npx install init -p shows error !!!

[Ved0715]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

0 verbose cli /usr/local/bin/node /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js
1 info using [email protected]
2 info using [email protected]
3 silly config load:file:/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/npmrc
4 silly config load:file:/Users/vedant/Documents/MERN Projects/Image Generator/my-app/.npmrc
5 silly config load:file:/Users/vedant/.npmrc
6 silly config load:file:/usr/local/etc/npmrc
7 verbose title npm exec tailwindcss init
8 verbose argv "exec" "--" "tailwindcss" "init"
9 verbose logfile logs-max:10 dir:/Users/vedant/.npm/_logs/2025-01-28T10_47_18_297Z-
10 verbose logfile /Users/vedant/.npm/_logs/2025-01-28T10_47_18_297Z-debug-0.log
11 silly logfile start cleaning logs, removing 1 files
12 silly logfile done cleaning log files
13 silly packumentCache heap:2197815296 maxSize:549453824 maxEntrySize:274726912
14 verbose stack Error: could not determine executable to run
14 verbose stack at getBinFromManifest (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/libnpmexec/lib/get-bin-from-manifest.js:17:23)
14 verbose stack at exec (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/libnpmexec/lib/index.js:202:15)
14 verbose stack at async Npm.exec (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/npm.js:207:9)
14 verbose stack at async module.exports (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/cli/entry.js:69:5)
15 verbose pkgid [email protected]
16 error could not determine executable to run
17 verbose cwd /Users/vedant/Documents/MERN Projects/Image Generator/my-app
18 verbose os Darwin 24.1.0
19 verbose node v23.6.1
20 verbose npm v11.0.0
21 verbose exit 1
22 verbose code 1
23 error A complete log of this run can be found in: /Users/vedant/.npm/_logs/2025-01-28T10_47_18_297Z-debug-0.log

vedant@Vedants-MacBook-Pro my-app % npx tailwindcss init
npm error could not determine executable to run
npm error A complete log of this run can be found in: /Users/vedant/.npm/_logs/2025-01-28T10_47_18_297Z-debug-0.log

Expected Behavior

npx tailwindcss init or npm tailwinds init -p
should create tailwind.confing.js file.

I am not sure what is the problem few days back it worked for me not it is not working.

I have done all the required installations properly

npm create vite@latest my-app -- --template react
cd my-app
npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer

I thought there is a problem with node and npm version . so I even upgraded both to latest version.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Creating a vate react app: npm create vite@latest my-app -- --template react
2. cd my-app
3. Installing tailwindcss and dependent packages: npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer
4. npm tailwinds init -p shows the error
   npm error could not determine executable to run
   npm error A complete log of this run can be found in: /Users/vedant/.npm/_logs/2025-01-28T10_47_18_297Z-debug-0.log

2025-01-28T10_47_18_297Z-debug-0.log. contain :

0 verbose cli /usr/local/bin/node /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js
1 info using [email protected]
2 info using [email protected]
3 silly config load:file:/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/npmrc
4 silly config load:file:/Users/vedant/Documents/MERN Projects/Image Generator/my-app/.npmrc
5 silly config load:file:/Users/vedant/.npmrc
6 silly config load:file:/usr/local/etc/npmrc
7 verbose title npm exec tailwindcss init
8 verbose argv "exec" "--" "tailwindcss" "init"
9 verbose logfile logs-max:10 dir:/Users/vedant/.npm/_logs/2025-01-28T10_47_18_297Z-
10 verbose logfile /Users/vedant/.npm/_logs/2025-01-28T10_47_18_297Z-debug-0.log
11 silly logfile start cleaning logs, removing 1 files
12 silly logfile done cleaning log files
13 silly packumentCache heap:2197815296 maxSize:549453824 maxEntrySize:274726912
14 verbose stack Error: could not determine executable to run
14 verbose stack     at getBinFromManifest (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/libnpmexec/lib/get-bin-from-manifest.js:17:23)
14 verbose stack     at exec (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/libnpmexec/lib/index.js:202:15)
14 verbose stack     at async Npm.exec (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/npm.js:207:9)
14 verbose stack     at async module.exports (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/cli/entry.js:69:5)
15 verbose pkgid [email protected]
16 error could not determine executable to run
17 verbose cwd /Users/vedant/Documents/MERN Projects/Image Generator/my-app
18 verbose os Darwin 24.1.0
19 verbose node v23.6.1
20 verbose npm  v11.0.0
21 verbose exit 1
22 verbose code 1
23 error A complete log of this run can be found in: /Users/vedant/.npm/_logs/2025-01-28T10_47_18_297Z-debug-0.log 

Environment

• npm: 11.0.0
• Node.js: 23.6.1
• OS Name: macOS
• npm config:

; node bin location = /usr/local/bin/node
; node version = v23.6.1
; npm local prefix = /Users/s/Documents/Projects/project/my-app
; npm version = 11.0.0
; cwd = /Users/s/Documents/Projects/project/my-app
; HOME = /Users/s
; Run `npm config ls -l` to show all defaults.

[milaninfy]

@Ved0715 I don't think this is npm issue.

~/workarea/rep $ cd my-app 
~/workarea/rep/my-app $ npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer

added 264 packages, and audited 265 packages in 13s

110 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details

found 0 vulnerabilities
~/workarea/rep/my-app $ npm ls tailwindcss
[email protected] /Users/milaninfy/workarea/rep/my-app
└── [email protected]

This appears to be related to tailwindcss versions and not with npm.

tailwindcss version 4 doesn't have binary name tailwindcss

~/workarea/rep/my-app $ npm view [email protected] bin
{ tailwind: 'lib/cli.js', tailwindcss: 'lib/cli.js' }
~/workarea/rep/my-app $ npm view tailwindcss@latest bin
~/workarea/rep/my-app $ 

you might want to checkout this documentation https://v1.tailwindcss.com/docs/installation#create-your-tailwind-config-file

[Ved0715]

@milaninfy got it tailwindcss has suddenly moved from v3 to v4 with some major changes.

Solved it by downgrading to v3.