Why apm install the packageDependencies to node_module folder?

[lijunle]

The apm install says:

if no package name is given then all the dependencies in the package.json file are installed to the node_modules folder in the current working directory.

Why this is by design?

I am writing some specs for an atom package, which is dependent on another package. So, I write the dependent package's name on the packageDependencies list, then use the Travis CI config provided by Atom/CI to run the specs.

After push the commit, Travis said:

The dependent package is installed successfully
Bla bla bla...
Start to run spec...
Cannot resolve the path of the dependent package
Failed! :(

The failure message confused me, and after investigation, I find this is a design issue. So, why does apm install install packageDependencies to node_module folder instead of ~/.atom/package folder?

[lijunle]

ping the author @kevinsawicki

I check the commit history, the help comment is added first, then the packageDependencies options is supported later. So, does this consider as a bug?

[kevinsawicki]

packageDependencies is currently only intended to be supported in the atom/atom repository which uses it, it isn't designed to be used by packages yet.

I would consider this an enhancement to support package to package dependencies using this property.

[lijunle]

@kevinsawicki Oh, following your clue. I find one bigger issue.

The atom main package is using packageDependencies to install packages. Those packages are installed inside atom folder (<atom>/resources/app/node_modules), list as built-in packages in apm list.

Other personal installed packages are under ~/.atom/packages or ~/.atom/dev/packages (dev mode).

All built-in packages cannot be uninstall from apm uninstall, although I get a ✓ from console

> apm uninstall welcome
Uninstalling welcome ✓

> apm list
Built-in Atom packages (74)
├── archive-view@0.31.0
├── ...
├── welcome@0.14.0

> apm help uninstall

Usage: apm uninstall <package_name>...

Delete the installed package(s) from the ~/.atom/packages directory.

Options:
  --help, -h  Print this usage message
  --dev, -d   Uninstall from ~/.atom/dev/packages                       [boolean]
  --hard      Uninstall from ~/.atom/packages and ~/.atom/dev/packages  [boolean]

I think this is violating the notion of hackable editor, those built-in packages are like the embedded packages, they are not hackable. :(

In my opinion, it is better to distinguish as global packages and personal packages, Just like what npm does, global packages and project packages. Then, a user should have the ability to install/uninstall/hack the global (built-in) package. The packageDependencies field should be treat as the same for the global and personal package.