Do you really need npm 1.1.17 to install this?

[Redsandro]

I believe npm 1.1.4 is default on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and it is a %$#! to update.

Using the curl update thingie like so: curl https://npmjs.org/install.sh | sudo sh

just smiles in your face like

All clean!
/usr/local/bin/npm -> /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js
npm@1.1.71 /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm
It worked

while secretly it just stays at 1.1.4 FOREVER.

So do we really need 1.1.17? If so, why?

[seanmonstar]

So, I checked in the package.json, and we don't specifically require that version of npm, but a dependency does: node-proxy.

As for why they do, if I remember correctly, that's the version that switches to proper node-gyp support for building native modules, which node-proxy is.

[Redsandro]

Ah ok. Thanks for clarifying. :)

[seanmonstar]

However, client-sessions does require node v0.8 or greater. That should ship with a much more recent version of npm. You could check what npm you're using by trying which npm, and then linking the new npm to that location.

[Redsandro]

This is true. This version is shipped with v0.6.19, which also turned out to be a #@! to update. Once I ended up with node being one version and npm thinking node was another version, and none of the packages compiling.

I don't have the best experience with updating npm or node.

[fmarier]

@Redsandro If you want to get a more up to date version of node on Ubuntu 12.04, you can use this PPA for node 0.10 and the legacy one for node 0.8.

See the official install instructions for more details.

[Redsandro]

Thanks!