Question

By default of NPM is installing the modules under “node_modules”.
Is there a way to change it to be for example “my_modules?

Answer 1

The standard for all node modules is to use the node_modules directory.

Do not try to go against this uniform standard.

What are you trying to accomplish by customizing the directory?

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Note:

The following command will install a module to my_project/node_modules/some_module

[~/my_project] $ npm install some_module

If you’d like to install modules and have them globally available on your system, you can use the --global (-g) flag

[~/my_project] $ npm install -g some_module

Packages installed with the -g flag are installed to ~/.npm

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EDIT

Per your comment, you can attempt to install any directory that contains a package.json file

[~/my_project] $ npm install /path/to/my/pkg

Alternatively you can install a symbolic link instead of copying the entire module to your ~/my_project/node_modules directory.

[~/my_project] $ npm link /path/to/my/pkg

For more info about this:

$ npm help install
$ npm help link