npm keeps installing globally

Question

I'm using latest npm, on a mac. I've got a strange problem: if I want to install some package locally on a folder, I'm forced to npm init it. In other words, if I simply npm install [package name], it will install globally (in my /User/npm-modules folder), and thus the onnly way to install locally is to init the folder. So basically, the opposite it should normally do. Why? Any idea?

Answer 1

npm init creates package.json file in your current project directory. npm packages will install locally when you have package.json set up by using the command npm i PACKAGE-NAME.

Answer 2

Yes, if you want to install package localy, you need to create package.json file. This is what npm init will do and then you can install packages