Support alternative npm registries

[EE2dev]

I am unable to setup observable framework at my workplace:

• windows 10
• node v20.18.0

To reroute npm installs to our internal registry, registry and other setting are placed in a .npmrc file in the home directory

1. npx "@observablehq/framework@latest" create
2. cd hello-framework
3. npm run dev
   --> leads to an error:

GET /
npm:@observablehq/plot@latest → TypeError: fetch failed
    at node:internal/deps/undici/undici:13185:13
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
    at async <myPath>/node_modules/@observablehq/framework/dist/npm.js:207:22{
  [cause]: Error: getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND [registry.npmjs.org](http://registry.npmjs.org/)

The only way I was able to fix it was to change line 200 in ./node_modules/@observablehq/framework/dist/npm.js
const href =https://registry.npmjs.org/${name}${disttag ? /${disttag} : ""};
with the URL of our registry.

Question 1: That doesn't seem to right way to set up observable, changing this file ?!

4. As a result npm run dev (after modifying npm.js) leads to:

GET /
npm:@observablehq/plot@latest → TypeError: fetch failed
   at node:internal/deps/undici/undici:13185:13
   at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
   at async <mypath>/node_modules/@observablehq/framework/dist/npm.js:201:22 {
 [cause]: Error: self-signed certificate in certificate chain
     at TLSSocket.onConnectSecure (node:_tls_wrap:1677:34)
     at TLSSocket.emit (node:events:519:28)
     at TLSSocket._finishInit (node:_tls_wrap:1076:8)
     at ssl.onhandshakedone (node:_tls_wrap:862:12) {
   code: 'SELF_SIGNED_CERT_IN_CHAIN'
  }
}

Question 2: how can I fix this to proceed setting up framework?

I found

• Framework Cache not Initializing #1480
• Framework Cache not Initializing #1481
  but didnt see any help there.

[mbostock]

We don’t support alternative npm registries at the moment, but that’s a feature we could add. Currently Framework requires access to registry.npmjs.org and cdn.jsdelivr.net in order to install libraries from npm.

(This feels related to support for HTTP_PROXY, which you can implement in your config as described in #1168 (comment).)

[EE2dev]

Can I upvote the alternative npm registries option somewhere?

Do you think the second question is also solved when alternative registries are supported?

[mbostock]

You can add a 👍 reaction to this issue that you filed, but that’s implied by you filing this issue in the first place. 😅 This isn’t the same as the HTTP_PROXY issue, and solving one doesn’t solve the other, but they are both related to supporting Framework on restricted networks and hence worth cross-linking.