The npm config files
npm gets its config settings from the command line, environment variables, and npmrc files.
The npm config command can be used to update and edit the contents of the user and global npmrc files.
npm help For a list of available configuration options, see npm-config.
The four relevant files are:
per-project config file (/path/to/my/project/.npmrc)
per-user config file (~/.npmrc)
global config file ($PREFIX/npmrc)
npm builtin config file (/path/to/npm/npmrc)
All npm config files are an ini-formatted list of key = value parameters. Environment variables can be replaced using ${VARIABLE_NAME}. For example:
prefix = ${HOME}/.npm-packages
Each of these files is loaded, and config options are resolved in priority order. For example, a setting in the userconfig file would override the setting in the globalconfig file.
When working locally in a project, a .npmrc file in the root of the project (ie, a sibling of node_modules and package.json) will set config values specific to this project.
Note that this only applies to the root of the project that you\'re running npm in. It has no effect when your module is published. For example, you can\'t publish a module that forces itself to install globally, or in a different location.
$HOME/.npmrc (or the userconfig param, if set in the environment or on the command line)
$PREFIX/etc/npmrc (or the globalconfig param, if set above): This file is an ini-file formatted list of key = value parameters. Environment variables can be replaced as above.
path/to/npm/itself/npmrc
This is an unchangeable "builtin" configuration file that npm keeps consistent across updates. Set fields in here using the ./configure script that comes with npm. This is primarily for distribution maintainers to override default configs in a standard and consistent manner.
npm help folders
npm help config
npm help config
npm help package.json
npm help npm