Unable to run truffle unbox tezos-example

[emchristiansen]

When I follow these instructions and run truffle unbox tezos-example I get this error:

➜  tezos-example truffle unbox tezos-example

Starting unbox...
=================

✔ Preparing to download box
✔ Downloading
✔ cleaning up temporary files
✖ Setting up box
Unbox failed!
✖ Setting up box
Unbox failed!
Error: Command failed: npm install
    at checkExecSyncError (child_process.js:635:11)
    at Object.execSync (child_process.js:671:15)
    at Object.installBoxDependencies (/home/eric/npm/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/packages/box/dist/lib/utils/unbox.js:107:1)
    at Object.setUpBox (/home/eric/npm/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/packages/box/dist/lib/utils/index.js:68:1)
    at /home/eric/npm/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/packages/box/dist/box.js:62:1
    at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
    at fulfilled (/home/eric/npm/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/packages/box/dist/box.js:5:42)
Truffle v5.5.0-tezos.4 (core: 5.5.0-tezos.4)
Node v12.19.0

However, I can run truffle unbox metacoin successfully following these instructions.

Versions:

➜  tezos-example node --version
v12.19.0
➜  tezos-example npm --version
7.5.6

BTW, I'm using --prefix to install packages in my home folder.
If I try to install without --prefix, e.g. npm install -g truffle@tezos, it tries to install to /usr/local/lib and would require sudo, which I'm led to believe is problematic.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!