Looking for a way to distribute your JavaScript project? Then npm is an excellent choice. Originally an acronym for “Node Package Manager” (as in the Node.js runtime environment), npm now hosts more than one million projects written using Node.js and other JavaScript libraries and frameworks.
An npm registry is a database that contains JavaScript packages, making it easier for developers to search for and download the packages they need.
Why set up a remote npm registry?
In the world of package management and version control, a “remote” repository or registry is one that is hosted on an external machine or network. This is contrasted with a “local” repository or registry that is located on your own machine.
JavaScript projects created by solo developers may not need their own remote npm registry. Solo developers can install JavaScript packages on their own machine without worrying about developing in a different environment.
Once two or more JavaScript developers start collaborating on a project, however, a remote npm registry becomes a wise idea. A remote npm registry provides a single standardized list of the packages, libraries, frameworks, and dependencies that developers should install before starting work.
Hosting these files in an external location gives all developers access to the same packages (and the same versions of these packages) when writing JavaScript code. This ensures there are no conflicts or bugs due to multiple developers using different package versions.
How to set up a remote npm registry
To set up a remote npm registry, you’ll first need to choose the location where your packages will be hosted. You can host an npm registry within your own infrastructure on-premises or in the cloud. There are also various third-party solutions that handle the task of hosting for you.
Assuming you’ve chosen the do-it-yourself route, you’ll first need to set up a database to contain the packages. According to npm, the npm public registry is powered by an Apache CouchDB database, with a public mirror available at the URL https://skimdb.npmjs.com/registry. You can install CouchDB here. You’ll also need to set up a server to host the package database (e.g., using Node.js).
The final step is to configure npm to point to your remote registry. You can do this by editing the ~/.npmrc file to contain the line:
registry = URL
where URL points to your CouchDB database.
If you need help setting up a remote npm registry or you use multiple programming languages, it’s a smart choice to go with a dedicated package management solution. Tools such as Packagecloud include built-in support for npm registries, as well as packages in languages such as Python, Ruby, and Java.
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