`os.networkInterfaces().family` is no longer a string

[deftomat]

Version

v18.0.0

Platform

Darwin 21.4.0 Darwin Kernel Version 21.4.0: Fri Mar 18 00:46:32 PDT 2022; root:xnu-8020.101.4~15/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000 arm64

Subsystem

os

What steps will reproduce the bug?

The following code will throw an error as family is either a number 4 or 6.
Previously, it was a string as described in documentation https://nodejs.org/api/os.html#osnetworkinterfaces

import { networkInterfaces } from 'os';

Object.values(networkInterfaces()).flat()[0].family.toLowerCase();

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

Always

What is the expected behavior?

family should be either IPv4 or IPv6

What do you see instead?

Numbers 4 or 6

Additional information

No response

[panva]

This was introduced in #41431, the change to networkInterfaces was not documented, despite test being updated to reflect the values 4 and 6 being returned now.

Two ways moving forward - fix the documentation (add v18.0.0 change entry and update the type), or revert the change to networkInterfaces.

cc @aduh95

[aduh95]

Duplicate of #42787. The doc fix has landed and should be released as part of Node.js 18.1.0 today.

[deftomat]

Thanks! 👍