chore: remove npm CLI packaging (#690)

#### Overview

Remove the Node-launcher-based npm distribution of the NeMo Relay CLI. Native binaries, shell and PowerShell installers, Cargo installation, and PyPI `nemo-relay-cli-bin` wheels remain supported; Node.js bindings and OpenClaw npm packages are unchanged.

- [x] I confirm this contribution is my own work, or I have the right to submit it under this project's license.
- [x] I searched existing issues and open pull requests, and this does not duplicate existing work.

#### Details

- Simplify `scripts/package-cli-bin.py` and its tests to produce only PyPI wheels.
- Remove npm CLI workspaces, lockfile entries, version-bump logic, CI artifacts, publication jobs, and path filters.
- Remove npm CLI installation guidance and update release documentation to describe the retired npm packages.
- Preserve native CLI release binaries and wheels, plus the existing Node.js binding and OpenClaw npm release paths.

This intentionally removes the supported npm installation path for the CLI. Deprecating the already-published npm packages remains a post-merge registry operation so package history is retained.

Validation:

- Focused CLI wheel packaging unit tests: 3 passed.
- `npm ci --ignore-scripts --audit=false --fund=false`.
- `just test-python` in isolated user configuration: 614 passed, 45 skipped.
- `just test-node` in isolated user configuration: 349 passed.
- `just docs` and `just docs-linkcheck` (zero errors; existing external redirect check returned HTTP 403 warning).
- `uv run pre-commit run --all-files`.

#### Where should the reviewer start?

Start with `scripts/package-cli-bin.py` and `.github/workflows/ci_rust.yml`, which show the packaging and release-automation boundary after npm CLI removal. Then review `RELEASING.md` for the maintainer-facing retirement guidance.

#### Related Issues: (use one of the action keywords Closes / Fixes / Resolves / Relates to)

- Closes RELAY-665



## Summary by CodeRabbit

* **Chores**
  * Discontinued npm CLI package distribution. CI/CD workflows updated to remove npm artifact validation, publishing, and uploads; now publish only Python wheel and Node.js packages.
  * Refactored CLI packaging script and configuration to support PyPI wheel distribution exclusively.
  * Simplified package workspace by removing npm CLI package module.

* **Documentation**
  * Updated installation documentation, release guides, and README to remove npm CLI installation instructions.

Authors:
  - Will Killian (https://github.com/willkill07)

Approvers:
  - Maryam Najafian (https://github.com/mnajafian-nv)

URL: #690

Author: willkill07

.github/ci-path-filters.yml

@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ rust_package:
   - 'crates/ffi/nemo_relay.h'
   - 'crates/ffi/src/**'
   - 'justfile'
-  - 'packages/cli-bin/**'
   - 'python/cli-bin/**'
   - 'rust-toolchain.toml'
   - 'scripts/package-cli-bin.py'
@@ -82,10 +81,8 @@ node_package:
   - 'justfile'
   - 'package.json'
   - 'package-lock.json'
-  - 'packages/cli-bin/**'
   - 'pyproject.toml'
   - 'rust-toolchain.toml'
-  - 'scripts/package-cli-bin.py'
   - 'scripts/package-node-bin.py'
   - 'uv.lock'
 
@@ -132,7 +129,6 @@ dependencies:
   - 'integrations/**/package.json'
   - 'package.json'
   - 'package-lock.json'
-  - 'packages/cli-bin/**'
   - 'pyproject.toml'
   - 'python/cli-bin/**'
   - 'scripts/licensing/**'

.github/workflows/ci.yaml

@@ -310,12 +310,10 @@ jobs:
             cli_binaries=(nemo-relay-cli-*)
             cli_wheels=(nemo_relay_cli_bin-*.whl)
             python_api_wheels=(nemo_relay-*.whl)
-            cli_npm=(nemo-relay-bin-npm-*.tgz)
             node_npm=(nemo-relay-node-npm-*.tgz)
             expect_count 7 "CLI binary" "${cli_binaries[@]}"
             expect_count 7 "CLI wheel" "${cli_wheels[@]}"
             expect_count 7 "Python API wheel" "${python_api_wheels[@]}"
-            expect_count 8 "CLI npm" "${cli_npm[@]}"
             expect_count 8 "Node npm" "${node_npm[@]}"
 
             mapfile -t distribution_assets < <(
@@ -523,13 +521,6 @@ jobs:
           name: openclaw-npm
           path: openclaw-package/
 
