Node.js npm install module error

Question

Here is my node and npm version: node -v v0.4.11 npm -v 1.0.27

When I tried to install a module for example express, I get the following error:

[root@localhost npm]# npm install express
npm ERR! Error: First argument needs to be a number, array or string.
npm ERR!     at new Buffer (buffer.js:156:15)
npm ERR!     at regRequest (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/npm-registry-client/request.js:82:17)
npm ERR!     at GET (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/npm-registry-client/request.js:211:3)
npm ERR!     at get_ (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/npm-registry-client/get.js:121:3)
npm ERR!     at /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/npm-registry-client/get.js:46:10
npm ERR!     at cb (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js:37:9)
npm ERR! Report this *entire* log at:
npm ERR!     <http://github.com/isaacs/npm/issues>
npm ERR! or email it to:
npm ERR!     <npm-@googlegroups.com>
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! System Linux 2.6.40.3-0.fc15.i686.PAE
npm ERR! command "node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "install" "express"
npm ERR! cwd /home/kelvin/Downloads/npm
npm ERR! node -v v0.4.11
npm ERR! npm -v 1.0.27
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Additional logging details can be found in:
npm ERR!     /home/kelvin/Downloads/npm/npm-debug.log
npm not ok

Answer 1

https://github.com/isaacs/npm/issues/1372#issuecomment-2036919

isaacs: "The master branch from git is often unstable. This is fixed in HEAD already."

Solved after git pull, and make install.

Answer 2

Looks like your auth is set to something that doesn't work. Not clear how that happened -- perhaps check your /home/kelvin/.npmrc for a stray config? Shooting in the dark a bit. I would try npm mailing list if you don't find something in the rc.