Ghost CLI engine validation blocks startup after major version upgrade

Compatibility constraint mismatch

Ghost 5.x declares engines.node set to ^18.17.0 || ^20.0.0 in its package manifest. The Ghost CLI reads this constraint at install and startup time and aborts with an engine incompatibility message when the active Node.js runtime falls outside the declared range. Self-hosted operators must therefore align the runtime before attempting a major version upgrade, yet the CLI does not install or switch Node versions itself.

Unresolved decision

When preparing a production instance for a Ghost major version upgrade, the exact Node.js LTS line that satisfies the target release's engines.node range must be confirmed and provisioned. The Ghost release notes list supported versions, but the authoritative constraint lives in the package metadata and can differ from the documented summary.

• Which Node.js LTS versions satisfy the engines.node constraint for the specific Ghost major release being targeted?
• What verification steps confirm the active runtime passes the CLI engine check before committing the upgrade on a live instance?