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124 lines
4.7 KiB
124 lines
4.7 KiB
.TH "NPM\-DISPUTES" "7" "June 2016" "" ""
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.SH "NAME"
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\fBnpm-disputes\fR \- Handling Module Name Disputes
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.SH SYNOPSIS
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.RS 0
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.IP 1. 3
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Get the author email with \fBnpm owner ls <pkgname>\fP
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.IP 2. 3
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Email the author, CC support@npmjs\.com
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.IP 3. 3
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After a few weeks, if there's no resolution, we'll sort it out\.
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.RE
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.P
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Don't squat on package names\. Publish code or move out of the way\.
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.SH DESCRIPTION
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.P
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There sometimes arise cases where a user publishes a module, and then
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later, some other user wants to use that name\. Here are some common
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ways that happens (each of these is based on actual events\.)
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.RS 0
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.IP 1. 3
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Joe writes a JavaScript module \fBfoo\fP, which is not node\-specific\.
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Joe doesn't use node at all\. Bob wants to use \fBfoo\fP in node, so he
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wraps it in an npm module\. Some time later, Joe starts using node,
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and wants to take over management of his program\.
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.IP 2. 3
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Bob writes an npm module \fBfoo\fP, and publishes it\. Perhaps much
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later, Joe finds a bug in \fBfoo\fP, and fixes it\. He sends a pull
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request to Bob, but Bob doesn't have the time to deal with it,
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because he has a new job and a new baby and is focused on his new
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erlang project, and kind of not involved with node any more\. Joe
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would like to publish a new \fBfoo\fP, but can't, because the name is
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taken\.
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.IP 3. 3
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Bob writes a 10\-line flow\-control library, and calls it \fBfoo\fP, and
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publishes it to the npm registry\. Being a simple little thing, it
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never really has to be updated\. Joe works for Foo Inc, the makers
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of the critically acclaimed and widely\-marketed \fBfoo\fP JavaScript
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toolkit framework\. They publish it to npm as \fBfoojs\fP, but people are
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routinely confused when \fBnpm install foo\fP is some different thing\.
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.IP 4. 3
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Bob writes a parser for the widely\-known \fBfoo\fP file format, because
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he needs it for work\. Then, he gets a new job, and never updates the
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prototype\. Later on, Joe writes a much more complete \fBfoo\fP parser,
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but can't publish, because Bob's \fBfoo\fP is in the way\.
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.RE
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.P
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The validity of Joe's claim in each situation can be debated\. However,
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Joe's appropriate course of action in each case is the same\.
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.RS 0
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.IP 1. 3
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\fBnpm owner ls foo\fP\|\. This will tell Joe the email address of the
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owner (Bob)\.
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.IP 2. 3
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Joe emails Bob, explaining the situation \fBas respectfully as
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possible\fR, and what he would like to do with the module name\. He
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adds the npm support staff support@npmjs\.com to the CC list of
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the email\. Mention in the email that Bob can run \fBnpm owner add
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joe foo\fP to add Joe as an owner of the \fBfoo\fP package\.
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.IP 3. 3
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After a reasonable amount of time, if Bob has not responded, or if
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Bob and Joe can't come to any sort of resolution, email support
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support@npmjs\.com and we'll sort it out\. ("Reasonable" is
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usually at least 4 weeks, but extra time is allowed around common
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holidays\.)
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.RE
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.SH REASONING
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.P
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In almost every case so far, the parties involved have been able to reach
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an amicable resolution without any major intervention\. Most people
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really do want to be reasonable, and are probably not even aware that
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they're in your way\.
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.P
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Module ecosystems are most vibrant and powerful when they are as
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self\-directed as possible\. If an admin one day deletes something you
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had worked on, then that is going to make most people quite upset,
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regardless of the justification\. When humans solve their problems by
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talking to other humans with respect, everyone has the chance to end up
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feeling good about the interaction\.
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.SH EXCEPTIONS
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.P
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Some things are not allowed, and will be removed without discussion if
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they are brought to the attention of the npm registry admins, including
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but not limited to:
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.RS 0
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.IP 1. 3
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Malware (that is, a package designed to exploit or harm the machine on
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which it is installed)\.
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.IP 2. 3
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Violations of copyright or licenses (for example, cloning an
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MIT\-licensed program, and then removing or changing the copyright and
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license statement)\.
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.IP 3. 3
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Illegal content\.
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.IP 4. 3
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"Squatting" on a package name that you \fIplan\fR to use, but aren't
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actually using\. Sorry, I don't care how great the name is, or how
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perfect a fit it is for the thing that someday might happen\. If
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someone wants to use it today, and you're just taking up space with
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an empty tarball, you're going to be evicted\.
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.IP 5. 3
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Putting empty packages in the registry\. Packages must have SOME
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functionality\. It can be silly, but it can't be \fInothing\fR\|\. (See
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also: squatting\.)
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.IP 6. 3
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Doing weird things with the registry, like using it as your own
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personal application database or otherwise putting non\-packagey
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things into it\.
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.RE
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.P
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If you see bad behavior like this, please report it right away\.
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.SH SEE ALSO
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.RS 0
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.IP \(bu 2
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npm help 7 registry
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.IP \(bu 2
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npm help owner
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.RE
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