Verdaccio

Verdaccio is a lightweight, open-source private npm proxy registry. It acts as a local repository for your Node.js packages, allowing you to cache public packages from the npm registry as well as publish and manage your own private packages.

Verdaccio and Sandbox

To enhance your Node-RED environment within the sandbox, you want to install custom Node-RED nodes, subflows, or entire flows. Our Verdaccio registry hosts these custom packages, tailored for use in our sandbox ecosystem.

Accessing Verdaccio registry

Upon receiving your Verdaccio credentials (username and password), you’ll have access to our private npm packages. These packages are designed to extend the functionality of Node-RED with our custom-developed features, which include custom made nodes, subflows and examples.

Log in to Verdaccio: Using your assigned credentials, log in to Verdaccio to browse available packages and their descriptions. By clicking on specific package, you will be provided with quick overview of content and npm install command to get the latest version.

Server access and installing packages

To install these packages, you’ll need direct access to the sandbox environment:

  • Initiate an SSH connection to the sandbox. This step provides you with command-line access to the sandbox server.

  • With SSH access established, you’ll use Podman to access the Node-RED container, this is possible by using this command: sudo podman exec -it node-red /bin/sh

  • Once inside the Node-RED container, navigate to the Node-RED working directory at this location: /root/.node-red

  • With access to the Node-RED directory, you can now install the desired package, npm install command for latest version of the package is referenced inside Verdaccio, command should look something like this: @senlab/node-red-odoo-senlab

This command installs the package along with any dependencies required for its operation.

Verifying installation

Post-installation, new nodes, subflows, or flows should now be accessible within your Node-RED environment:

Check node_modules: Navigate to /root/node-red/node_modules to verify the presence of the newly installed packages and their dependencies. Here, you can explore the package contents and codes.