[BUG] Running npm i fails with Cannot read properties of null (reading 'isDescendantOf') #5687
Description
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
When installing a project using PNPM first and then subsequently using standard npm to install it, the install process borks after a long time with:
npm ERR! Cannot read properties of null (reading 'isDescendantOf')
Looking at the generated debug log one can see a null pointer being mentioned:
Details
``` 9918 timing idealTree:node_modules/.pnpm/node_modules/eslint/node_modules/table/node_modules/strip-ansi Completed in 1ms 9919 timing idealTree:node_modules/.pnpm/node_modules/eslint/node_modules/table/node_modules/ansi-regex Completed in 0ms 9920 timing idealTree:node_modules/.pnpm/node_modules/fast-glob/node_modules/glob-parent/node_modules/is-glob Completed in 0ms 9921 timing idealTree Completed in 14547ms 9922 timing command:i Completed in 14573ms 9923 verbose stack TypeError: Cannot read properties of null (reading 'isDescendantOf') 9923 verbose stack at [resolveLinks] (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js:1419:37) 9923 verbose stack at [buildDepStep] (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js:792:33) 9923 verbose stack at [buildDepStep] (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js:1047:31) 9924 verbose cwd /home/carlerik/code/example-encrypt-properties 9925 verbose Linux 5.15.0-47-generic 9926 verbose node v18.10.0 9927 verbose npm v8.19.2 9928 error Cannot read properties of null (reading 'isDescendantOf') 9929 verbose exit 1 9930 timing npm Completed in 14748ms 9931 verbose unfinished npm timer reify 1665582899091 9932 verbose unfinished npm timer reify:loadTrees 1665582899109 9933 verbose unfinished npm timer idealTree:buildDeps 1665582899389 9934 verbose unfinished npm timer idealTree:node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/yargs 1665582906713 9935 verbose code 1 9936 error A complete log of this run can be found in: 9936 error /home/carlerik/.npm/_logs/2022-10-12T13_54_58_915Z-debug-0.log ```Adding a console.log("link.target is null!", link) just before it fails shows this:
This points at one of the PNPM installed files being an issue of some sort. Maybe due to the symlinks created?
Expected Behavior
I would expect that NPM would go about its business and handle the situation where PNPM previously has stepped all over its turf gracefully 😄
It took some attempts (actually writing this) to discover that wiping with rm -r node_modules would fix the issue, so maybe one could add some heuristics to detect weird symlinks where there should not be and just delete the directory before re-installing? That would be very user friendly, at least.
Steps To Reproduce
hub clone fatso83/example-encrypt-properties(clone this repo)cd example-encrypt-properties && pnpm i && npm i- Observe an error:
npm ERR! Cannot read properties of null (reading 'isDescendantOf')
Environment
- npm: 7.12.0 (also tested on v6)
- Node.js: 18.10.0 (latest, also tested on v16)
- OS Name: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS
- System Model Name: ?
- npm config:
; "user" config from /home/carlerik/.npmrc
//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken = (protected)
flex-sdk:npm_cmd_ran = "install"
; node bin location = /usr/local/bin/node
; node version = v18.10.0
; npm local prefix = /home/carlerik/code/nimble
; npm version = 8.19.2
; cwd = /home/carlerik/code/nimble
; HOME = /home/carlerik
; Run `npm config ls -l` to show all defaults.