-      - name: Download CLI npm artifacts
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@3e5f45b2cfb9172054b4087a40e8e0b5a5461e7c # v8.0.1
-        with:
-          pattern: cli-npm-package-*
-          merge-multiple: true
-          path: cli-packages/
-
       - name: Select npm dist-tag
         run: |
           set -e
@@ -558,25 +549,6 @@ jobs:
             npm publish "./$metapackage" --access public --tag "${NEMO_RELAY_NPM_DIST_TAG}"
           fi
 
-      - name: Publish CLI packages to npm
-        run: |
-          set -euo pipefail
-          version="${{ github.ref_name }}"
-          for pkg in cli-packages/nemo-relay-bin-npm-{linux-x64,linux-arm64,linux-x64-musl,linux-arm64-musl,darwin-arm64,win32-x64,win32-arm64}-${version}.tgz; do
-            name="$(tar xOf "$pkg" package/package.json | node -p 'JSON.parse(require("fs").readFileSync(0, "utf8")).name')"
-            if npm view "${name}@${version}" version --registry https://registry.npmjs.org >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-              echo "${name} ${version} already exists on npm; skipping"
-              continue
-            fi
-            npm publish "./$pkg" --access public --tag "${NEMO_RELAY_NPM_DIST_TAG}"
-          done
-          launcher="cli-packages/nemo-relay-bin-npm-${version}.tgz"
-          if npm view "nemo-relay-cli-bin@${version}" version --registry https://registry.npmjs.org >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            echo "nemo-relay-cli-bin ${version} already exists on npm; skipping"
-          else
-            npm publish "./$launcher" --access public --tag "${NEMO_RELAY_NPM_DIST_TAG}"
-          fi
-
       - name: Publish OpenClaw plugin package to npm
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail

.github/workflows/ci_rust.yml

@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p "${NEMO_RELAY_CI_WORKSPACE_TMP}/cli"
           cp "$source" "${NEMO_RELAY_CI_WORKSPACE_TMP}/cli/${asset}"
 
-      - name: Package CLI binary for PyPI and npm
+      - name: Package CLI binary for PyPI
         working-directory: ${{ env.NEMO_RELAY_CI_WORKSPACE }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
@@ -343,16 +343,11 @@ jobs:
           fi
           rm -rf "${NEMO_RELAY_CI_WORKSPACE_TMP}/cli-packages"
           mkdir -p "${NEMO_RELAY_CI_WORKSPACE_TMP}/cli-packages"
-          args=(
-            --binary "$source"
-            --target "$target"
-            --version "$version"
+          python scripts/package-cli-bin.py \
+            --binary "$source" \
+            --target "$target" \
+            --version "$version" \
             --output-dir "${NEMO_RELAY_CI_WORKSPACE_TMP}/cli-packages"
-          )
-          if [ "${{ matrix.platform }}" = "linux-amd64" ]; then
-            args+=(--npm-launcher)
-          fi
-          python scripts/package-cli-bin.py "${args[@]}"
 
       - name: Install and run CLI wheel
         if: ${{ !endsWith(matrix.target, '-musl') }}
@@ -402,10 +397,3 @@ jobs:
           name: cli-python-wheel-${{ matrix.platform }}
           path: ${{ env.NEMO_RELAY_CI_WORKSPACE_TMP }}/cli-packages/*.whl
           if-no-files-found: error
-
-      - name: Upload CLI npm artifact
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@043fb46d1a93c77aae656e7c1c64a875d1fc6a0a  # v7.0.1
-        with:
-          name: cli-npm-package-${{ matrix.platform }}
-          path: ${{ env.NEMO_RELAY_CI_WORKSPACE_TMP }}/cli-packages/*.tgz
-          if-no-files-found: error

.gitlab-ci.yml

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ collect:github-artifacts:
       fi
       export GH_TOKEN="${NEMO_RELAY_CI_GITHUB_TOKEN}"
 
-      mkdir -p collected/wheels collected/sdists collected/node collected/cli-npm downloaded
+      mkdir -p collected/wheels collected/sdists collected/node downloaded
 
       tag="${CI_COMMIT_TAG:-}"
       if [ -z "$tag" ]; then
@@ -133,15 +133,13 @@ collect:github-artifacts:
 
