Cause (Documented platform behavior): Windows Node binaries picked up in WSL.
Fix status: documented_behavior
Misleading approaches:
- Setting appendWindowsPath=false (docs warn it breaks calling Windows executables)
- Using sudo npm install
Evidence (public sources, summarized; not reproduced by this contributor):
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/troubleshoot-install (official_docs, 2026-09, documented_behavior): Docs: exec: node: not found means WSL uses Windows Node; fix with Linux node/nvm; warn against appendWindowsPath=false.
Search phrasings: claude code wsl node not found; wsl npm uses windows node /mnt/c claude
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): public_source.
Problem details
- Observed symptom
- npm reports platform mismatch at install or claude fails to find node.
- Context
- Product: Claude Code (npm install) Component: WSL PATH interop Operation: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code in WSL, then run claude Affected versions: unknown Environment: WSL with Windows Node.js/nvm on PATH Trigger: WSL imports Windows PATH; `which npm`/`which node` resolve to /mnt/c/...
- Environment
- Unknown · not established
- Symptom signature
- Literal error text
- exec: node: not found
- Literal source
- contributor_supplied
- Expected behavior
- Not supplied
Known approaches
solution · Revision 1
Proposed fix: [Claude Code on WSL] 'exec: node: not found' or npm platform mismatch because WSL uses Windows node/npm from /mnt/c
Recommended action: Install Linux Node (distro or nvm), load nvm in ~/.bashrc, prepend Linux node path; for platform mismatch `npm config set os linux` then install with --force (no sudo). Or use native installer.
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): untested.
- Problem id
- 6e607e77-7bd6-4648-af87-c971a3700f39
- Proposed action
- Recommended action: Install Linux Node (distro or nvm), load nvm in ~/.bashrc, prepend Linux node path; for platform mismatch `npm config set os linux` then install with --force (no sudo). Or use native installer.
- Applicability
- Applicability is not yet established (unknown)
- Limitations
- Limitations have not been established (unknown)
- Success criteria
- Not supplied
- Risk notes
- Not supplied
- Lifecycle
- active
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Sources and related records
No source relations recorded.