I cannot figure out how to update a package installed from a git repository.

Say I have a package at git+ssh://[email protected]:project/my-package.git and it's already installed.

Now, if I:

1. push into my-package master branch;
2. run npm i or npm update;

then nothing gets updated.

I thought the version field (from the dependent package.json of my-package) might raise the problem so I removed it and re-installed the package from scratch. Unfortunately it didn't help, the package is still not being updated.

Any ideas?

I cannot figure out how to update a package installed from a git repository.

Say I have a package at git+ssh://[email protected]:project/my-package.git and it's already installed.

Now, if I:

1. push into my-package master branch;
2. run npm i or npm update;

then nothing gets updated.

I thought the version field (from the dependent package.json of my-package) might raise the problem so I removed it and re-installed the package from scratch. Unfortunately it didn't help, the package is still not being updated.

Any ideas?

• javascript
• node.js
• npm

• Does this answer your question? npm git repository not updating versions – RobC Commented Mar 20, 2020 at 12:01
• @RobC Thanks, I saw that topic but it doesn't answer my question. The author uses mit hash which is not my case as I need my package to follow just the latest changes which is master branch I guess. – Onkeltem Commented Mar 20, 2020 at 12:45
• Have you tried deleting the node_modules directory, then running npm i ? – RobC Commented Mar 20, 2020 at 12:53
• Yes, Rob. It fetches the latest version as it should, but right after that it looses the ability to update it further: new mits of the master never get fetched again. – Onkeltem Commented Mar 20, 2020 at 12:57
• See issue #1727 - I think the only way currently is to re-install it again after each each mit to git. However, I'm sure this will be a feature very soon ! – RobC Commented Mar 20, 2020 at 13:17

1 Answer 1

Ok, folks. Suprisingly, it doesn't seem possible to get it working out-of-the-box.

But there is a workaround. Thanks to @RobC for pointing me out to some old (yet never resolved) issue: https://github./npm/npm/issues/1727

The answer is in the last ment:

https://github./npm/npm/issues/1727#issuement-354124625

Basically, to update a git package you have to re-install it directly using: npm install package-name.

Example. Say you already have your package installed and added to the dependencies like this:

{
    "dependencies": {
        "my-package": "git+ssh://[email protected]:prj/my-package.git"
    }
}

Now, to get it updated whenever you issue npm i all you have to do is to create a postinstall script which would trigger npm i my-package:

{
    "dependencies": {
        "my-package": "git+ssh://[email protected]:prj/my-package.git"
    },
    "scripts": {
        "postinstall": "npm update && npm i my-package"
    }
}

Now npm i will be taking more time since it's gonna run install twice. But this is what we have now.