Node.js MacOSX Installer problems with npm

[julianduque]

• Version: v4.4.6
• Platform: Mac OSX Darwin ns-work.local 15.3.0 Darwin Kernel Version 15.3.0: Thu Dec 10 18:40:58 PST 2015; root:xnu-3248.30.4~1/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64
• Subsystem: installer, npm

It seems Node.js MacOSX Installer is copying npm installation over previous ones instead of overriding causing conflicts with dependency tree.

Steps to reproduce

• Start with a MacOSX without node

⬢  tester  node -v
zsh: command not found: node

• Install an older version of node (for this reproduction case install v0.10.25 using Mac OSX Installer - https://nodejs.org/download/release/v0.10.25/node-v0.10.25.pkg

⬢  tester  node -v
v0.10.25

• Create a package.json with scoped named packages (features available from npm v1.4)

{
  "name": "@ns/pedro",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "",
  "main": "index.js",
  "author": "",
  "license": "ISC"
}

• Run npm install and confirm there is an error (we expect this)

⬢  tester  npm i
npm ERR! install Couldn't read dependencies
npm ERR! Error: Invalid name: "@ns/pedro"
npm ERR!     at ensureValidName (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/read-package-json/node_modules/normalize-package-data/lib/fixer.js:297:15)
npm ERR!     at Object.module.exports.fixNameField (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/read-package-json/node_modules/normalize-package-data/lib/fixer.js:201:5)
npm ERR!     at /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/read-package-json/node_modules/normalize-package-data/lib/normalize.js:29:38
npm ERR!     at Array.forEach (native)
npm ERR!     at normalize (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/read-package-json/node_modules/normalize-package-data/lib/normalize.js:28:15)
npm ERR!     at final (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/read-package-json/read-json.js:328:33)
npm ERR!     at then (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/read-package-json/read-json.js:126:33)
npm ERR!     at /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/read-package-json/read-json.js:302:48
npm ERR!     at fs.js:207:20
npm ERR!     at OpenReq.Req.done (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js:142:5)
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this *entire* log,
npm ERR! including the npm and node versions, at:
npm ERR!     <http://github.com/isaacs/npm/issues>

npm ERR! System Darwin 15.3.0
npm ERR! command "node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "i"
npm ERR! cwd /Users/julianduque/Sandbox/tester
npm ERR! node -v v0.10.25
npm ERR! npm -v 1.3.24
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Additional logging details can be found in:
npm ERR!     /Users/julianduque/Sandbox/tester/npm-debug.log
npm ERR! not ok code 0

• Install Node.js v4.4.6 using MacOSX Installer

⬢  tester  node -v
v4.4.6

Since Node.js installer should install a new npm version we are good to go and previous error shouldn't happen

• Try again and run npm install

⬢  tester  npm i
npm ERR! install Couldn't read dependencies
npm ERR! Darwin 15.3.0
npm ERR! argv "/usr/local/bin/node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "i"
npm ERR! node v4.4.6
npm ERR! npm  v2.15.5

npm ERR! Invalid name: "@ns/pedro"
npm ERR!
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this error at:
npm ERR!     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     /Users/julianduque/Sandbox/tester/npm-debug.log

Ooops... we are on [email protected] but error is still hapenning.

[MylesBorins]

thanks for reporting @julianduque

we are aware of this and trying pretty hard to find a good solution, which is unfortunately not super easy with the way pkg installer works

closing as a dupe of #3606