This is the 2nd in series of posts leading up Node.js Knockout, a brief intro to npm.

npm is the node.js package manager. It’s what you should use to install and maintain your project’s dependencies.

Almost every other post in this “Countdown to KO” series will instruct you to install packages via npm, so make sure to install it soon.

Installing npm

The simplest way to install npm is to do this:

curl http://npmjs.org/install.sh | sh

If you’re more paranoid than lazy, you can also get the latest code, check it all out, and when you’re happy there’s nothing in there to pwn your machine, issue a make install.

See the npm readme for additional installation options, including being able to install without git or curl, and being able to install with different permissions.

Coming soon

In a future post, npm author and Node.js Knockout judge Isaac Schlueter will give a more detailed overview some of the most useful features of npm.