Download source from npm without installing it

Question

How can I download the source code of a package from npm without actually installing it (i.e. without using npm install thepackage)?

Answer 1

On linux I usually download the tarball of a package like this:

wget `npm v [package-name] dist.tarball`

Notice the backticks ``, on stackoverflow I cannot see them clearly.

"v" is just another alias for view:

https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/view