Npm.nix

Npm.nix is a project that organizes JavaScript packages with the Nix package manager.

There was npm2nix, then node2nix. Both of them designed to work with the NPM package registry, and leave you a little freedom and control. The gravest downside is that NPM is not a repository of source code. Yes, some of the packages are plain human-written JavaScript, but the others are derived from TypeScript, Dart, and whatnot. Some require native extensions for the Node.js runtime, which are usually precompiled and downloaded at install time (for example node-sass and fibers).

Npm.nix fuses together the power of Nix and the Debian Free Software Guideline. We build every JavaScript package from its source code, we can apply any patches, we can control what is installed.

To help adding and updaing packages there is the npm4nix utility.

To be (maybe) done

• Something like nodeWithPackages.
• Bundles. For example, a closed set of tarballs, so that NPM can install them and resolve depenednecies offline. Or simply a bundle with node_modules without symbolic links, deduplicated, etc.

Structure

Entry point in the npmPackages directory. It can be used in command line as nix build -f ./npmPackages PACKAGE or nix-build ./npmPackages -A PACKAGE. It can be used in top-level Nix expressions like this:

{
#...
  node12Packages = import ./npmPackages { nodejs = nodejs-12_x; };
#...
}

Each NPM package is placed in separate directory with at least one file - default.nix. Scoped packages are placed into corresponding subdirectories.

For the purpose of Nix expressions, names of the packages are modified:

• all slashes are replaced by dashes (/ -> -);
• all dots are replaced by dashes (. -> -);
• the at symbol (@) is removed.

For example, some imaginary package @babel/core would be located under ./npmPackages/@babel/core/default.nix and available in Nix expressions as babel-core.

How it works

Npm.nix basically replicates setup for Haskell or Python in Nixpkgs. There is a predefined set of NPM packages. The set can be extended. Each package in the set can be modified or overriden for any particular use case.

When building an NPM package we:

1. Upack its source code.
2. Modify its package.json so that all dependencies were resolved to Nix store.
3. Invoke npm install to populate the node_modules directory.
4. Build the package.
5. Strip package.json, e. g. remove devDependencies which are not longer needed.
6. Pack the package and install it as a Nix derivation (unpacked, ready to use as is).
7. Invoke npm install again to populate node_modules with runtime dependencies only.
8. Strip package.json even more.

When the package is built, its runtime dependencies are tracked by Nix through symbolic links under its node_modules. Its package.json does not refer any packages. A little surprise, that this approach is in line with Node.js recommendations.

For example:

$ nix-build ./npmPackages/ -A _color-convert -o color-convert
these derivations will be built:
  /nix/store/s30w2nskd2vk3mwylyja19bzmbwjr70v-color-name-4536ce5.drv
  /nix/store/l5bkr89n5kr23fmnfgcsp05dvhl8n015-nodejs-10.16.3-color-name-1.1.4.drv
  /nix/store/vk82xx042l1pf99ih4cj8yyna7vipamp-chalk-2.4.2-dummy.drv
  /nix/store/wsxc4vgjwm0slq2i7zx0czzxg47y7wgy-xo-0.25.3-dummy.drv
  /nix/store/zasx83qzd3dk5d9cfi5kifai3xg9vh8w-2.0.1.tar.gz.drv
  /nix/store/q8rr2cgw74z2qdyhxqc12q7dxjzwa16c-nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1.drv
...
nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1 notice === Tarball Contents ===
nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1 notice 782B   package.json
nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1 notice 1.4kB  CHANGELOG.md
nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1 notice 17.0kB conversions.js
nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1 notice 1.7kB  index.js
nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1 notice 1.1kB  LICENSE
nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1 notice 2.9kB  README.md
nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1 notice 2.3kB  route.js
...
shrinking RPATHs of ELF executables and libraries in /nix/store/wz943yq79k76khaglrdlafpy0f3ahiyf-nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1
strip is /nix/store/sc8xmj2am32c8zvc4f7572g8r5cyxw91-binutils-2.31.1/bin/strip
patching script interpreter paths in /nix/store/wz943yq79k76khaglrdlafpy0f3ahiyf-nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1
checking for references to /tmp/nix-build-nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1.drv-0/ in /nix/store/wz943yq79k76khaglrdlafpy0f3ahiyf-nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1...
/nix/store/wz943yq79k76khaglrdlafpy0f3ahiyf-nodejs-10.16.3-color-convert-2.0.1

$ cat color-convert/package.json
{
  "name": "color-convert",
  "description": "Plain color conversion functions",
  "version": "2.0.1",
  "author": "Heather Arthur <[email protected]>",
  "license": "MIT",
  "repository": "Qix-/color-convert",
  "files": [
    "index.js",
    "conversions.js",
    "route.js"
  ]
  "dependencies": {
    "color-name": "file:/nix/store/2k0qqdcf64mdv80hnnakpxrvkjwi99fr-nodejs-14.17.3-color-name-1.1.4"
  }
}

$ ls -lh color-convert/node_modules/
total 4,0K
lrwxrwxrwx 1 pashev pashev 70 ene  1  1970 color-name -> ../../2k0qqdcf64mdv80hnnakpxrvkjwi99fr-nodejs-14.17.3-color-name-1.1.4

$ node
> var convert = require('./color-convert');
undefined
> convert.keyword.rgb('blue');
[ 0, 0, 255 ]

$ npm i ./color-convert
...
+ [email protected]
added 1 package from 1 contributor in 0.838s

$ node
> var convert = require('color-convert');
undefined
> convert.keyword.rgb('blue');
[ 0, 0, 255 ]