Syncing an NPM Package Between Multiple Registries
Photo by Nicolas Radzimski on Unsplash
The Problem
Our team relies on an internal GitLab NPM registry for managing packages. This works perfectly for internal distribution, but there are instances where a package needs to be shared with external collaborators. Syncing the package from the internal registry to an external one became a new challenge.
I set out to find a solution and, as usual, encountered a series of hurdles that turned this into another chapter in my developer struggles.
Attempt 1: Using HTTP Requests to Mimic NPM CLI
Initially, I thought I could handle this with raw HTTP requests, essentially mimicking what the NPM CLI does under the hood. The idea was simple: query the source registry for package metadata, fetch the tarball, and upload it to the target registry.
Why it failed:
• The process was too complex and fragile.
• It required manually constructing the entire package.json manifest for every version.
• Every small misstep led to broken packages.
Attempt 2: Leveraging npm-registry-sync
Next, I discovered npm-registry-sync, a library designed for syncing NPM registries. This tool almost solved the problem; it could monitor changes and replicate them across registries.
Why it didn’t work for me:
• It operates in “daemon mode,” polling for updates continuously.
• In a GitLab CI pipeline, I needed a one-off execution, controlled entirely by the pipeline — no background processes allowed.
The Winning Solution: The NPM CLI
Eventually, I realized I could stick to the tried-and-true NPM CLI. The steps were straightforward:
- Install the package locally from Registry A.
- Reconfigure NPM to point to Registry B.
- Publish the package to Registry B.
While this worked like a charm, there were a few extra steps needed to make it CI-friendly.
Configuring NPM for Multiple Registries
Managing registry configurations dynamically in a CI pipeline was a bit tricky.
Here’s how I solved it:
General Configuration
Using the npm CLI, you can set parameters for each registry:
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Important Gotcha:
The URL in the config must exclude the protocol (https:).
Package-to-Registry Association
To associate a specific namespace or package with a registry:
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Handling Authentication in CI Pipelines
Some registries required a username/password combo, while others used tokens. Here’s what I learned:
Tokens
Tokens are straightforward, but ensure you strip the protocol when configuring the auth URL:
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Basic Auth
Generating a basic auth hash (username:password) required attention to detail. In some distros, the base64 command has quirks that differ from others.
On macOS:
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Will give you (as expected):
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With docker linuxkit:
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What is going on here? There is a line break!
On some distros, the wrap parameter has a default set to 76 chars for formatting private keys etc.
It works like this:
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The echo -n is very important. If omitted, echo will add a linebreak to the end of the string and this will manipulate your hash.
The finished script
Putting it all together, the script could look like this:
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So you could use it like this:
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Key Lessons Learned
Stick to Simple Tools:
The npm CLI might not be fancy for this task, but it’s reliable and gets the job done.Mind the Details:
Configuring authentication, especially with base64, can have subtle platform-specific quirks.Keep It CI-Friendly:
Avoid solutions like daemons or background tasks when working in CI/CD pipelines. Keep the process under pipeline control.
Syncing npm packages between registries was a frustrating but rewarding learning experience. If you’re facing a similar challenge, I hope these lessons help you navigate the struggle with a bit more ease!
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