node 18.14.0 regression: npm config set python python3: npm ERR! `python` is not a valid npm option

[candrews]

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

Running:
npm config set python python3

Results in this error:

npm ERR! `python` is not a valid npm option

Expected Behavior

There shouldn't be any error; it should work. See documentation: https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v9/commands/npm-config?v=true#set

This worked as expected and documented until node 18.14.0, in which version this unexpected behavior began.

Steps To Reproduce

1. docker run -it --entrypoint /bin/bash node:18.14.0
2. npm config set python python3 and see the aforementioned error

Environment

• npm: 9.3.1
• Node.js: v18.14.0
• OS Name: any
• System Model Name: n/a
• npm config:

; node bin location = /usr/local/bin/node
; node version = v18.14.0
; npm local prefix = /
; npm version = 9.3.1
; cwd = /
; HOME = /root
; Run `npm config ls -l` to show all defaults.

[agaengel]

I just ran in an similar issue setting the value tarball with npm 9.3.1

[davidmurdoch]

Anyone have a workaround other than downgrading npm?

[davidmurdoch]

Here is the line that introduced the breaking change: be642c6#diff-9d8a792f1506f5f271be6e040eb80022ba16209ea7888dd8addd068e779b7e36R163

The first version with this breaking change is v9.0.0-pre.6, v9.0.0-pre.5 works as expected.

The breaking change was documented here: https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v9.0.0

[davidmurdoch]

cc @wraithgar, @lukekarrys

[davidmurdoch]

Looks like Node justifies breaking changes in semver minor releases because of a guideline document that exists in the npm/cli repo about the extent to which npm can introduce breaking changes it's its own semver major update?

Anyway, if these changes are to be believed, npm config set python value doesn't do anything? In any event, a deprecation warning well ahead of the removal would have been nice.

[davidmurdoch]

Looks like the config option is used by node-gyp: https://github.com/nodejs/node-gyp/tree/v9.3.1#configuring-python-dependency