<li>Use the <code>npm root</code> command to see where modules go, and the <code>npm bin</code>
command to see where executables go</li>
<li>Global installs are different from local installs. If you install
something with the <code>-g</code> flag, then its executables go in <code>npm bin -g</code>
and its modules go in <code>npm root -g</code>.</li>
</ul>
<h2id="how-do-i-install-something-on-my-computer-in-a-central-location-">How do I install something on my computer in a central location?</h2>
<p>Install it globally by tacking <code>-g</code> or <code>--global</code> to the command. (This
is especially important for command line utilities that need to add
their bins to the global system <code>PATH</code>.)</p>
<h2id="i-installed-something-globally-but-i-can-t-require-it">I installed something globally, but I can't <code>require()</code> it</h2>
<p>Install it locally.</p>
<p>The global install location is a place for command-line utilities
to put their bins in the system <code>PATH</code>. It's not for use with <code>require()</code>.</p>
<p>If you <code>require()</code> a module in your code, then that means it's a
dependency, and a part of your program. You need to install it locally
in your program.</p>
<h2id="why-can-t-npm-just-put-everything-in-one-place-like-other-package-managers-">Why can't npm just put everything in one place, like other package managers?</h2>
<p>Not every change is an improvement, but every improvement is a change.
This would be like asking git to do network IO for every commit. It's
not going to happen, because it's a terrible idea that causes more
problems than it solves.</p>
<p>It is much harder to avoid dependency conflicts without nesting
dependencies. This is fundamental to the way that npm works, and has
proven to be an extremely successful approach. See <code><ahref="../files/npm-folders.html">npm-folders(5)</a></code> for
more details.</p>
<p>If you want a package to be installed in one place, and have all your
programs reference the same copy of it, then use the <code>npm link</code> command.
That's what it's for. Install it globally, then link it into each
program that uses it.</p>
<h2id="whatever-i-really-want-the-old-style-everything-global-style-">Whatever, I really want the old style 'everything global' style.</h2>
<p>Write your own package manager. You could probably even wrap up <code>npm</code>
in a shell script if you really wanted to.</p>
<p>npm will not help you do something that is known to be a bad idea.</p>
<h2id="should-i-check-my-node_modules-folder-into-git-">Should I check my <code>node_modules</code> folder into git?</h2>
<p>Usually, no. Allow npm to resolve dependencies for your packages.</p>
<p>For packages you <strong>deploy</strong>, such as websites and apps,
you should use npm shrinkwrap to lock down your full dependency tree:</p>
</code></pre><p>The <code>commit-ish</code> can be any tag, sha, or branch which can be supplied as
an argument to <code>git checkout</code>. The default is <code>master</code>.</p>
<h2id="what-is-a-module-">What is a <code>module</code>?</h2>
<p>A module is anything that can be loaded with <code>require()</code> in a Node.js
program. The following things are all examples of things that can be
loaded as modules:</p>
<ul>
<li>A folder with a <code>package.json</code> file containing a <code>main</code> field.</li>
<li>A folder with an <code>index.js</code> file in it.</li>
<li>A JavaScript file.</li>
</ul>
<p>Most npm packages are modules, because they are libraries that you
load with <code>require</code>. However, there's no requirement that an npm
package be a module! Some only contain an executable command-line
interface, and don't provide a <code>main</code> field for use in Node programs.</p>
<p>Almost all npm packages (at least, those that are Node programs)
<em>contain</em> many modules within them (because every file they load with
<code>require()</code> is a module).</p>
<p>In the context of a Node program, the <code>module</code> is also the thing that
was loaded <em>from</em> a file. For example, in the following program:</p>
<pre><code>var req = require('request')
</code></pre><p>we might say that "The variable <code>req</code> refers to the <code>request</code> module".</p>
<h2id="so-why-is-it-the-node_modules-folder-but-package-json-file-why-not-node_packages-or-module-json-">So, why is it the "<code>node_modules</code>" folder, but "<code>package.json</code>" file? Why not <code>node_packages</code> or <code>module.json</code>?</h2>
<p>The <code>package.json</code> file defines the package. (See "What is a
package?" above.)</p>
<p>The <code>node_modules</code> folder is the place Node.js looks for modules.
