diff --git a/home/base/core/npm.nix b/home/base/core/npm.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..602708a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/home/base/core/npm.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{config, ...}: {
+  # make `npm install -g <pkg>` happey
+  #
+  # mainly used to install npm packages that updates frequently
+  # such as gemini-cli, claude-code, etc.
+  home.file.".npmrc".text = ''
+    prefix=${config.home.homeDirectory}/.npm
+  '';
+}
diff --git a/home/base/core/shells/default.nix b/home/base/core/shells/default.nix
index 19138774..a7f9b1b5 100644
--- a/home/base/core/shells/default.nix
+++ b/home/base/core/shells/default.nix
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-{
-  config,
-  pkgs-unstable,
-  ...
-}: let
+{config, ...}: let
   shellAliases = {
     k = "kubectl";
 
@@ -13,22 +9,24 @@
   localBin = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/.local/bin";
   goBin = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/go/bin";
   rustBin = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/.cargo/bin";
+  npmBin = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/.npm/bin";
 in {
-  # only works in bash/zsh, not nushell
+  programs.bash = {
+    enable = true;
+    enableCompletion = true;
+    bashrcExtra = ''
+      export PATH="$PATH:${localBin}:${goBin}:${rustBin}:${npmBin}"
+    '';
+  };
+
+  # NOTE: only works in bash/zsh, not nushell
   home.shellAliases = shellAliases;
 
+  # NOTE: nushell will be launched in bash, so it can inherit all the eenvironment variables.
   programs.nushell = {
     enable = true;
     # package = pkgs-unstable.nushell;
     configFile.source = ./config.nu;
     inherit shellAliases;
   };
-
-  programs.bash = {
-    enable = true;
-    enableCompletion = true;
-    bashrcExtra = ''
-      export PATH="$PATH:${localBin}:${goBin}:${rustBin}"
-    '';
-  };
 }