Maybe your HOME wasn't set properly? Can you give a way to reproduce?

I got similar error today with new installation on Ubuntu with sudo npm install bower -g command, expected config folder was not created in bower installation

Error: EACCES, permission denied '/home/username/.config/configstore/insight-bower.yml'
You don't have access to this file.

    at Object.fs.openSync (evalmachine.<anonymous>:432:18)
    at Object.fs.readFileSync (evalmachine.<anonymous>:286:15)
    at Object.create.all.get (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/bower/node_modules/insight/node_modules/configstore/index.js:34:29)
    at Object.Configstore (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/bower/node_modules/insight/node_modules/configstore/index.js:27:44)
    at new Insight (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/bower/node_modules/insight/lib/index.js:26:34)
    at ensureInsight (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/bower/lib/util/analytics.js:26:19)
    at Object.setup (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/bower/lib/util/analytics.js:43:9)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/bower/bin/bower:72:11)
    at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:474:10)

Before I've installed mc and it creates .config folder by root so bower simply doesn't have access to it. Fixed with chown.

I just fixed it in Windows.
I have done three things, which one have fixed it I am not sure.

1. Run cmd prompt as administrator.
2. takeown /? this command is equivalent to chown (linux) but for windows.
3. cacls -cacls /E /T /G :F
4. simply go in $USER /Users/calvin/.config/configstore/ and make files unhidden.

it worked for me like charm.
I have been trying to fix this since many days.

I just got a similar issue trying a first time deployment to openshift. pushed repo, ran npm install, then ran bower install. I am guessing this is because root is the owner of the home directory I get dropped in by the rhc ssh command which connects me to the openshift shell. It's trying to mkdirSync ~/.config. Is there a way around this without being able to chown?

bower install

Error: EACCES, permission denied '/var/lib/openshift/54db291bfcf933fd3e000039/.config'
at Object.fs.mkdirSync (fs.js:642:18)
at sync (/var/lib/openshift/54db291bfcf933fd3e000039/app-root/runtime/repo/node_modules/bower/node_modules/mkdirp/index.js:70:13)
at Function.sync (/var/lib/openshift/54db291bfcf933fd3e000039/app-root/runtime/repo/node_modules/bower/node_modules/mkdirp/index.js:76:24)
at Object.create.all.get (/var/lib/openshift/54db291bfcf933fd3e000039/app-root/runtime/repo/node_modules/bower/node_modules/insight/node_modules/configstore/index.js:41:13)
at Object.Configstore (/var/lib/openshift/54db291bfcf933fd3e000039/app-root/runtime/repo/node_modules/bower/node_modules/insight/node_modules/configstore/index.js:27:44)
at new Insight (/var/lib/openshift/54db291bfcf933fd3e000039/app-root/runtime/repo/node_modules/bower/node_modules/insight/lib/index.js:26:34)
at ensureInsight (/var/lib/openshift/54db291bfcf933fd3e000039/app-root/runtime/repo/node_modules/bower/lib/util/analytics.js:26:19)
at Object.setup (/var/lib/openshift/54db291bfcf933fd3e000039/app-root/runtime/repo/node_modules/bower/lib/util/analytics.js:43:9)
at Object. (/var/lib/openshift/54db291bfcf933fd3e000039/app-root/runtime/repo/node_modules/bower/bin/bower:72:11)

at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)

I reinstalled my node setup using this git repo https://github.com/brock/node-reinstall
I was able to install bower -g without sudo. When I run this bash script I am also getting this error.

Error: EACCES, permission denied '/Users/benhalverson/.config/configstore/bower-github.yml'
You don't have access to this file.

at Object.fs.openSync (evalmachine.<anonymous>:439:18)
at Object.fs.readFileSync (evalmachine.<anonymous>:290:15)
at Object.create.all.get (/Users/benhalverson/.nvm/v0.10.38/lib/node_modules/bower/node_modules/configstore/index.js:34:29)
at Object.Configstore (/Users/benhalverson/.nvm/v0.10.38/lib/node_modules/bower/node_modules/configstore/index.js:27:44)
at readCachedConfig (/Users/benhalverson/.nvm/v0.10.38/lib/node_modules/bower/lib/config.js:22:23)
at defaultConfig (/Users/benhalverson/.nvm/v0.10.38/lib/node_modules/bower/lib/config.js:11:24)
at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/benhalverson/.nvm/v0.10.38/lib/node_modules/bower/lib/index.js:40:32)
at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)
at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:474:10)
at Module.load (module.js:356:32)

https://github.com/chyld/apollo/blob/master/setup.sh

I am also having this problem. Ubuntu 14.04, almost fresh VPS, cannot get bower to do anything at all. Even bower cache clean throws the same error. Also, I tried deleting bower-github.yml, and now I can't get it back again even after reinstalling bower and then npm+bower. However bower ... still throws permission denied rather than file not found.

I had the same error on Elementary Os Freya. I fix it changing ownner in both .config and .cache directories with this command sudo chown -R [user name] ~/.config and sudo chown -R [user name] ~/.cache hope works for others

Thanks Angel-Gonzalez, that worked for me too.

@Angel-Gonzalez this resolved it for me too - thanks!

@Angel-Gonzalez this helped me a lot! Thanks!

Thank you, @Angel-Gonzalez ! worked for me, too. You're a lifesaver.

@Angel-Gonzalez this works in a mac too, thank you.

@Angel-Gonzalez 👍

TY @Angel-Gonzalez

I think this should be written somewhere official.

@Angel-Gonzalez ta, nice one.

This is still an issue, but I found it via a post install step on StriderCD. After installing node via global nvm, same issues on .config and .cache and .local, they aren't even able to be created. Having to manually change permissions on directories that don't exist once the npm install exits non-zero is not ideal. Is there a better way to get around this? How does bower determine to use $HOME/.config et al and should it be using a /usr/local directory when installed globally and/or by root?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/30582124/stridercd-global-post-install-fails-on-bower-access-to-home-config-home-cach

Thanks Angel-Gonzalez, It worked.

Thanks Angel-Gonzalez, that worked for me too.

@Angel-Gonzalez this resolved it for me too - thanks!

@Angel-Gonzalez thanks, that was the solution...

Yes! Thank you @Angel-Gonzalez

@Angel-Gonzalez, thanks, help me a lot

Thank you @Angel-Gonzalez

@Angel-Gonzalez ,thanks! It works! ha～ha～ha～

@Angel-Gonzalez Thanks for your valuable answer 💯

@Angel-Gonzalez Thanks a lot! It works!

@Angel-Gonzalez it worked for me too. Thanks a lot

@Angel-Gonzalez solution didn't work for me, but this did:
chmod g+rwx ~/.config/configstore

@Angel-Gonzalez it worked for me too. Thanks a lot

Guys is you have problem with EACCESS, bower have no permissions to make such operations like removing, adding, rewriting (and other) with files. I fixed it just run this command
sudo bower install --allow-root

@Angel-Gonzalez thanks !

@Angel-Gonzalez Thanks!

@Angel-Gonzalez, Your tip was really helpful! Thank you!

@Angel-Gonzalez solved! Thanks! I was lost on that one

seriously this was annoying. Thanks @Angel-Gonzalez
please fix this already

@Angel-Gonzalez thanks that resolved it, appreciate it

Thanks @Angel-Gonzalez Worked for me too!

@Angel-Gonzalez Thanks a lot!

@Angel-Gonzalez Thanks !

@Angel-Gonzalez Thanks works on oxs snow too!

@Angel-Gonzalez Thanks worked Yosemite.

Locking to prevent any more "me too" messages cluttering up the volunteer's review queue.