Error: The 'brew link' step did not comple

Question

I'm trying to install node.js via Homebrew. Unfortunately, I get this error:

➜  ~  brew install node
==> Downloading http://nodejs.org/dist/v0.8.10/node-v0.8.10.tar.gz
######################################################################## 100.0%
==> ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/node/0.8.10
==> make install
==> Caveats
Homebrew installed npm.
We recommend prepending the following path to your PATH environment
variable to have npm-installed binaries picked up:
  /usr/local/share/npm/bin
Warning: Could not link node. Unlinking...
Error: The `brew link` step did not complete successfully
The formula built, but is not symlinked into /usr/local
You can try again using `brew link node'
==> Summary
/usr/local/Cellar/node/0.8.10: 856 files, 13M, built in 103 seconds

So then I try to link node manually...

➜  ~  brew link node
Linking /usr/local/Cellar/node/0.8.10... Warning: Could not link node. Unlinking...

Error: Could not symlink file: /usr/local/Cellar/node/0.8.10/lib/node_modules/npm/scripts/relocate.sh
Target /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/scripts/relocate.sh already exists. You may need to delete it.
To force the link and delete this file, do:
  brew link -f formula_name

To list all files that would be deleted:
  brew link -n formula_name

No luck, so I try forcefully linking node...

➜  ~  brew link -f node
Linking /usr/local/Cellar/node/0.8.10... Warning: Could not link node. Unlinking...

Error: Permission denied - /usr/local/lib/dtrace/node.d

I'm not familiar with dtrace in any regard and I'm afraid to mess with permissions, so I tried to sudo..

➜ ~ git:(master) sudo brew link -f node
Password:
Error: Cowardly refusing to `sudo brew link'
You can use brew with sudo, but only if the brew executable is owned by root.
However, this is both not recommended and completely unsupported so do so at
your own risk.

I've tried uninstalling node via brew uninstall node and retrying the install with no luck.

Answer 1

Most brew install issues with node are caused by permission errors or having node previously installed and then trying to install it via brew. The solution that worked for me finally was:

WARNING: This will uninstall nodejs (multiple versions) use with caution:

1. Remove node via brew:

   brew uninstall node

2. also did via force:

   brew uninstall node --force

3. To use the script Source: Remove node:

   curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DomT4/scripts/master/OSX_Node_Removal/terminatenode.sh

Then:

chmod +x /path/to/terminatenode.sh

Then:

./terminatenode.sh .

1. Then make sure to do the following command:

   chown $USER /usr/local

2. Then do a brew update (keep doing this until all things are updated):

   brew update

3. Clean brew up and run update again (might be redundant) and run doctor to make sure things are in place:

   brew cleanup; brew update; brew doctor

4. And finally install node via brew (verbose):

   brew install -v node

Answer 2

I was getting an error while installation that not able to link node and /usr/local/include is not writable

Below solution worked for me :- First create the include folder, note that this requires sudo privileges

cd /usr/local

sudo mkdir include

sudo chown -R $(whoami) $(brew --prefix)/*

brew link node