[Bug] - /usr/lib/nodejs18/bin is linked to /usr/bin instead of /usr/local/bin incorrectly

[AndyZhang0707]

Describe the bug
The latest amazonlinux:2023 introduced a breaking change in the minor or patch release amazonlinux:2023.6.20250218.2. Previously the npm prefix is set to /usr/local in /etc/npmrc while the latest one sets the prefix to /usr/lib/nodejs18. Also, the /usr/lib/nodejs18/bin is a soft link of /usr/bin. In the release note it's mentioned the change shouldn't affect the majority customers (https://docs.aws.amazon.com/linux/al2023/release-notes/relnotes-2023.6.20250218.html) but this change causes npm install kong-pdk to install kong-js-pluginserver into /usr/bin instead of /usr/local/bin, which breaks our install. Probably /usr/lib/nodejs18/bin should be linked to /usr/local/bin instead of /usr/bin.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. docker run -it --rm amazonlinux:2023 /bin/bash
2. yum install -y nodejs npm && yum clean all && npm install --unsafe -g kong-pdk

Expected behavior
The kong-js-pluginserver should be installed into /usr/local/bin but now it's installed into /usr/bin.

Additional context
If you use the image amazonlinux:2023.6.20250203.1 and below versions, the kong-js-pluginserver is installed into /usr/local/bin correctly.

[elsaco]

@AndyZhang0707 from the nodejs-npm changelog:

* Tue Jan 14 2025 Alexey Tsvetnov <[email protected]> - 18.20.5-1.amzn2023.0.3
- Use the `alternatives` to switch between NodeJS versions and manage
  /usr/bin/{node,npm,npx} file names
- NodeJS 18 is a default version, has the highest priority in the `alternatives`,
  and is activated in auto mode when installed
- A global "node_modules" is moved to a namespaced location
  under /usr/lib/nodejs18/ prefix and is also managed by the `alternatives`

This might help you understand what's going on. Moving forward nodejs will be managed with alternatives so there could be multiple version of nodejs installed.

npmrc differences:

Latest container release:

bash-5.2# cat /etc/npmrc
prefix=/usr/lib/nodejs18
python=/usr/bin/python3

2023.6.20250203.1 release:

bash-5.2# cat /etc/npmrc
prefix=/usr/local
python=/usr/bin/python3

Notice the prefix changes!

[vorakl]

yum install -y nodejs npm && yum clean all && npm install --unsafe -g kong-pdk

Just a few thoughts about this command that might be helpful to others...

• In AL2023, the main package manager is dnf. Sure, yum still works, but only because it's sym-linked to dnf

$ ls -l $(which yum)
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 5 Feb  7 20:55 /usr/bin/yum -> dnf-3

• npm is a very very old package and is no longer used, and that's why it's now pointing to nodejs-npm, the package that provides the npm of the right version that is compatible with the installed version of the node. But in fact, it's even better, because you don't need to explicitly specify a package name to install npm, it will be installed as a recommended package automatically

$ sudo dnf install nodejs
Last metadata expiration check: 0:10:05 ago on Fri Mar  7 21:50:22 2025.
Dependencies resolved.
==========================================================================================================================================================
 Package                             Architecture              Version                                               Repository                      Size
==========================================================================================================================================================
Installing:
 nodejs                              x86_64                    1:18.20.6-1.amzn2023.0.2                              amazonlinux                     13 M
Installing dependencies:
 libbrotli                           x86_64                    1.0.9-4.amzn2023.0.2                                  amazonlinux                    315 k
 nodejs-libs                         x86_64                    1:18.20.6-1.amzn2023.0.2                              amazonlinux                     14 M
Installing weak dependencies:
 nodejs-docs                         noarch                    1:18.20.6-1.amzn2023.0.2                              amazonlinux                    7.8 M
 nodejs-full-i18n                    x86_64                    1:18.20.6-1.amzn2023.0.2                              amazonlinux                    8.4 M
 nodejs-npm                          x86_64                    1:10.8.2-1.18.20.6.1.amzn2023.0.2                     amazonlinux                    1.9 M

• there is an official documentation that shares some details on the NodeJS package names and how to use alternatives in the newer package version: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/linux/al2023/ug/nodejs.html

• should be linked to /usr/local/bin instead of /usr/bin There is actually no such a technical requirement.

• As far as I can see, the current version of the nodejs package that uses alternatives tool to manage NodeJS versions, correctly installs and runs the mentioned cli tool

$ sudo dnf install nodejs

$ sudo npm install -g kong-pdk
added 24 packages in 3s
npm notice
npm notice New major version of npm available! 10.8.2 -> 11.2.0
npm notice Changelog: https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v11.2.0
npm notice To update run: npm install -g [email protected]
npm notice

$ npm -g root
/usr/lib/nodejs18/lib/node_modules

$ ls -l /usr/lib/nodejs18/lib/node_modules/
kong-pdk/ npm/

$ ls -l /usr/lib/nodejs18/lib/node_modules/kong-pdk/bin
total 4
-rwxr-xr-x. 1 root root 836 Mar  7 22:14 kong-js-pluginserver

$ ls -l /usr/lib/nodejs18/bin/kong-js-pluginserver
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 53 Mar  7 22:14 /usr/lib/nodejs18/bin/kong-js-pluginserver -> ../lib/node_modules/kong-pdk/bin/kong-js-pluginserver

$ ls -l /usr/bin/kong-js-pluginserver
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 53 Mar  7 22:14 /usr/bin/kong-js-pluginserver -> ../lib/node_modules/kong-pdk/bin/kong-js-pluginserver

$ which kong-js-pluginserver
/usr/bin/kong-js-pluginserver

$ kong-js-pluginserver --version
0.6.0

I don't see any issues with the package. It works as expected, npm correctly installs cli tools and they can be executed.