can use --python option to npm like so   npm install --python python2 7   or set it to be used always   npm config set python python2 7   Npm will in turn pass this option to node-gyp when needed    note  I m the one who opened an issue on Github to have this included in the docs  as there were so many questions about it  -

[python] How to use a different version of python during NPM install?

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