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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →A local install means software is installed on, or in an environment available to, the machine or user where it will be used. It does not describe one universal installation method: “local” might mean a project folder, a user-writable directory, or a complete setup on your computer, depending on the software.
What “local” means depends on the software
The practical definition is software installed for use from a local machine or environment. The important question is what the documentation calls “local”: a particular folder, an installation managed by one user, or an application and its dependencies set up on a workstation.
For example, a package manager may use “local” to describe a dependency installed inside a project. A scientific-computing center may use it for software installed in a user’s writable space on a shared system. A vendor may define a named local-install mode that contrasts with a system-wide or remote deployment. These meanings are related, but they are not interchangeable.
How local installs differ across common contexts
| Context | What “local” means there | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Project dependencies with npm | By default, packages are installed in ./node_modules at the current package root. |
npm contrasts this project-local location with a global installation under its configured prefix. See npm’s folders documentation. |
| User-managed software on an HPC system | A user installs software in a writable home directory or project space. | The Ohio Supercomputer Center recommends organizing installs by application and version, then using environment modules to make executables and libraries available in a shell. Its guide says installation scripts are preferred in its environment because they can be repeated and modified for new software versions: Ohio Supercomputer Center’s local-install guide. |
| Cisco Crosswork NSO | “Local Install” is Cisco’s named NSO mode for development, lab, and evaluation purposes. | Cisco distinguishes it from System Install, which it describes for centralized, always-on, production-grade, system-wide deployment as a daemon. These labels apply to NSO, not to software installation generally: Cisco’s NSO installation and deployment overview. |
| NVIDIA AI Workbench | A full local setup supports development on the workstation; a remote-only mode supports work on remote locations without a full local installation. | Its guide lists product-specific prerequisites for the full local install, including administrator privileges, internet access, and 40 GB of free disk space: NVIDIA AI Workbench’s local installation guide. |
Local install versus global or system-wide install
A local install is often scoped to one project or one user, while a global or system-wide install may be available across projects or managed for a whole machine. But the exact contrast depends on the product. In npm, “local” specifically refers to the project’s node_modules directory, while “global” uses npm’s configured prefix. Cisco’s NSO documentation uses different product-specific modes: Local Install and System Install.
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Before choosing between them, check the application’s documentation for the intended scope and use. A project-local package may be convenient for keeping a project’s dependencies together; a user-managed install may avoid needing to write to system directories; and a vendor’s system mode may be the documented choice for an always-on service. Do not assume one product’s labels or recommendations apply to another.
Check these details before installing
- Location: Find out whether files go in the project directory, a user-writable directory, a system location, or a remote environment.
- Who can use and manage it: Confirm whether the install belongs to one project or user, or is intended to be shared or administered system-wide.
- Purpose: Check whether the documentation recommends the mode for development, evaluation, production, or another use.
- Execution environment: Determine whether the application and dependencies run on your computer or on a remote machine.
- Prerequisites: Verify supported platforms, permissions, network access, disk space, and dependencies for the specific product and version.
Requirements can be quite different from one product to another. For NVIDIA AI Workbench, the guide updated August 7, 2026, lists 40 GB of free disk space for a full local install to accommodate large deep-learning containers; it says the application itself is no more than 1 GB. Those figures describe NVIDIA AI Workbench, not local installations as a general category.
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How to install software locally
There is no single command or procedure for every local install. Start with the named application’s current installation instructions and follow its definition of “local.” Verify the target location, supported operating system, permissions, dependencies, and whether the instructions set up a project, your user environment, your workstation, or a remote machine. For project packages, for example, npm’s local-install behavior places packages under the current package root by default; other tools may use different locations and steps.
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