[BUG] login does not work without a browser

[aredridel]

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

:; npm login
npm notice Log in on https://registry.npmjs.org/
Login at:
https://www.npmjs.com/login?next=/login/cli/***
Press ENTER to open in the browser...

Browser unavailable. Please open the URL manually:
https://www.npmjs.com/login?next=/login/cli/***

the URL is censored in both cases, which makes it useless.

Expected Behavior

Login prints the URL so I can open it, and gives me a place to enter a code or uses device flow behind the scenes.

Steps To Reproduce

1. In this environment... A remote ubuntu session, connected via SSH
2. With this config... Defaults
3. Run npm login
4. See censored URL.

Environment

• npm:
• Node.js:
• OS Name:
• System Model Name:
• npm config:

; copy and paste output from `npm config ls` here

[iarna]

This bug was introduced with #8529

Interactive console output should not be redacted, IMO. Log file output, yes. Console output, especially in interactive commands like login, never. If someone chooses to call something like this and log the console output, they've really made their own bed.

While you're there, lib/commands/login should probably not be passing interactive user output through @npm/redact -- something that's been harmless but there's no reason to imagine it would remain that way forever.

[internettrans]

This also breaks the npm publish behavior for me, due to hardware security key authentication printing URLs to the console that are now redacted and not functional.

[Glavin001]

Is there a workaround for this issue? I appear to be blocked from logging in to npm.

$ node --version
v24.9.0
$ npm --version
11.6.0

Update:

Workaround: Downgrade

$ nvm install --lts && nvm use --lts

$ node --version
v22.21.0
$ npm --version
10.9.4

[internettrans]

My pull request fixing this was superseded by #8614 and released in npm@11.6.2. I think it's fixed in 11.6.2 but haven't tried it yet

[aredridel]

Can confirm, fixed in 11.6.2.