Bug 1006531

This is by design.

Node.js' global module search path is by default set only to './node_modules', to allow the developer to create separate directories with separate dependency chains, similar to how virtualenv works with Python.  To use yum-installed dependencies, just `npm link` them into your local project.  To use dependencies we don't have yet, just `npm install` them.

For instance:

% mkdir test

% cd test

% cat >test.js <<EOF
> var request = require('request')
> request('https://badges.fedoraproject.org/user/fabiand/json', function (error, response, body) {
>  if (!error && response.statusCode == 200) {
>    var num = JSON.parse(body).assertions.length
>    console.log('You have ' + num + ' badges!')
>  }
> })
> EOF

% node test.js
Error: Cannot find module 'request'

% npm link request

% node test.js
You have 20 badges!

For more information on the rationale behind this, see the npm FAQ:
https://npmjs.org/doc/faq.html#I-installed-something-globally-but-I-can-t-require-it

Thanks for this explanation.