cnpm

C
C tier on JavaScript Package ManagersScore 6.5 · #11 of 18
Android app
Not listed
Free plan
No
Runs on
Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows
github.com
The cnpm homepage

Summary

cnpm is an npm client for the China mirror of npm. It supports npm commands for package installation and synchronization, and can open package documentation or a Git web URL. Global installation is documented as `npm install cnpm -g`, and the minimum Node.js version is 20, with LTS recommended. Users can configure a custom registry, registry web URL, and user configuration file to build a private-registry npm CLI. By default, cnpm uses npminstall; users can select the original npm installer, with the stated trade-off of losing the fastest install speed. The mirror is read-only and aims to synchronize with the official service in real time, so write-related operations are excluded. npminstall accepts folders, tarballs, URLs, registry packages, and Git URLs, and includes options to ignore lifecycle scripts or omit optional dependencies. It cannot install from shrinkwrap files, and the project advises cleaning `node_modules` before retrying a failed install. The project recommends migrating to utoo, described as a modern npm package manager.

Who it is for

It suits developers using npm commands with the China mirror or configuring a private-registry npm CLI. Users should be prepared for the project's recommendation to move to utoo.

What is good

  • Supports npm commands and package synchronization.
  • Can open package documentation and Git web URLs.
  • Supports custom registry configuration.
  • Accepts folder, tarball, URL, registry, and Git package inputs.
  • Allows options to omit optional dependencies or lifecycle scripts.

What to know first

  • Requires Node.js 20 or later.
  • Mirror excludes write-related operations.
  • Cannot install from shrinkwrap files.
  • Project recommends migrating to utoo.

Verdict

cnpm provides an npm-style workflow for the China mirror, along with registry configuration and package input options. Its Node.js requirement, read-only mirror behavior, and migration recommendation are worth considering before adopting it.

Compared on JavaScript package managers

Free plan
Yesgithub.com
Workspace support
Yesgithub.com
Lockfile support
Yesgithub.com
Peer dependency handling
Yesgithub.com
Package publishing
Yesgithub.com
Offline package cache
Yesgithub.com
Global installation
Yesgithub.com

Facts

Purpose
cnpm is an npm client for the China mirror of npm.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Project status
The project recommends migrating to utoo, described as a modern npm package manager.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Install
The project instructs users to install cnpm globally with `npm install cnpm -g`.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Node.js requirement
The minimum Node.js version is 20, with LTS recommended.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Commands
cnpm supports npm commands, including package synchronization and opening package documentation or a Git web URL.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Private registries
The README shows how to alias cnpm with a custom registry, registry web URL, and user configuration file to build a private registry npm CLI.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Installer
cnpm uses npminstall by default; users can select the original npm installer, with a stated loss of the fastest install speed.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Mirror
npmmirror describes itself as a read-only npm mirror that aims to synchronize with the official service in real time.npmmirror.com · 28 Sept 2026
Mirror commands
npmmirror says its cnpm CLI supports commands such as install, info, and view, while write-related operations are excluded.npmmirror.com · 28 Sept 2026
Package types
npminstall supports package inputs including folders, tarballs, URLs, registry packages, and Git URLs.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Install options
npminstall documents options to ignore lifecycle scripts, omit optional dependencies, enforce registry-only installs, and forbid specified licenses.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Limitations
npminstall says it cannot install from shrinkwrap files and warns that failed installs are best retried after cleaning node_modules.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
License
The cnpm repository identifies its license as MIT.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Compatibility
cnpm supports npm commands, and npmmirror says it supports commands such as install, info, and view, except write-related operations.npmmirror.com · 29 Sept 2026
Package sync
Users can sync packages from npm with `cnpm sync [moduleName]`.github.com · 29 Sept 2026
Package documentation
The `cnpm doc` command opens package documentation, and `cnpm doc -g` opens a Git web URL.github.com · 29 Sept 2026
Installation
The project documents global installation with `npm install cnpm -g`.github.com · 29 Sept 2026
Private registry
The README shows how to alias cnpm with custom registry, registry web, and user configuration URLs to build a private registry npm CLI.github.com · 29 Sept 2026
Mirror behavior
npmmirror describes itself as a read-only npm mirror that aims to synchronize with the official service in real time.npmmirror.com · 29 Sept 2026
Maintainer
The package metadata lists fengmk2 as its author.github.com · 29 Sept 2026

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