Agent skill · software engineering · github
sandbox-npm-install
Install npm packages in a Docker sandbox environment. Use this skill whenever you need to install, reinstall, or update node_modules inside a container where the workspace is mounted via virtiofs. Native binaries (esbuild, lightningcss, rollup) crash on virtiofs, so packages must be installed on the local ext4 filesystem and symlinked back.
Why this skill is useful
Adds an executable script for installing npm packages in a Docker sandbox while handling native binary issues on virtiofs, which the AI wouldn't generate on its own.
What it needs
Requires docker, node, npm installed locally. About 2k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 37,534 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Sandbox npm Install When to Use This Skill Use this skill whenever: You need to install npm packages for the first time in a new sandbox session package.json or package-lock.json has changed and you need to reinstall You encounter native binary crashes with errors like SIGILL, SIGSEGV, mmap, or unaligned sysNoHugePageOS The nodemodules directory is missing or corrupted Prerequisites A Docker sandbox environment with a virtiofs-mounted workspace Node.js and npm available in the container A package.json file in the target workspace Background Docker sandbox workspaces are typically mounted via virtiofs (file sync between the host and Linux VM). Native Go and Rust binaries (esbuild, lightningcss, rollup, etc.) crash with mmap alignment failures when executed from virtiofs on aarch64. The fix is to install on the container's local ext4 filesystem and symlink back into the workspace. Step-by-Step Installation Run the bundled install script from the workspace root: Common Options Option Description --- --- --workspace <path> Path to directory containing package.json (auto-detected if omitted) --playwright Also install Playwright Chromium browser for E2E testing What the Script Does 1. Copies package.json, package-lock.json, and .npmrc (if present) to a local ext4 directory 2. Runs npm ci (or npm install if no lockfile) on the local filesystem 3. Symlinks nodemodules back into the workspace 4. Verifies known native binaries (esbuild, rollup, lightningcss, vite) if present 5. Optionally installs Playwright browsers and system dependencies (uses sudo when available) If verification fails, run the script again — crashes can be intermittent during initial setup. Post-Install Verification After the script completes, verify your toolchain works. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills github/sandbox-npm-install