npm-cache

Add a specific package to the cache

$ npm cache add [package_name]

$ npm cache remove [package_name]

$ npm cache clean [key]

$ npm cache clean --force

$ npm cache ls

$ npm cache verify

$ npm config get cache

$ npm config set cache [path/to/directory]

npm cache clean [--force]
npm cache verify

clean
    Removes all data from the npm cache.

--force
    When used with `clean`, bypasses confirmation prompts and forcefully removes the cache. Use with caution!

verify
    Verifies the integrity of the cache, ensuring that cached data is not corrupted.

The `npm cache` command is used to manage the local npm package cache. This cache stores downloaded packages to avoid redundant downloads when installing or updating dependencies. Managing the cache can free up disk space, resolve installation issues caused by corrupted cache data, and ensure that you're using the correct versions of packages. Commands like `npm cache clean` remove all cached data or specific packages, while `npm cache verify` checks the integrity of the cache. The npm cache is crucial for offline installations and significantly speeds up package installations by reusing previously downloaded packages. Understanding how to use `npm cache` is vital for optimizing your npm workflow and troubleshooting package installation problems. Properly managing the cache can prevent errors caused by outdated or corrupted data, ensuring your projects consistently use the desired package versions.

The `npm cache` is located by default in a platform-specific directory, but the location can be modified using the cache configuration option in npmrc. Always be careful when using npm cache clean --force, as it removes everything from the cache, potentially slowing down future installations if network conditions are poor.

The default cache location depends on the operating system. You can find the current cache location using npm config get cache. It can be changed by setting the cache configuration option with npm config set cache /path/to/new/cache.

If you encounter issues installing packages, running npm cache clean --force followed by npm install can often resolve problems caused by a corrupted or outdated cache.

The `npm cache` command has been a core part of npm since its early versions, evolving alongside the npm ecosystem. Initially focused on basic caching functionality to reduce download times, it later incorporated features like verification to enhance reliability. Over time, the command has been refined to address common user issues, such as disk space management and cache corruption, leading to its current set of functionalities. Its development mirrors the growing complexity and sophistication of Node.js package management.

npm(1), npm config(1), npm install(1)