(See "What is a module?" above.)</p>
<p>For example, if you create a file at <code>node_modules/foo.js</code> and then
had a program that did <code>var f = require('foo.js')</code> then it would load
the module. However, <code>foo.js</code> is not a "package" in this case,
because it does not have a package.json.</p>
<p>Alternatively, if you create a package which does not have an
<code>index.js</code> or a <code>"main"</code> field in the <code>package.json</code> file, then it is
not a module. Even if it's installed in <code>node_modules</code>, it can't be
an argument to <code>require()</code>.</p>
<h2id="-node_modules-is-the-name-of-my-deity-s-arch-rival-and-a-forbidden-word-in-my-religion-can-i-configure-npm-to-use-a-different-folder-"><code>"node_modules"</code> is the name of my deity's arch-rival, and a Forbidden Word in my religion. Can I configure npm to use a different folder?</h2>
<p>No. This will never happen. This question comes up sometimes,
because it seems silly from the outside that npm couldn't just be
configured to put stuff somewhere else, and then npm could load them
from there. It's an arbitrary spelling choice, right? What's the big
deal?</p>
<p>At the time of this writing, the string <code>'node_modules'</code> appears 151
times in 53 separate files in npm and node core (excluding tests and
documentation).</p>
<p>Some of these references are in node's built-in module loader. Since
npm is not involved <strong>at all</strong> at run-time, node itself would have to
be configured to know where you've decided to stick stuff. Complexity
hurdle #1. Since the Node module system is locked, this cannot be
changed, and is enough to kill this request. But I'll continue, in
deference to your deity's delicate feelings regarding spelling.</p>
<p>Many of the others are in dependencies that npm uses, which are not
necessarily tightly coupled to npm (in the sense that they do not read
npm's configuration files, etc.) Each of these would have to be
configured to take the name of the <code>node_modules</code> folder as a
parameter. Complexity hurdle #2.</p>
<p>Furthermore, npm has the ability to "bundle" dependencies by adding
the dep names to the <code>"bundledDependencies"</code> list in package.json,
which causes the folder to be included in the package tarball. What
if the author of a module bundles its dependencies, and they use a
different spelling for <code>node_modules</code>? npm would have to rename the
folder at publish time, and then be smart enough to unpack it using
your locally configured name. Complexity hurdle #3.</p>
<p>Furthermore, what happens when you <em>change</em> this name? Fine, it's
easy enough the first time, just rename the <code>node_modules</code> folders to
<code>./blergyblerp/</code> or whatever name you choose. But what about when you
change it again? npm doesn't currently track any state about past
configuration settings, so this would be rather difficult to do
properly. It would have to track every previous value for this
config, and always accept any of them, or else yesterday's install may
be broken tomorrow. Complexity hurdle #4.</p>
<p>Never going to happen. The folder is named <code>node_modules</code>. It is
written indelibly in the Node Way, handed down from the ancient times
of Node 0.3.</p>
<h2id="how-do-i-install-node-with-npm-">How do I install node with npm?</h2>
<p>You don't. Try one of these node version managers:</p>
<h2id="how-can-i-use-npm-for-development-">How can I use npm for development?</h2>
<p>See <code><ahref="../misc/npm-developers.html">npm-developers(7)</a></code> and <code><ahref="../files/package.json.html">package.json(5)</a></code>.</p>
<p>You'll most likely want to <code>npm link</code> your development folder. That's
awesomely handy.</p>
<p>To set up your own private registry, check out <code><ahref="../misc/npm-registry.html">npm-registry(7)</a></code>.</p>
<h2id="can-i-list-a-url-as-a-dependency-">Can I list a url as a dependency?</h2>
<p>Yes. It should be a url to a gzipped tarball containing a single folder
that has a package.json in its root, or a git url.
(See "what is a package?" above.)</p>
<h2id="how-do-i-symlink-to-a-dev-folder-so-i-don-t-have-to-keep-re-installing-">How do I symlink to a dev folder so I don't have to keep re-installing?</h2>
<p>If the registry IS down, let us know by emailing <ahref="mailto:support@npmjs.com">support@npmjs.com</a>
good folks at <ahref="http://www.npmjs.com">npm, Inc.</a></p>
<h2id="i-have-a-question-or-request-not-addressed-here-where-should-i-put-it-">I have a question or request not addressed here. Where should I put it?</h2>
