# bun link

> Link local packages for development

Use `bun link` in a local directory to register the current package as a "linkable" package.

```bash terminal icon="terminal"
cd /path/to/cool-pkg
cat package.json
bun link
```

```txt
bun link v1.3.3 (7416672e)
Success! Registered "cool-pkg"

To use cool-pkg in a project, run:
  bun link cool-pkg

Or add it in dependencies in your package.json file:
  "cool-pkg": "link:cool-pkg"
```

You can now "link" this package into other projects using `bun link cool-pkg`. This command creates a symlink in the target project's `node_modules` directory pointing to the local directory.

```bash terminal icon="terminal"
cd /path/to/my-app
bun link cool-pkg
```

The `--save` flag also adds `cool-pkg` to the `dependencies` field of your app's package.json, with a version specifier that tells Bun to load from the registered local directory instead of installing from `npm`:

```json package.json icon="file-json"
{
  "name": "my-app",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "dependencies": {
    "cool-pkg": "link:cool-pkg" // [!code ++]
  }
}
```

## Unlinking

Use `bun unlink` in the root directory to unregister a local package.

```bash terminal icon="terminal"
cd /path/to/cool-pkg
bun unlink
```

```txt
bun unlink v1.3.3 (7416672e)
success: unlinked package "cool-pkg"
```

---

# CLI Usage

```bash
bun link <packages>
```

### Installation Scope

<ParamField path="--global" type="boolean">
  Install globally. Alias: <code>-g</code>
</ParamField>

### Dependency Management

<ParamField path="--production" type="boolean">
  Don't install devDependencies. Alias: <code>-p</code>
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--omit" type="string">
  Exclude <code>dev</code>, <code>optional</code>, or <code>peer</code> dependencies from install
</ParamField>

### Project Files &amp; Lockfiles

<ParamField path="--yarn" type="boolean">
  Write a <code>yarn.lock</code> file (yarn v1). Alias: <code>-y</code>
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--frozen-lockfile" type="boolean">
  Disallow changes to lockfile
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--save-text-lockfile" type="boolean">
  Save a text-based lockfile
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--lockfile-only" type="boolean">
  Generate a lockfile without installing dependencies
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-save" type="boolean">
  Has no effect. <code>bun link</code> updates <code>package.json</code> and the lockfile only with <code>--save</code>
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--save" type="boolean">
  Save to <code>package.json</code>
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--trust" type="boolean">
  Add to <code>trustedDependencies</code> in the project's <code>package.json</code> and install the package(s)
</ParamField>

### Installation Control

<ParamField path="--force" type="boolean">
  Always request the latest versions from the registry &amp; reinstall all dependencies. Alias: <code>-f</code>
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-verify" type="boolean">
  Skip verifying integrity of newly downloaded packages
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--backend" type="string">
  Platform-specific optimizations for installing dependencies. One of <code>clonefile</code>, <code>hardlink</code>,{" "}
  <code>symlink</code>, or <code>copyfile</code>
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--linker" type="string">
  Linker strategy (one of <code>isolated</code> or <code>hoisted</code>)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--dry-run" type="boolean">
  With <code>bun link &lt;package&gt;</code>, resolve but don't install packages, update <code>package.json</code>, or
  save a lockfile. Has no effect on bare <code>bun link</code>, which still registers the current package
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--ignore-scripts" type="boolean">
  Skip lifecycle scripts for all packages, including the project's <code>package.json</code> and trusted dependencies
</ParamField>

### Network &amp; Registry

<ParamField path="--ca" type="string">
  Provide a Certificate Authority signing certificate
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--cafile" type="string">
  Same as <code>--ca</code>, but as a file path to the certificate
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--registry" type="string">
  Use a specific registry by default, overriding <code>.npmrc</code>, <code>bunfig.toml</code>, and environment
  variables
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--network-concurrency" type="number" default="48">
  Maximum number of concurrent network requests
</ParamField>

### Performance &amp; Resource

<ParamField path="--concurrent-scripts" type="number">
  Maximum number of concurrent jobs for lifecycle scripts (default: 2x CPU cores)
</ParamField>

### Caching

<ParamField path="--cache-dir" type="string">
  Store &amp; load cached data from a specific directory path
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-cache" type="boolean">
  Ignore manifest cache entirely
</ParamField>

### Output &amp; Logging

<ParamField path="--silent" type="boolean">
  Don't log anything
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--quiet" type="boolean">
  Disable the progress bar
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--verbose" type="boolean">
  Excessively verbose logging
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-progress" type="boolean">
  Disable the progress bar
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-summary" type="boolean">
  Don't print a summary
</ParamField>

### Platform Targeting

<ParamField path="--cpu" type="string">
  Override CPU architecture for optional dependencies (e.g., <code>x64</code>, <code>arm64</code>, <code>*</code> for
  all)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--os" type="string">
  Override operating system for optional dependencies (e.g., <code>linux</code>, <code>darwin</code>, <code>*</code> for
  all)
</ParamField>

### Global Configuration &amp; Context

<ParamField path="--config" type="string">
  Specify path to config file (<code>bunfig.toml</code>). Alias: <code>-c</code>
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--cwd" type="string">
  Set a specific current working directory
</ParamField>

### Help

<ParamField path="--help" type="boolean">
  Print this help menu. Alias: <code>-h</code>
</ParamField>