Is there any way to configure multiple registries in a single npmrc file

Question

Here is my problem. We have a private NPM registry which only works in VPN. I would like to have a fallback registry https://registry.npmjs.org so that when I am out of VPN

Answer 1

My approach was to make a slight command line variant that adds the registry switch.

I created these files in the nodejs folder where the npm executable is found:

npm-.cmd:

@ECHO OFF
npm --registry https://registry.npmjs.org %*

npm-:

#!/bin/sh
"npm" --registry https://registry.npmjs.org "$@"

Now, if I want to do an operation against the normal npm registry (while I am not connected to the VPN), I just type npm- where I would usually type npm.

To test this command and see the registry for a package, use this example:

npm- view lodash

PS. I am in windows and have tested this in Bash, CMD, and Powershell. I also

Answer 2

Since it has been a couple years and it doesn't seem possible to do this (using npm alone), a solution to this problem is to use the Nexus Repository Manager (from Sonatype). Nexus supports multiple repositories, lets you order them, and also proxies/caches to improve speed.

A free version and pro/paid version exist. The feature that supports this is described at: https://help.sonatype.com/repomanager3/node-packaged-modules-and-npm-registries

The relevant information is duplicated below so if/when the above URL/link stops working the information is still here.

A repository group is the recommended way to expose all your npm registries repositories from the repository manager to your users, without needing any further client side configuration. A repository group allows you to expose the aggregated content of multiple proxy and hosted repositories with one URL to npm and other tools.

It lets you create private npm registries

A private npm registry can be used to upload your own packages as well as third-party packages.

And

To reduce duplicate downloads and improve download speeds for your developers and CI servers, you should proxy the registry hosted at https://registry.npmjs.org. By default npm accesses this registry directly. You can also proxy any other registries you require.

So a quick bulleted list of things you do to get this working is:

• Install Nexus

• Create a local/private repo (or point to your private repo on another server)

• Create a GROUP that lists your private repo, and the public repo.

• Configure your $HOME/.npmrc file to point to the "GROUP" just created.

• Publish your private npm packages to the local repo.

• Users now can run a one time setup.

npm config set registry https://nexus/content/groups/GROUP

• Then users can install both public or private packages via npm install. npm install my-private-package npm install lodash any-other-public-package

And both your public and private packages can be installed via a simple npm install command. Nexus finds the package searching each repo configured in the group and returns the results. So npm still thinks there is just one registry but behind the curtain there are multiple repos being used.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When you publish your components, you'll need to specify the npm publish --registry https://nexus/content/repositories/private-repo my-private-package command so your package is published to the correct repo.

Answer 3

You can use multiple repositories syntax for the registry entry in your .npmrc file:

registry=http://serverA.url/repository-uri/
//serverB.url/repository-uri/
//serverC.url/repository-uri/:_authToken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000000
//registry.npmjs.org/

That would make your npm look for packages in different servers.

Answer 4

I encounter the same problem when my company set up its own registry, so I heavily rework on proxy-registry into proxy-multi-registries to solve this problem. Hope it will also helps you.

Answer 5

You can have multiple registries for scoped packages in your .npmrc file. For example:

@polymer:registry=<url register A>
registry=http://localhost:4873/

Packages under @polymer scope will be received from https://registry.npmjs.org, but the rest will be received from your local NPM.