https://github.com/plaid/npmserve-server

fast npm installs for slow clients
https://github.com/plaid/npmserve-server

Last synced: 27 days ago
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fast npm installs for slow clients

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/plaid/npmserve-server
• Owner: plaid
• License: mit
• Archived: true
• Created: 2016-04-08T21:39:45.000Z (over 8 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2016-04-18T22:00:11.000Z (over 8 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-08-09T13:16:32.337Z (5 months ago)
• Language: JavaScript
• Size: 386 KB
• Stars: 27
• Watchers: 19
• Forks: 2
• Open Issues: 7
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
  • License: LICENSE

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README

        
# npmserve-server

[![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/npmserve-server.svg?maxAge=2592000)]()

This server provides `npm` as a service accessible via http endpoints.

This allows virtual machines and other slow clients to offload the work of building `node_modules` and thus perform significantly faster installs.

## disclaimer

`npmserve` and `npmserve-server` are experimental projects. These tools should not be used for deploying production dependencies. The client/server model does not yet have authentication or authorization in place. This project also does not guarantee the integrity or security of dependencies installed from npm or distributed to clients. Please consider your own requirements and constraints before incorporating `npmserve` into your workflow.

## clients

1. **command-line client**: available at [npmserve](https://github.com/plaid/npmserve).

2. **web interface**: the server provides a web interface to delete and trigger builds:

![web interface](docs/screenshot.png)

## implementation

To solve these problems, we are providing a server on which clients can execute their

npm installs by uploading a `package.json` file. In response, they will receive a

`node_modules.tar.gz` archive containing their install results.

## limitations

Currently, the server must be run on a machine with the same architecture as the clients. If this is not the case, calls to `/npm/install` may return `node_modules` archives containing extensions compiled for the wrong architecture.

## build semantics

To the extent possible, the `npmserve` server provides operations analogous to

those that a user running `npm` locally might do. Users running locally often

resort to forceful actions such as deleting their entire `node_modules`

directory or clearing their cache. We provide the facility to perform those

actions via the API as well. These are documented below.

## API

`POST /npm/install`

* **behavior**: performs an `npm install` on the server

* **arguments**: `packageJson`: string of `package.json` file contents

* **content-type**: `application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=utf-8`

* **response**: compressed archive `node_modules.tar.gz`, containing `node_modules`

`DELETE /npm/install/:hash`

* **behavior**: deletes the `node_modules` build on the server for the specified build hash

* **arguments**: none

* **response**: void

`POST /npm/cache/clean`

* **behavior**: clears the `.npm` cache on the server

* **arguments**: none

* **response**: void

## environment

This project relies on the following environment variables:

| name | type | default | description |

| ---- | ---- | ------- | ----------- |

| `BUILD_DATA_DIR` | string | `./data` | path to the directory in which to store build data |

| `NPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY` | string | `https://registry.npmjs.org` | the `npm` registry to use for `npm install` |