title: How to install an npm package from GitHub directly
body: <p>Trying to install modules from GitHub results in this error:</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>ENOENT error on package.json.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Easily reproduced using express:</p>
  <p><code>npm install https://github.com/visionmedia/express</code> throws error.</p>
  <p><code>npm install express </code> works.</p>
  <p>Why can't I install from GitHub?</p>
  <p>Here is the console output:</p>
  <pre><code>npm http GET https://github.com/visionmedia/express.git
  npm http 200 https://github.com/visionmedia/express.git
  npm ERR! not a package /home/guym/tmp/npm-32312/1373176518024-0.6586997057311237/tmp.tgz
  npm ERR! Error: ENOENT, open '/home/guym/tmp/npm-32312/1373176518024-0.6586997057311237/package/package.json'
  npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this log at:
  npm ERR!     &lt;http://github.com/isaacs/npm/issues&gt;
  npm ERR! or email it to:
  npm ERR!     &lt;npm-@googlegroups.com&gt;
  
  npm ERR! System Linux 3.8.0-23-generic
  npm ERR! command &quot;/usr/bin/node&quot; &quot;/usr/bin/npm&quot; &quot;install&quot; &quot;https://github.com/visionmedia/express.git&quot;
  npm ERR! cwd /home/guym/dev_env/projects_GIT/proj/somename
  npm ERR! node -v v0.10.10
  npm ERR! npm -v 1.2.25
  npm ERR! path /home/guym/tmp/npm-32312/1373176518024-0.6586997057311237/package/package.json
  npm ERR! code ENOENT
  npm ERR! errno 34
  npm ERR!
  npm ERR! Additional logging details can be found in:
  npm ERR!     /home/guym/dev_env/projects_GIT/proj/somename/npm-debug.log
  npm ERR! not ok code 0
  </code></pre>