How to install a private npm github package during sls deploy - serverless-framework

Question

My CI/CD serverless deploy is failing because its not able to install a private npm package.
Error --------------------------------------------------
npm install failed with code 1
npm ERR! code ENOENT
npm ERR! syscall spawn git
npm ERR! path git
npm ERR! errno ENOENT
npm ERR! enoent Error while executing:
npm ERR! enoent undefined ls-remote -h -t ssh://git#github.com/private-org/private-repo.git
npm ERR! enoent
npm ERR! enoent
npm ERR! enoent spawn git ENOENT
npm ERR! enoent This is related to npm not being able to find a file.
npm ERR! enoent
npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR! /github/home/.npm/_logs/2020-05-28T13_30_18_595Z-debug.log
at ChildProcess.child.on.exitCode (/github/workspace/node_modules/serverless-webpack/lib/utils.js:91:16)
at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:198:13)
at ChildProcess.EventEmitter.emit (domain.js:448:20)
at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:982:16)
at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:259:5)
From previous event:
at PluginManager.invoke (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/serverless/lib/classes/PluginManager.js:505:22)
at PluginManager.spawn (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/serverless/lib/classes/PluginManager.js:525:17)
at ServerlessWebpack.BbPromise.bind.then.then.then (/github/workspace/node_modules/serverless-webpack/index.js:91:53)
at runCallback (timers.js:705:18)
at tryOnImmediate (timers.js:676:5)
at processImmediate (timers.js:658:5)
at process.topLevelDomainCallback (domain.js:126:23)
Get Support --------------------------------------------
Docs: docs.serverless.com
Bugs: github.com/serverless/serverless/issues
Issues: forum.serverless.com
Your Environment Information ---------------------------
Operating System: linux
Node Version: 10.20.1
Framework Version: 1.54.0
Plugin Version: 3.6.12
SDK Version: 2.3.1
Components Core Version: 1.1.2
Components CLI Version: 1.4.0
deploy:
name: deploy
needs: test
if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout#master
- uses: actions/setup-node#v1
with:
node-version: '12.x'
- uses: webfactory/ssh-agent#v0.2.0
with:
ssh-private-key: ${{ secrets.SSH_PRIVATE_KEY }}
- name: npm install
run: npm install
- name: serverless deploy
uses: serverless/github-action#master
with:
args: deploy
env:
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
SLS_DEBUG: true
Usually i solve this using a webfactory/ssh-agent#v0.2.0 so the first npm install works fine here and it manages to install the private package using the SSH key provided.
However during serverless deploy i get the above error and it cannot install the private npm package. Is there a way i can specify an SSH key for serverless action to use?

Answer 1

I had the same errors as you did and by mistake, I found the solution.
In circleCI, serverless was reading the ~/.npmrc file that was containing the authorization token for private npm packages, but it was not reading the local project .npmrc file that was containing the path for the private company packages.
So accidentally copy the private path to the ~/.npmrc and magically it the deployment t was successful.
After that I just update my circleCI step to get both pieces of information in the ~/.npmrc
step_login_github_packages: &step_login_github_packages
name: Log in to Github Packages
command: |
echo "//npm.pkg.github.com/:_authToken=$GITHUB_PACKAGES_TOKEN" >> ~/.npmrc
echo "#my-company:registry=https://npm.pkg.github.com/my-company" >> ~/.npmrc

Answer 2

Ive come up with a solution but it meant i had to move away from the serverless action.
deploy:
name: deploy
needs: test
if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout#master
- uses: actions/setup-node#v1
with:
node-version: '12.x'
- uses: webfactory/ssh-agent#v0.2.0
with:
ssh-private-key: ${{ secrets.SSH_PRIVATE_KEY }}
- name: deploy
run: |
npm i -g serverless
npm install
serverless config credentials --provider aws --key $AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID --secret $AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
sls deploy
env:
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}