Where Does Npm Install Packages?

Where does npm install packages?

If you’re a JavaScript developer, chances are you’re familiar with npm (Node Package Manager). It’s a powerful tool that allows you to easily install and manage dependencies for your JavaScript projects. But have you ever wondered where exactly npm installs these packages? In this article, we’ll explore the different locations where npm installs packages and how you can find them.

Global Installation

When you install a package globally using npm, it gets installed in a specific location on your system. The location depends on the operating system you’re using:

• On Windows: C:Users{username}AppDataRoamingnpmnode_modules
• On macOS and Linux: /usr/local/lib/node_modules

To install a package globally, you can use the following command:

npm install -g 

Local Installation

When you install a package locally, it gets installed in the node_modules directory of your project. This directory is created in the same location where your package.json file resides. If you don’t have a package.json file, npm will create one for you when you run the installation command.

To install a package locally, you can use the following command:

npm install 

Multiple Locations

In some cases, you might have multiple node_modules directories in your project. This can happen if you have nested projects or if you’re using a monorepo setup. In such cases, npm follows a specific algorithm to determine which node_modules directory to use when resolving dependencies.

By default, npm uses a top-down approach to resolve dependencies. It starts from the current directory and moves up the directory tree until it finds a node_modules directory. If it doesn’t find one, it keeps moving up until it reaches the root of the file system.

If you want to install a package in a specific location, you can use the --prefix option followed by the desired path. For example:

npm install  --prefix /path/to/directory

This will install the package in the specified directory instead of the default node_modules directory.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explored the different locations where npm installs packages. Whether you’re installing packages globally or locally, it’s important to understand where they are being installed, especially when managing dependencies for your projects. By knowing the installation locations, you can easily access and manage the installed packages.

Happy coding!