npm ERR! install Couldn't read dependencies on mac

Question

• I am trying to support the how to crack a interview repository https://github.com/gaylemcd/ctci/tree/master/javascript/lib/data-structures
• I am trying to crack the interviews for JS position
• They are using mocha and chai, so I am trying to commit the code in JS
• I am trying to execute the below steps but I am failing at the below step, npm install
• I am getting the below error
• I have installed Node.js after that tried npm install

Here:

npm ERR! install **Couldn't read dependencies**
npm ERR! Darwin 14.0.0
npm ERR! argv "node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "install"
npm ERR! node v0.12.0
npm ERR! npm  v2.5.1
npm ERR! path /Users/Raj/package.json
npm ERR! code ENOPACKAGEJSON
npm ERR! errno -2

npm ERR! package.json ENOENT, open '/Users/Raj/package.json'
npm ERR! package.json This is most likely not a problem with npm itself.
npm ERR! package.json npm can't find a package.json file in your current directory.

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     /Users/Raj/Desktop/ctci/npm-debug.log

Can you tell me how to solve it?

git clone https://github.com/gaylemcd/ctci.git
cd ctci/javascript
npm install
npm install -g mocha
mocha --recursive

Answer 1

It looks to me like you are running npm install in a directory without a package.json. npm has absolutely no idea what you want it to install unless you either pass it arguments (like npm install express) or run it in a directory with package.json. The documentation on npm install explains all this.