Making the Move to Private npm and Verdaccio for Confidential Product Developments

[gobinathp]

NPM (Node Package Manager) is the default package manager for the JavaScript runtime environment Node.js. It is used to manage and share packages or modules of code with other developers. However, some organizations or individuals may want to keep their packages private, either to keep their code proprietary or simply to control access to their packages. This is where private npm comes in.

Private npm refers to a version of npm that allows organizations to host their packages on their own servers, rather than on the public npm registry. This gives them full control over access to their packages and ensures that their code remains private.

Verdaccio is an open-source private npm registry that allows organizations to host their packages locally, behind their firewall. Verdaccio provides a simple, scalable, and secure way to manage private packages and can be used to host packages for multiple teams within an organization.

Benefits of using Verdaccio as a private npm registry include:

1. Security: By hosting packages behind a firewall, Verdaccio provides an extra layer of security to protect against potential vulnerabilities or security threats.


2. Control: With Verdaccio, organizations have full control over who has access to their packages and can easily manage access permissions for different users or teams.


3. Scalability: Verdaccio is designed to be scalable, so organizations can easily manage and serve packages for large teams or multiple projects.


4. Cost-effective: Unlike commercial private npm registry solutions, Verdaccio is open-source software and can be used for free. This makes it an attractive option for organizations that need to manage private packages but are operating on a tight budget.


5. Easy to set up and use: Verdaccio is designed to be simple and straightforward to use, making it accessible to organizations of all sizes.

Here's a step-by-step guide to install Verdaccio on a Windows system:

Install Node.js: Verdaccio is built on Node.js, so the first step is to install the latest version of Node.js on your Windows system. You can download it from the official website (https://nodejs.org/en/download/).

1. Run the installation file by double-clicking on it.


2. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process. This will include selecting the installation directory and customizing any other options you wish to set.


3. Verify the installation by opening a Command Prompt window and typing the following command:

node -v

to check the version of Node.js that you just installed.With these steps, you should have successfully installed Node.js on your Windows system. You can now start using Node.js and npm to build your applications.

Note: npm (Node Package Manager) is included with Node.js, so there's no need to install it separately.

 

Install Verdaccio: Open a command prompt and run the following command to install Verdaccio globally on your system:

npm install -g verdaccio

Start Verdaccio: To start Verdaccio, run the following command in your command prompt:

verdaccio

Configure Verdaccio: By default, Verdaccio runs on localhost and listens on port 4873. To access the Verdaccio web interface, open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost:4873. You can configure Verdaccio by modifying the config.yaml file located in the .verdaccio folder in your home directory. By default, Verdaccio uses a local file system to store packages, which is not suitable for public usage. You can configure Verdaccio to use a database to store packages and user information by creating a config.yaml file in the conf directory.

Update the Configuration File: The config.yaml file contains various options that control the behavior of Verdaccio. Update the configuration file to enable public access by updating the listen and public options, for example:

listen: 0.0.0.0:4873



public: true

Secure Verdaccio: It's recommended to secure Verdaccio by enabling authentication. You can add users to Verdaccio by updating the auth section of the configuration file and specifying the authentication method you want to use, for example:

auth:

  htpasswd:

    file: ./htpasswd

Restart Verdaccio: After updating the configuration file, restart Verdaccio to apply the changes. With these steps, you should have successfully configured Verdaccio for public usage. You can now share packages within your company and manage access to your packages through authentication.

Publish packages: To publish a package, you need to first log in to Verdaccio by running the following command in your command prompt:

npm login --registry=http://localhost:4873

Create a package: Create a new directory for your package and navigate to it in the terminal. Run the following command to initialize the package and create a package.json file:

npm init

Publish the Package: You can publish the package to Verdaccio by running the following command:

npm publish --registry http://localhost:4873

Note that http://localhost:4873 is the default URL for Verdaccio. If you are running Verdaccio on a different host or port, you will need to update the URL accordingly.

Authenticate: If you have enabled authentication in Verdaccio, you will need to provide your username and password to publish packages. You can do this by running the following command:

npm adduser --registry http://localhost:4873

Update the Package: If you make changes to your package, you can update it by running the `npm publish.

In conclusion, private npm and Verdaccio offer a secure and cost-effective way for organizations to manage and share their packages. Whether you're looking to keep your code proprietary or simply want more control over access to your packages, Verdaccio provides a simple and scalable solution.