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Announcing the Capawesome NPM Registry

Today we are very excited to announce the brand new Capawesome npm registry. This registry is part of Capawesome's Insiders program and aims to make it much easier for sponsors to access our Sponsorware.

Problems

Until now, the process for sponsors to gain access to our Sponsorware was as follows:

  1. Become a sponsor: Become a sponsor via GitHub Sponsors, Open Collective or Polar.
  2. Join the GitHub repository: Receive an invitation to a private GitHub repository.
  3. Create a PAT: Create a PAT (Personal Access Token) for GitHub and configure npm

This process was not only unnecessarily complex, but also error-prone and time-consuming. We received 100s of requests from sponsors who had problems creating the PAT with the correct permissions or who did not receive an invitation to the GitHub repository. Furthermore, GitHub unfortunately provides us with few statistics on the use of the packages, making it difficult for us to measure the popularity and success of our Sponsorware. In addition, the large number of contributors in the Sponsorware repository makes it practically impossible to change the GitHub plan, as we have to pay per contributor in the team plan, which would be very costly.

Solution

For these reasons, we have decided to create our own npm registry that is tailored to our needs. This registry is available exclusively for sponsors. The process for gaining access to the Sponsorware is now much simpler:

  1. Become a sponsor: Become a sponsor via Polar.
  2. Copy the license key: Copy the license key and configure npm.

Since the license keys are generated by Polar, this npm registry is currently only available to sponsors who are sponsoring via Polar. More information on accessing the Sponsorware via the Capawesome npm registry can be found in the Getting Started guide.

FAQ

What happens to the GitHub repository?

Don't worry! The GitHub repository will continue to exist and receive updates. So you don't need to migrate to the new npm registry if you don't want to. However, new sponsors will no longer receive an invitation.

Which packages are available in the Capawesome npm registry?

All Sponsorware packages are available in the Capawesome npm registry. The packages are the same as in the GitHub repository.

How can i migrate to the Capawesome npm registry?

If you are already a sponsor on Polar and want to migrate to the new npm registry, you can follow these steps:

  1. Remove the packages installed from the GitHub repository:

    npm rm @capawesome-team/...

  2. Configure the Capawesome npm registry:

    npm config set @capawesome-team:registry https://npm.registry.capawesome.io
npm config set //npm.registry.capawesome.io/:_authToken <YOUR_LICENSE_KEY>

    Attention: Replace <YOUR_LICENSE_KEY> with the license key you received by Polar.

  3. Install the packages from the Capawesome npm registry:

    npm install @capawesome-team/...

That's it! You are now using the Capawesome npm registry. Make sure to also update your CI/CD configuration if you are using one.

Conclusion

We believe that the new Capawesome npm registry will make it much easier for sponsors to access our Sponsorware. We are excited to see how this change will affect the use of our packages and are looking forward to your feedback. You have questions? Feel free to reach out to [email protected] and we will be happy to help you. Also, make sure you follow us on X so you don't miss any future updates.