Uncaught Error: spawnSync npm ENOENT when creating Next.js project using Deno 2 on Ubuntu 24.04

[frixaco]

deno --version

deno 2.0.0 (stable, release, x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu)
v8 12.9.202.13-rusty
typescript 5.6.2

deno run -A npm:create-next-app@latest results in error: Uncaught Error: spawnSync npm ENOENT:

Creating a new Next.js app in /home/frixaco/personal/test-deno-nextjs.

Using npm.

Initializing project with template: app-tw


Installing dependencies:
- react
- react-dom
- next

Installing devDependencies:
- typescript
- @types/node
- @types/react
- @types/react-dom
- postcss
- tailwindcss
- eslint
- eslint-config-next

error: Uncaught Error: spawnSync npm ENOENT
    at __node_internal_captureLargerStackTrace (ext:deno_node/internal/errors.ts:93:9)
    at __node_internal_errnoException (ext:deno_node/internal/errors.ts:141:10)
    at _createSpawnSyncError (ext:deno_node/internal/child_process.ts:685:17)
    at new ChildProcess (ext:deno_node/internal/child_process.ts:287:13)
    at Object.spawn (node:child_process:118:10)
    at spawn (file:///home/frixaco/.cache/deno/npm/registry.npmjs.org/create-next-app/14.2.15/dist/index.js:7:76725)
    at file:///home/frixaco/.cache/deno/npm/registry.npmjs.org/create-next-app/14.2.15/dist/index.js:73:33444
    at new Promise (<anonymous>)
    at install (file:///home/frixaco/.cache/deno/npm/registry.npmjs.org/create-next-app/14.2.15/dist/index.js:73:33412)
    at installTemplate (file:///home/frixaco/.cache/deno/npm/registry.npmjs.org/create-next-app/14.2.15/dist/index.js:73:40032)

System:

Fresh install of Ubuntu 2404.1.66.0 inside WSL2 (Windows 11). Only Deno installed in the system.

[littledivy]

This is not a Deno bug. create-next-app tries to spawn npm by default. You can skip installing using --skip-install and do deno install inside the project.

[frixaco]

@littledivy --skip-install doesn't seem to work. Both commands below are returning same error as above:

• deno run -A npm:create-next-app@latest -- --skip-install
• deno run -A npm:create-next-app@latest --skip-install

[littledivy]

Oh it looks like there isn't an option in create-next-app. I'm not sure what can be done here from Deno's side, I would ask Next.js folks to add a --use-deno option or something to skip npm installs.

They do seem to have options for other package managers:

  --use-npm

    Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using npm

  --use-pnpm

    Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using pnpm

  --use-yarn

    Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using Yarn

  --use-bun

    Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using Bun

[frixaco]

Oh I see. I was wondering why I can't find --skip-install in Deno docs😄. I'll check if there's an open issue for create-next-app to add --use-deno.
Thanks for the quick response!

[Clem-]

Hi, maybe the doc should be updated to add the deno install command since create-next-app can't install packages by itself?