Why does node-gyp (and other stuff) require Visual Studio?
It works without Visual Studio, but you'll need to install Windows SDK:
- Get Windows SDK from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8442
- Use "SDK command line" shortcut on your desktop to launch npm install
I found this solution here: https://github.com/nodejs/node-gyp/issues/629#issuecomment-138276692
EDIT:
Please note that the official Node.js for Windows installer can now automatically install the required tools. That's likely a much better option than the module listed here (
windows-build-tools).
ORIGINAL ANSWER:
I was able to run node-gyp 0.8.x on Windows 10 without Visual Studio using the windows-build-tools.
Install the build tools with this one-liner. Start PowerShell as Administrator and run:
npm install --global windows-build-tools
And wait for the installation to complete.
Update: You can download latest build tools here. Recent announcements here and here.
Original answer: Finally Microsoft is providing much better solution. A standalone Microsoft Visual C++ Build Tools 2015 Technical Preview. More info here and here