       gh run download "$run_id" --repo "$NEMO_RELAY_CI_GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --pattern 'wheel-*' --dir downloaded/wheels
       gh run download "$run_id" --repo "$NEMO_RELAY_CI_GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --pattern 'cli-python-wheel-*' --dir downloaded/cli-wheels
-      gh run download "$run_id" --repo "$NEMO_RELAY_CI_GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --pattern 'cli-npm-package-*' --dir downloaded/cli-npm
       gh run download "$run_id" --repo "$NEMO_RELAY_CI_GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --name 'plugin-wheel' --dir downloaded/wheels
       gh run download "$run_id" --repo "$NEMO_RELAY_CI_GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --name 'python-sdist' --dir downloaded/sdists
       gh run download "$run_id" --repo "$NEMO_RELAY_CI_GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --pattern 'node-npm-package-*' --dir downloaded/node
 
       find downloaded/wheels -type f -name '*.whl' -exec cp {} collected/wheels/ \;
       find downloaded/cli-wheels -type f -name '*.whl' -exec cp {} collected/wheels/ \;
       find downloaded/sdists -type f -name 'nemo_relay-*.tar.gz' -exec cp {} collected/sdists/ \;
-      find downloaded/cli-npm -type f -name '*.tgz' -exec cp {} collected/cli-npm/ \;
       find downloaded/node -type f -name '*.tgz' -exec cp {} collected/node/ \;
 
       if ! ls collected/wheels/*.whl >/dev/null 2>&1; then
@@ -156,10 +154,6 @@ collect:github-artifacts:
         echo "Error: collected GitHub Node artifacts did not contain any .tgz files." >&2
         exit 1
       fi
-      if ! ls collected/cli-npm/*.tgz >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        echo "Error: collected GitHub CLI npm artifacts did not contain any .tgz files." >&2
-        exit 1
-      fi
 
       {
         printf '{\n'
@@ -177,7 +171,6 @@ collect:github-artifacts:
       - collected/wheels/*.whl
       - collected/sdists/nemo_relay-*.tar.gz
       - collected/node/*.tgz
-      - collected/cli-npm/*.tgz
       - collected/github-run.json
 
 publish:artifactory:wheels:
@@ -337,8 +330,3 @@ publish:artifactory:npm:
         npm publish --tag dev "$package"
       done
       npm publish --tag dev "collected/node/nemo-relay-node-npm-${CI_COMMIT_TAG}.tgz"
-      for platform in linux-x64 linux-arm64 linux-x64-musl linux-arm64-musl darwin-arm64 win32-x64 win32-arm64; do
-        package="collected/cli-npm/nemo-relay-bin-npm-${platform}-${CI_COMMIT_TAG}.tgz"
-        npm publish --tag dev "$package"
-      done
-      npm publish --tag dev "collected/cli-npm/nemo-relay-bin-npm-${CI_COMMIT_TAG}.tgz"

README.md

@@ -58,12 +58,6 @@ Install the prebuilt CLI from PyPI:
 pip install nemo-relay-cli-bin
 ```
 
-Install the prebuilt CLI from npm:
-
-```bash
-npm install --global nemo-relay-cli-bin
-```
-
 Python API users can install the matching CLI through the optional extra:
 
 ```bash

RELEASING.md

@@ -32,13 +32,16 @@ The release pipeline publishes these package surfaces from a tag push:
 |---|---|
 | crates.io | `nemo-relay-types`, `nemo-relay-plugin`, `nemo-relay-worker-proto`, `nemo-relay-worker`, `nemo-relay`, `nemo-relay-adaptive`, `nemo-relay-pii-redaction`, `nemo-relay-switchyard`, `nemo-relay-ffi`, `nemo-relay-cli` |
 | PyPI | `nemo-relay` wheels and source distribution, `nemo-relay-plugin` and `nemo-relay-cli-bin` wheels |
-| npm | `nemo-relay-node` and its seven platform packages, `nemo-relay-openclaw`, `nemo-relay-cli-bin`, and its seven platform packages |
-| GitHub Releases | CLI binaries, `nemo-relay` and `nemo-relay-cli-bin` wheels, CLI and Node npm tarballs, and checksums |
+| npm | `nemo-relay-node` and its seven platform packages, and `nemo-relay-openclaw` |
+| GitHub Releases | CLI binaries, `nemo-relay` and `nemo-relay-cli-bin` wheels, Node npm tarballs, and checksums |
 | Fern | The documentation site |
 
 Go remains source-first. There is no separate Go package-manager publication
 step in the repository release workflow.
 
