Provided by: npm_1.3.10~dfsg-1_all 
NAME
npm - node package manager
SYNOPSIS
This is just enough info to get you up and running.
Much more info available via npm help once it´s installed.
IMPORTANT
You need node v0.8 or higher to run this program.
To install an old and unsupported version of npm that works on node 0.3 and prior, clone
the git repo and dig through the old tags and branches.
Super Easy Install
npm comes with node now.
Windows Computers
Get the MSI. npm is in it.
Apple Macintosh Computers
Get the pkg. npm is in it.
Other Sorts of Unices
Run make install. npm will be installed with node.
If you want a more fancy pants install (a different version, customized paths, etc.) then
read on.
Fancy Install (Unix)
There´s a pretty robust install script at https://npmjs.org/install.sh. You can download
that and run it.
Slightly Fancier
You can set any npm configuration params with that script:
npm_config_prefix=/some/path sh install.sh
Or, you can run it in uber-debuggery mode:
npm_debug=1 sh install.sh
Even Fancier
Get the code with git. Use make to build the docs and do other stuff. If you plan on
hacking on npm, make link is your friend.
If you´ve got the npm source code, you can also semi-permanently set arbitrary config keys
using the ./configure --key=val ..., and then run npm commands by doing node cli.js <cmd>
<args>. (This is helpful for testing, or running stuff without actually installing npm
itself.)
Fancy Windows Install
You can download a zip file from https://npmjs.org/dist/, and unpack it in the same folder
where node.exe lives.
If that´s not fancy enough for you, then you can fetch the code with git, and mess with it
directly.
Installing on Cygwin
No.
Permissions when Using npm to Install Other Stuff
tl;dr
• Use sudo for greater safety. Or don´t, if you prefer not to.
• npm will downgrade permissions if it´s root before running any build scripts that
package authors specified.
More details...
As of version 0.3, it is recommended to run npm as root. This allows npm to change the
user identifier to the nobody user prior to running any package build or test commands.
If you are not the root user, or if you are on a platform that does not support uid
switching, then npm will not attempt to change the userid.
If you would like to ensure that npm always runs scripts as the "nobody" user, and have it
fail if it cannot downgrade permissions, then set the following configuration param:
npm config set unsafe-perm false
This will prevent running in unsafe mode, even as non-root users.
Uninstalling
So sad to see you go.
sudo npm uninstall npm -g
Or, if that fails,
sudo make uninstall
More Severe Uninstalling
Usually, the above instructions are sufficient. That will remove npm, but leave behind
anything you´ve installed.
If you would like to remove all the packages that you have installed, then you can use the
npm ls command to find them, and then npm rm to remove them.
To remove cruft left behind by npm 0.x, you can use the included clean-old.sh script file.
You can run it conveniently like this:
npm explore npm -g -- sh scripts/clean-old.sh
npm uses two configuration files, one for per-user configs, and another for global
(every-user) configs. You can view them by doing:
npm config get userconfig # defaults to ~/.npmrc
npm config get globalconfig # defaults to /usr/local/etc/npmrc
Uninstalling npm does not remove configuration files by default. You must remove them
yourself manually if you want them gone. Note that this means that future npm installs
will not remember the settings that you have chosen.
Using npm Programmatically
If you would like to use npm programmatically, you can do that. It´s not very well
documented, but it is rather simple.
Most of the time, unless you actually want to do all the things that npm does, you should
try using one of npm´s dependencies rather than using npm itself, if possible.
Eventually, npm will be just a thin cli wrapper around the modules that it depends on, but
for now, there are some things that you must use npm itself to do.
var npm = require("npm")
npm.load(myConfigObject, function (er) {
if (er) return handlError(er)
npm.commands.install(["some", "args"], function (er, data) {
if (er) return commandFailed(er)
// command succeeded, and data might have some info
})
npm.on("log", function (message) { .... })
})
The load function takes an object hash of the command-line configs. The various
npm.commands.<cmd> functions take an array of positional argument strings. The last
argument to any npm.commands.<cmd> function is a callback. Some commands take other
optional arguments. Read the source.
You cannot set configs individually for any single npm function at this time. Since npm is
a singleton, any call to npm.config.set will change the value for all npm commands in that
process.
See ./bin/npm-cli.js for an example of pulling config values off of the command line
arguments using nopt. You may also want to check out npm help config to learn about all
the options you can set there.
More Docs
Check out the docs https://npmjs.org/doc/, especially the faq
https://npmjs.org/doc/faq.html.
You can use the npm help command to read any of them.
If you´re a developer, and you want to use npm to publish your program, you should read
this https://npmjs.org/doc/developers.html
Legal Stuff
"npm" and "the npm registry" are owned by Isaac Z. Schlueter. All rights reserved. See the
included LICENSE file for more details.
"Node.js" and "node" are trademarks owned by Joyent, Inc. npm is not officially part of
the Node.js project, and is neither owned by nor officially affiliated with Joyent, Inc.
The packages in the npm registry are not part of npm itself, and are the sole property of
their respective maintainers. While every effort is made to ensure accountability, there
is absolutely no guarantee, warrantee, or assertion made as to the quality, fitness for a
specific purpose, or lack of malice in any given npm package. Modules published on the npm
registry are not affiliated with or endorsed by Joyent, Inc., Isaac Z. Schlueter, Ryan
Dahl, or the Node.js project.
If you have a complaint about a package in the npm registry, and cannot resolve it with
the package owner, please express your concerns to Isaac Z. Schlueter at i@izs.me.
In plain english
This is mine; not my employer´s, not Node´s, not Joyent´s, not Ryan Dahl´s.
If you publish something, it´s yours, and you are solely accountable for it. Not me, not
Node, not Joyent, not Ryan Dahl.
If other people publish something, it´s theirs. Not mine, not Node´s, not Joyent´s, not
Ryan Dahl´s.
Yes, you can publish something evil. It will be removed promptly if reported, and we´ll
lose respect for you. But there is no vetting process for published modules.
If this concerns you, inspect the source before using packages.
BUGS
When you find issues, please report them:
web https://github.com/isaacs/npm/issues
email npm-@googlegroups.com
Be sure to include all of the output from the npm command that didn´t work as expected.
The npm-debug.log file is also helpful to provide.
You can also look for isaacs in #node.js on irc://irc.freenode.net. He will no doubt tell
you to put the output in a gist or email.
SEE ALSO
• npm help npm
• npm help faq
• npm help help
• npm help index
October 2013 NPM(1)