commit b3e25b15f999fd70ab1d034b33114f06d23be906
author Jordan Harband <ljharb@gmail.com> Sat Sep 02 14:04:37 2017 -0700
committer Jordan Harband <ljharb@gmail.com> Sat Sep 02 14:04:37 2017 -0700
tree af73af4ffb74d3c14276bbc3fe9c513a838032ad
parent cf5272e1a024400de0539c5d0d89d56b4963642c

`nvm_install_latest_npm`: npm v5.4+ breaks on node v4-4.4 and v5-5.9, due to missing `Buffer.alloc`.

nvm.sh

diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index ccd6bc1..ec57525 100644
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -206,8 +206,16 @@
     nvm_echo '* `npm` v5 and higher do not work on `node` versions below v4.0.0'
     $NVM_NPM_CMD install -g npm@4
   elif [ $NVM_IS_0_9 -eq 0 ] && [ $NVM_IS_0_6 -eq 0 ]; then
-    nvm_echo '* Installing latest `npm`; if this does not work on your node version, please report a bug!'
-    $NVM_NPM_CMD install -g npm
+    if nvm_version_greater 4.5.0 "${NODE_VERSION}" || (\
+      nvm_version_greater_than_or_equal_to "${NODE_VERSION}" 5.0.0 \
+      && nvm_version_greater 5.10.0 "${NODE_VERSION}"\
+    ); then
+      nvm_echo '* `npm` `v5.3.x` is the last version that works on `node` 4.x versions below v4.4, or 5.x versions below v5.10, due to `Buffer.alloc`'
+      $NVM_NPM_CMD install -g npm@5.3
+    else
+      nvm_echo '* Installing latest `npm`; if this does not work on your node version, please report a bug!'
+      $NVM_NPM_CMD install -g npm
+    fi
   fi
   nvm_echo "* npm upgraded to: v$(npm --version 2>/dev/null)"
 }