Install dependencies

aube install installs the dependencies declared in package.json and the workspace manifests.

aube install

Most local work does not need a separate install command. aubr <script>, aube test, and aube exec <bin> check install freshness first. If package.json or the lockfile changed, aube installs before running the script or binary. For one-off tools, aubx <pkg> uses a matching local binary or installs into a throwaway environment.

Use aube install when the install itself is the task: first local setup without running a script, lockfile updates, Docker layers, production-only installs, offline installs, linker experiments, and CI flows.

Lockfile modes

Mode	Command	Use it when
Prefer frozen	aube install --prefer-frozen-lockfile	Local default: reuse a fresh lockfile, re-resolve on drift.
Frozen	aube install --frozen-lockfile	CI should fail if package.json and lockfile disagree.
No frozen	aube install --no-frozen-lockfile	You want a full re-resolve.
Fix lockfile	aube install --fix-lockfile	You want to repair only entries that drifted.
Lockfile only	aube install --lockfile-only	You want to update the lockfile without linking node_modules.

aube ci is the strict CI shortcut: it deletes node_modules and then runs a frozen install.

Dependency filters

aube install --prod
aube install --no-optional

--prod skips devDependencies. --no-optional skips optional dependencies.

Network modes

aube install --prefer-offline
aube install --offline

--prefer-offline uses cached metadata when available and only hits the network on a miss. --offline forbids network access entirely.

Linker modes

aube install --node-linker=isolated
aube install --node-linker=hoisted

isolated is the pnpm-compatible default. It writes a strict symlink tree under node_modules/.aube/. hoisted writes a flatter npm-style tree for projects that need legacy node_modules assumptions. pnp is not supported.

Store import methods

aube install --package-import-method=auto
aube install --package-import-method=hardlink
aube install --package-import-method=copy
aube install --package-import-method=clone-or-copy

auto chooses a filesystem strategy: generally reflinks on macOS and hardlinks on Linux, with copies when linking is unavailable. Small files may be copied directly. See packageImportMethod for platform details and explicit clone/copy modes.

Next steps

• CI and containers: choose frozen installs and caches.
• Lifecycle scripts: review packages that need to build.
• aube install reference: all arguments and flags.