lifecycleScripts/preinstall.js weird npm check

[philkunz]

lifecycleScripts/preinstall.js

Why is there a test for the npm version in line 13 for which npm version is installed? It causes my builds to fail, removing this check lets them pass just fine... meaning with the check in place npm 3 works fine, npm 2 fails.

In other words why is npm 3 handled differently from npm 2?

[johnhaley81]

When you override npm lifecycle scripts things behave differently in npm@2 and npm@3. With 3 you'll still install all packages under dependencies but with 2 you have to explicitly ignore the scripts to install them. Since the lifecycle scripts themselves require those packages they must be installed before the script continues.

How is it breaking for you?

[philkunz]

Why not move all of this stuff to a postinstall script?