[BUG] npm/node don't respect each other's versions

[josh-m-sharpe]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

Edit: I am not using the latest npm....

If you install Node 16. Yes. Sixteen, in 2023. It will install npm v8.something.

It will then say this:

npm notice New major version of npm available! 8.19.4 -> 10.1.0

This is categorically untrue. npm 10x is not compatible with node 16. And if you install npm 10 insanity breaks out. Things don't work, and node do-do-doos along as if everything is peachy keen when it, in fact, is not.

This strikes me as a breakdown in node or npm's version management.

Expected Behavior

node/npm wouldn't suggest incompatible versions.

Steps To Reproduce

1. install node16.
2. get jiggy with node16 and do what it says - update to npm 10.
3. Watch everything break

Environment

• npm: 8.something
• Node.js: 16
• OS Name:
• System Model Name:
• npm config:

; copy and paste output from `npm config ls` here

[josh-m-sharpe]

To be clear, not asking for anyone to fix node 16.

Think we should fix latest versions of things to properly manage version dependencies.

[lukekarrys]

I think the solution here would be to change our update-notifier to follow the same logic we do when attempting to install npm@latest -g:

cli/lib/commands/install.js

Lines 109 to 127 in 6500218

	const npmInstall = args.find(arg => arg.startsWith('npm@') || arg === 'npm')
	if (isGlobalInstall && npmInstall) {
	const npmOptions = this.npm.flatOptions
	const npmManifest = await pacote.manifest(npmInstall, npmOptions)
	try {
	checks.checkEngine(npmManifest, npmManifest.version, process.version)
	} catch (e) {
	if (forced) {
	log.warn(
	'install',
	/* eslint-disable-next-line max-len */
	`Forcing global npm install with incompatible version ${npmManifest.version} into node ${process.version}`
	)
	} else {
	throw e
	}
	}
	}

This will likely never make it into npm@8 and fix this specific case, but we can help future major versions of node and npm avoid this problem.

[josh-m-sharpe]

This will likely never make it into npm@8 and fix this specific case, but we can help future major versions of node and npm avoid this problem.

👍

[Voltra]

Looks to me like the engine part is just not taken into account, which is surprising since the code seems to indicate otherwise

[milaninfy]

This will be fixed by #8050