i do find things work better if you deploy to production which adds the package.json file to your site then install via the node installer rather than manually installing
I figured it out @Hyperbytes in case you ever run into this. I looked closer at the error and it says permissions but it was actually missing the package.json file in the 18 folder of the nodevenv folder which I noticed at the end of the error message. Sure enough, the lock file was copied over but not the package file. I manually copied the package file to that folder and Run NPM Install was successful from the button. Site up and running no problems.
Suspect that is a setup bug in the orangehost server config (them not you) Package.json normally resides in the site root i.e. the r4xdesignsnodejs folder.
Yes it was in there as well, it seems that when you create the node app, it creates the same folder inside nodevenv folder along with the package files, but the package.json wasn't getting copied. When I contacted them, they basically just say they only support Wordpress. Luckily I have you and the Wappler community...haha
Yes, support is strange.
I have always had good support re node in the oast but a few have told people they only support wordpress. I think it is just a lottery as to which support person you get.