+The former npm `nemo-relay-cli-bin` metapackage and its seven platform
+packages are retired and must not be republished.
+
 The mirrored GitLab pipeline also publishes the same tag's collected package
 artifacts to NVIDIA Artifactory. It is driven by the tag push, not by a GitLab
 pipeline schedule.
@@ -61,9 +64,8 @@ NeMo Relay versions are anchored on the workspace SemVer in the repository root
   lock entries and must be updated with it.
 - `integrations/openclaw/package.json` carries the base npm version for the
   OpenClaw plugin package and must stay aligned with the same release version.
-- `packages/cli-bin/package.json` and `python/cli-bin/pyproject.toml` carry the
-  base CLI package versions in their registry-specific SemVer and PEP 440
-  spellings. The `nemo-relay[cli]` extra must pin the exact PyPI version.
+- `python/cli-bin/pyproject.toml` carries the base CLI package version in its
+  PEP 440 spelling. The `nemo-relay[cli]` extra must pin the exact PyPI version.
 - The Python package version is derived at packaging time. `pyproject.toml`
   stays `dynamic = ["version"]` in the repository, and the packaging recipe
   writes a concrete version into `pyproject.toml` and `crates/python/Cargo.toml`
@@ -151,11 +153,6 @@ Before you create a release tag, confirm the following:
      `nemo-relay-node-linux-x64-musl`, `nemo-relay-node-linux-arm64-musl`,
      `nemo-relay-node-darwin-arm64`, `nemo-relay-node-win32-x64-msvc`, and
      `nemo-relay-node-win32-arm64-msvc`
-   - npm trusted publishers are configured for `nemo-relay-cli-bin` and
-     `nemo-relay-cli-bin-linux-x64`, `nemo-relay-cli-bin-linux-arm64`,
-     `nemo-relay-cli-bin-linux-x64-musl`, `nemo-relay-cli-bin-linux-arm64-musl`,
-     `nemo-relay-cli-bin-darwin-arm64`, `nemo-relay-cli-bin-win32-x64`, and
-     `nemo-relay-cli-bin-win32-arm64`
 5. The GitHub Release entry is ready to become the only canonical release-notes
    surface.
 
@@ -182,7 +179,7 @@ The helper updates:
 4. [`integrations/openclaw/package.json`](integrations/openclaw/package.json)
    and the `integrations/openclaw` entry in the root
    [`package-lock.json`](package-lock.json) to the same release version.
-5. The Python and npm `nemo-relay-cli-bin` metadata, including the exact
+5. The Python `nemo-relay-cli-bin` metadata, including the exact
    `nemo-relay[cli]` dependency version.
 Review docs and snippets that mention explicit versions, including:
 
@@ -268,18 +265,15 @@ The release pipeline then:
    - `package-python-plugin` builds the `nemo-relay-plugin` wheel.
    - The Rust CLI matrix builds GNU Linux binaries in manylinux containers and
      musl Linux binaries natively, validates each in its matching container, and
-     packages each prebuilt binary as a
-     `nemo-relay-cli-bin` wheel and npm platform package, and creates the npm
-     launcher package once.
+     packages each prebuilt binary as a `nemo-relay-cli-bin` wheel.
    - The distribution release-asset job uploads the CLI binaries, `nemo-relay`
-     API wheels, CLI wheels, CLI npm packages, and split Node npm packages.
+     API wheels, CLI wheels, and split Node npm packages.
      `SHA256SUMS` covers every attached distribution artifact, and raw CLI
      binaries also receive individual `.sha256` files for installer
      compatibility.
      GitHub-facing npm artifacts use
-     `nemo-relay-bin-npm[-<os>-<cpu>]-<version>.tgz` for the CLI and
-     `nemo-relay-node-npm[-<os>-<cpu>]-<version>.tgz` for Node.js; their
-     registry package names remain in the tarball manifests.
+     `nemo-relay-node-npm[-<os>-<cpu>]-<version>.tgz`; their registry package
+     names remain in the tarball manifests.
 4. Publishes packages from the top-level workflow after the reusable packaging
    jobs complete:
    - `publish-rust` stamps Cargo workspace versions from the release tag, then
@@ -293,8 +287,8 @@ The release pipeline then:
      artifacts plus the `nemo-relay-plugin` and `nemo-relay-cli-bin` wheels,
      then uploads them to PyPI with trusted publishing from the top-level
      workflow
-   - `publish-npm` publishes the Node.js and CLI native packages before their
-     metapackages, then publishes the OpenClaw package, through npm trusted
+   - `publish-npm` publishes the Node.js native packages before their
+     metapackage, then publishes the OpenClaw package, through npm trusted
      publishing from the top-level workflow
      - Stable tags publish to the npm `latest` dist-tag
      - Prerelease tags such as `0.1.0-rc.1` publish to the npm `next`
@@ -329,8 +323,7 @@ npm trusted publishing has its own registry-side constraints:
 
 - Each npm package can only have one trusted publisher configured at a time.
 - Configure trusted publishers for `nemo-relay-node`, all seven Node platform
-  packages, `nemo-relay-openclaw`, `nemo-relay-cli-bin`, and all seven CLI
-  platform packages before pushing a release tag.
+  packages, and `nemo-relay-openclaw` before pushing a release tag.
 - npm trusted publishing currently supports GitHub-hosted runners, not
   self-hosted runners.
 
