Node.js: Error: 403 status code downloading tarball

Question

I was trying to install some modules in Nodejs, using NPM, but in some cases the install dont go on, and a error is returned:

Error: 403 status code downloading tarball

I got this again when I trying to install node-canvas:

D:\server\node_modules\canvas\node_modules\canvas>node "C:\Program Files\nodejs\node_modules\npm\bin\node-gyp-bin\\..\..\node_modules\node-gyp\bin\node-gyp.js" rebuild
gyp http GET http://nodejs.org/dist/v0.8.3/node-v0.8.3.tar.gz
gyp http 403 http://nodejs.org/dist/v0.8.3/node-v0.8.3.tar.gz
gyp WARN install got an error, rolling back install
gyp ERR! rebuild error Error: 403 status code downloading tarball
gyp ERR! rebuild error     at Request.async (C:\Program Files\nodejs\node_modules\npm\node_modules\node-gyp\lib\install.js:215:14)
gyp ERR! rebuild error     at Request.EventEmitter.emit (events.js:115:20)
gyp ERR! rebuild error     at ClientRequest.<anonymous> (C:\Program Files\nodejs\node_modules\npm\node_modules\request\main.js:521:12)
gyp ERR! rebuild error     at ClientRequest.g (events.js:185:14)
gyp ERR! rebuild error     at ClientRequest.EventEmitter.emit (events.js:88:17)
gyp ERR! rebuild error     at HTTPParser.parserOnIncomingClient (http.js:1445:7)
gyp ERR! rebuild error     at HTTPParser.parserOnHeadersComplete [as onHeadersComplete] (http.js:111:23)
gyp ERR! rebuild error     at Socket.socketOnData (http.js:1356:20)
gyp ERR! rebuild error     at TCP.onread (net.js:404:27)
gyp ERR! not ok
canvas@1.0.2 node_modules\canvas

I'm using Windows 7 64x Nodejs 0.8.3

what could be this error? What is 'tarball'?

Answer 1

Error 403 means access is forbidden. Tarball is the tar.gz package file node is downloading for installation. It means that your ISP is restricting this site/URL http://nodejs.org/dist/v0.8.3/node-v0.8.3.tar.gz. If you are using proxy, ask your network administrator.