title: Install NPM into home directory with distribution nodejs package (Ubuntu)
body: <p>I'd like to use the distribution Node.js packages (or the <a href="https://launchpad.net/~chris-lea/+archive/node.js/" rel="noreferrer">chris-lea ppa</a> for more recent releases) but install NPM to my home directory. </p>
  
  <p>This may seem picky, but it's a pretty idiomatic way for polyglot/github-using developers to setup language runtime/library environments under Linux: distro packages for the runtime, 3rd-party libraries in per-user environment (see virtualenv, RVM - RVM will also build Ruby for you if you want). If necessary I will build node locally but it's a PITA since Node is becoming an incidental development requirement for lots of projects.</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><a href="http://increaseyourgeek.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/install-node-js-without-using-sudo/" rel="noreferrer">Instructions for installing node+npm to home directory</a></li>
  </ul>