title: Where does node.js put its files?
body: <p>I have recently started playing with node.js, but I got lost in a big mess of different versions of node, npm, nvm and other packages. I don't know what is installed globally and what is installed locally (and if locally, how do the packages know which versions of node they can use?).</p>
  
  <p>I'd like to have some summary of what different installation options do. In specific:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Where is node installed when I use <code>nvm</code>, <code>apt-get</code>, <code>make install</code> or when using other ways? </li>
  <li>Is it a good idea to install node locally?</li>
  <li>Why does <code>nvm</code> change my <code>~/.profile</code> instead of installing itself in some system-recognizable <code>bin</code> folder?</li>
  <li>I saw that <code>nvm</code> can install different versions of node alongside each other - why would I want to do this? I can install them locally instead, right?</li>
  <li>Where does <code>npm</code> install packages? I saw that it checks packages aganist version of Node, what happens to these packages when node is upgraded?</li>
  <li>In what cases it is better to use global or local installation? Where should I put my packages then (and where they put by default?)</li>
  <li>What's the difference between <code>npm</code>, <code>nvm</code> and <code>nave</code>?</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>EDIT: There is a lot of ways to install node <a href="https://gist.github.com/isaacs/579814">here</a>, this makes me even more confused...</p>