Symlinkr

A CLI tool to create package symlinks similar to npm link, but with more control over which files get linked.

Features

• Create global symlinks for packages (like npm link)
• Link global packages to local projects (like npm link package-name)
• Selective file linking using include patterns
• Support for .linkignore file to control which files get linked
• Works with npm, yarn, pnpm and bun
• Automatic package restoration when unlinking

Installation

npm install -g symlinkr

Usage

Basic Usage

1. Register a package globally (from package directory):

symlinkr

2. Use a globally registered package in your project:

symlinkr package-name

3. Unlink a package:

# Unlink from global registry (run in package directory)
symlinkr unlink

# Unlink from project (run in project directory)
symlinkr unlink package-name

Selective File Linking

Using Include Patterns

You can specify which files to include when linking using the --include flag:

symlinkr --include "src/**/*.js" "dist/**/*"

Using .linkignore

Create a .linkignore file in your package root to control which files get linked:

# Exclude everything by default
*

# Include specific directories or files
!src/**
!dist/**
!types/**
!package.json

# Exclude within included directories
src/**/*.test.js
src/**/*.spec.js

Rules:

• Lines starting with ! are include patterns
• Other lines are exclude patterns
• package.json is always included
• Patterns follow glob syntax

How It Works

Symlinkr creates symlinks in a similar way to npm link but provides more control over which files get linked. When using selective linking:

1. Files are filtered based on include patterns or .linkignore rules
2. Only matched files are symlinked to the global package directory
3. The package can then be linked into projects like normal

Package Manager Support

Symlinkr automatically detects and works with:

• npm
• yarn
• pnpm
• bun

When unlinking a package that exists in your project's dependencies, Symlinkr will automatically restore the original package using your project's package manager.

License

MIT © Aimen Sahnoun (Aviatolabs)