How to install private GitHub repos as dependencies using npm package.json

Other Questions NPM
1

I need help installing a private GitHub repository through npm. The main repo I want to install has other private GitHub repos listed as its dependencies, and I can’t get it working properly.

I’ve been trying this command:

npm install git+https://github.com/mycompany/mainproject.git

My package.json dependencies section looks like this:

"dependencies": {
    "authservice": "git+https://github.com/mycompany/authentication.git",
    "dbhelper": "git+https://github.com/mycompany/database-utils.git"
}

I’ve tried different approaches from various tutorials but nothing seems to work. What’s the correct method to handle this situation with nested private repository dependencies?

2

This issue is mainly due to the authentication that npm requires for each private dependency when installing. To address this, I recommend setting up the GitHub Package Registry for your private repositories and ensuring that npm is configured to authenticate using personal access tokens. While it’s possible to include tokens directly in your dependency URLs, it poses a security risk. It’s important to keep your tokens secure, especially when deploying. As a long-term solution, you might want to consider using a private npm registry or continuing with GitHub packages.

3

you can also try npm ci with --production flag when deploying. double-check your token has read:packages and repo access. people always forget the packages scope then can’t figure out why it’s broken lol

4

Had this exact problem a few months ago with our microservices setup. It’s an authentication issue - npm can’t access your private repos during install. Here’s what fixed it for me: Set up a personal access token with repo permissions, then add it to your .npmrc file in your home directory. Alternatively, switch to SSH instead of HTTPS. Change your dependencies to “git+ssh://[email protected]/mycompany/authentication.git” and ensure your SSH keys are set up with GitHub, allowing npm to authenticate automatically.