npm link and global-ness

[Phil Jackson]

Hey all,

I'm wondering why `npm link` installs modules in the global node path?
Before I bothered reading the man page I was doing this:

$ npm link ../base

in a project that depends on base. I was just expecting a symlink to the
base package in ./node_modules but instead I get a link to a link in the
global node path.

The problem with this is that for developers who have installed node via
package managers or somewhere under /usr they now need root access to do
an `npm link`. Would a -g option to `npm link` make sense instead of
being global by default?

Cheers,
Phil Jackson
--
Apiaxle http://apiaxle.com - A free, open proxy for your API.

[Floby]

I compiled my own node, and I do need to have root access for anything global with npm.

[Phil Jackson]

Hey Floby,

Same here but not everyone does that.

Phil

> --

[greelgorke]

http://howtonode.org/introduction-to-npm the paragraph about "what no sudo"

[Phil Jackson]

Hey Greelgorke,

You're missing the point. I'm suggesting that `npm link` shouldn't do
the global thing by default.

Also, if people use package mangers node will end up in /usr/, not
/usr/local.

Cheers,
Phil

greelgorke <greel...@gmail.com> writes:

> http://howtonode.org/introduction-to-npm the paragraph about "what no sudo"
>
> Am Montag, 25. März 2013 11:44:07 UTC+1 schrieb Phil Jackson:
>>
>> Hey Floby,
>>
>> Same here but not everyone does that.
>>
>> Phil
>>

[Jérémy Lal]

"npm link" shouldn't behave like "npm -g link"

NB: this has nothing to do with the way node or npm is installed,
while it is true that node end up in /usr, package managers have npm
configured to global-install modules to /usr/local by default.

J�r�my.

On 25/03/2013 13:39, Phil Jackson wrote:
> Hey Greelgorke,
>
> You're missing the point. I'm suggesting that `npm link` shouldn't do
> the global thing by default.
>
> Also, if people use package mangers node will end up in /usr/, not
> /usr/local.
>
> Cheers,
> Phil
>
> greelgorke <greel...@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> http://howtonode.org/introduction-to-npm the paragraph about "what no sudo"
>>

[greelgorke]

that's it. tell the package manager to install it in the right place.

the other point, the "local link". you can do this yourself:

ln -s yourLib ./node_modules/yourLib

the problem with it is, that nearly every developer has it's own dir layout. the way npm ln works is the only simple way to be sure where to find the lib you wanna link into your project. i'm sure Isaac can name more arguments for his decision. 

there is another solution: publish your lib, which you wanna link, or pack it and place the tar on restricted server (we did that in one project, jenkins backed, works well)

Am Montag, 25. März 2013 13:53:00 UTC+1 schrieb kapouer:

"npm link" shouldn't behave like "npm -g link"

NB: this has nothing to do with the way node or npm is installed,
while it is true that node end up in /usr, package managers have npm
configured to global-install modules to /usr/local by default.

J�r�my.

[Tim Caswell]

In your use case, I just manually create a symlink directly and bypass the local stuff:

    cd node_modules

    ln -s ../../base

    cd ..

    npm ls

I use npm link to install a module globally, usually because I'm writing a CLI script and want to test it.

[Martin Cooper]

On Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 4:21 PM, Phil Jackson <ph...@apiaxle.com> wrote:

Hey all,

I'm wondering why `npm link` installs modules in the global node path?

When you `npm link`, it effectively creates a global install that can be accessed from any other project. You then create a local reference to that when you use `npm link <package>`. This way, the consumers are decoupled from the source package, via a level of indirection.

The location used for this global install is by default the same location as for global installs of packages probably for convenience. There's no need for yet another location to be found in which to put the links. However, you're free to put these wherever you like, since the location is actually based on the configured `prefix` value, which you can change at will. So you're by no means tied to a location that requires sudo.

--
Martin Cooper

 

Before I bothered reading the man page I was doing this:

    $ npm link ../base

in a project that depends on base. I was just expecting a symlink to the
base package in ./node_modules but instead I get a link to a link in the
global node path.

The problem with this is that for developers who have installed node via
package managers or somewhere under /usr they now need root access to do
an `npm link`. Would a -g option to `npm link` make sense instead of
being global by default?

Cheers,
Phil Jackson
--
Apiaxle http://apiaxle.com - A free, open proxy for your API.

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