title: How do you set up npm (node package manager) without root access?
body: <p>Setting npm up as the root user is straighforward and workds. Except you have to run npm commands as root (not recommended). So I thought I'd try setting it up as a non-root user. </p>
  
  <p>According to npm documentation, a non-root user without root access can set up npm by:  </p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>creating a <code>.npmrc</code> file with <code>root</code>, <code>binroot</code>, and <code>manroot</code> pointing to folders that the user owns. </li>
  <li>Then running the install script.  </li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>OK. Install was fine.</p>
  
  <p>But node can't see the packages provided by npm.</p>
  
  <p>So how do I make node aware of the packages provided by npm? (I didn't have to do anything when I previously installed npm as root). 
  I can set <code>require.paths</code> within node, or set the <code>NODE_PATH</code> environment variable, but to what?</p>
  
  <p>Thanks.</p>