@@ -363,8 +356,8 @@ After the release is live, verify:
    are visible on crates.io.
 2. The `nemo-relay` and `nemo-relay-cli-bin` wheels are visible on PyPI, and
    `pip install "nemo-relay[cli]"` exposes `nemo-relay`.
-3. The `nemo-relay-node`, its seven platform packages, `nemo-relay-openclaw`,
-   `nemo-relay-cli-bin`, and its seven platform packages are visible on npm.
+3. The `nemo-relay-node`, its seven platform packages, and
+   `nemo-relay-openclaw` are visible on npm.
 4. The Unix and Windows installers resolve the new stable tag and verify
    matching CLI release asset checksums on their supported platforms.
 5. The Fern documentation site shows the expected version and release notes.

crates/cli/README.md

@@ -68,12 +68,6 @@ Install the prebuilt CLI from PyPI:
 pip install nemo-relay-cli-bin
 ```
 
-Install the prebuilt CLI from npm:
-
-```bash
-npm install --global nemo-relay-cli-bin
-```
-
 Install the Python API and matching CLI with the optional extra:
 
 ```bash

docs/getting-started/installation.mdx

@@ -45,12 +45,6 @@ pip install "nemo-relay[cli]"
 ```
 </Tab>
 
-<Tab title="npm">
-```bash
-npm install --global nemo-relay-cli-bin
-```
-</Tab>
-
 <Tab title="Unix shell">
 ```bash
 curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NVIDIA/NeMo-Relay/main/install.sh | sh
@@ -114,9 +108,9 @@ user `PATH`; the Unix installer does not edit shell configuration.
 Use the GNU target on glibc-based distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian, and
 RHEL. Use the musl target on Alpine Linux and other musl-based systems. The
 Unix shell installer intentionally selects the portable musl target on Linux.
-For package versions that publish the corresponding artifacts, `pip`, `uv`, and
-`npm` automatically select a target compatible with the host CPU and C library
-on supported platforms.
+For package versions that publish the corresponding artifacts, `pip` and `uv`
+automatically select a target compatible with the host CPU and C library on
+supported platforms.
 
 The installer reports the detected operating system and architecture when no
 matching asset exists. Intel macOS is not supported because no matching release
@@ -186,7 +180,7 @@ new download before replacing the binary in the selected installation directory.
 
 ### Alternative Installation Methods
 
-The PyPI, npm, and installer methods install the same CLI release with a binary
+The PyPI and installer methods install the same CLI release with a binary
 compatible with the host platform. Use Cargo on unsupported platforms or when
 you prefer to build from source:
 

justfile

@@ -564,7 +564,6 @@ set_node_package_versions() {
     local version="$1"
     set_npm_package_version crates/node/package.json package-lock.json "$version" crates/node
     set_npm_package_version integrations/openclaw/package.json package-lock.json "$version" integrations/openclaw
-    set_npm_package_version packages/cli-bin/package.json package-lock.json "$version" packages/cli-bin
     set_npm_package_dependency_version integrations/openclaw/package.json package-lock.json integrations/openclaw nemo-relay-node "$version"
 }
 
@@ -1769,8 +1768,8 @@ package-python-plugin:
         exit 1
     fi
 
-# Package a prebuilt CLI binary for PyPI and npm.
-package-cli-bin binary target version package_dir npm_launcher="false":
+# Package a prebuilt CLI binary for PyPI.
+package-cli-bin binary target version package_dir:
     #!/usr/bin/env bash
     set -euo pipefail
     cd "$NEMO_RELAY_REPO_ROOT"
@@ -1780,7 +1779,4 @@ package-cli-bin binary target version package_dir npm_launcher="false":
         --version "{{ version }}"
         --output-dir "{{ package_dir }}"
     )
-    if [[ "{{ npm_launcher }}" == "true" ]]; then
-        args+=(--npm-launcher)
-    fi
     uv run --no-project python scripts/package-cli-bin.py "${args[@]}"