1.11.0 fails installation via npm

[dhelleberg]

run
npm install -g ios-deploy --unsafe-perm=true

Expected behavior

installation successfull

Actual behavior.

 sh: line 1: 19611 Illegal instruction: 4  xcodebuild
 npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
 npm ERR! errno 132
 npm ERR! ios-deploy@1.11.0-beta.1 preinstall: `./src/scripts/check_reqs.js && xcodebuild`
 npm ERR! Exit status 132

Steps to reproduce the problem

run npm install -g ios-deploy --unsafe-perm=true
on OSX 10.14.6

Workaround: run
npm install -g ios-deploy@1.10.0 --unsafe-perm=true

System Specs

Please run the commands below in your Terminal.app and include it in the issue. Check when done and include results below.

• 1. system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType
  Software:

  System Software Overview:

  System Version: macOS 10.14.6 (18G4032)
  Kernel Version: Darwin 18.7.0
  Boot Volume: Macintosh HD
  Boot Mode: Normal
  Computer Name: Mac mini 2018
  User Name: 
  Secure Virtual Memory: Enabled
  System Integrity Protection: Enabled
  Time since boot: 42 days 11:33
  

• 2. ios-deploy -V

• 3. xcodebuild -version
  xcodebuild -version
  Xcode 11.3.1
  Build version 11C505

• 4. xcode-select --print-path

• 5. gcc --version

• 6. lldb --version

[gabebear]

Thanks for the report! This is a two parter:

1. Npmjs installing beta version by default - I had tagged the npmjs releases improperly. I've fixed that so the default it now 1.10.0 again. https://www.npmjs.com/package/ios-deploy?activeTab=versions npm install -g ios-deploy --unsafe-perm=true will install 1.10.0 again and the beta version is 1.11.0-beta.1
2. Beta Failing to Install - I'm not sure why the beta is failing yet, but I can reproduce a script failure on Catalina with Xcode 10.3(but that it works on Xcode 11.5 and Xcode 12-beta).

The npm default version problem should now be resolved, but I'm leaving this issue open to look into why the beta version is failing with older Xcode versions on Catalina.

[gabebear]

I looked at this a bit more and the issue isn't the version of Xcode, it's that the file permissions to build are wrong if you are running with sudo... which is a bug I'm tempted to say is a feature.

Running npm install as root is never a good idea. https://medium.com/@ExplosionPills/dont-use-sudo-with-npm-still-66e609f5f92

As for covering use-cases:

• System-wide tool - e.g. running ios-deploy in the terminal
  • npm doesn't support installing global tools very well(it is possible without sudo, but the defaults make it a pain)
  • Homebrew is generally better suited(e.g. not a pain to setup) for installing command-line tools and is already supported by ios-deploy
    • brew install ios-deploy <- install stable version
    • brew install --HEAD ios-deploy <- install latest dev version from source
• Node dependencies - cases where ios-deploy is a dependency of another package
  • Users using sudo npm install -g to install existing packages that have a dependency on ios-deploy will fail. This is not great, but generally using sudo this way is an antipattern that the user can resolve by not using sudo(e.g. using npx).
  • Building/Installing ios-deploy via npm without sudo works properly, so non-sudo uses seem to be working as intended.

I think the best option here is to add a check in our build script telling people to never run npm as root and document that this doesn't work after version 1.10.0.

[gabebear]

@dhelleberg I was verifying on Catalina(I don't have a Mojave machine). Can you reproduce this without using sudo?

[dhelleberg]

@dhelleberg I was verifying on Catalina(I don't have a Mojave machine). Can you reproduce this without using sudo?

I'm not running this as root or sudo. Do you need any additional information?

[gabebear]

@dhelleberg I would like to know if it is npm related or MacOS10.14/Xcode11.3.1 related. Can you try installing the latest ios-deploy via homebrew with brew install --HEAD ios-deploy. Using --HEAD will build ios-deploy locally via Homebrew.

The Homebrew backend appears to build ios-deploy properly on macOS 10.13, 10.14, and 10.15 Homebrew/homebrew-core#57811

[gabebear]

@dhelleberg have you tried compiling/installing ios-deploy from HEAD via Homebrew?

brew install --HEAD ios-deploy

[dhelleberg]

Sorry for the late reply. Installation via brew is working, seems to be npm related

[gabebear]

I'm not at all sure why npm is failing in this case, but I can't reproduce it and it's not blocking anyone that I know of.

I'm going to close this since I think it's an edge case, but if this can be reproduced on Catalina I would welcome it to be re-opened.

[mcfarljw]

I also ran into this issue as well when trying to update to 1.11.0, but after updating node from 12.18.1 to 12.18.3 it installed correctly.

[gabebear]

Reopening since this is happening on Catalina #466

Someone who is willing to fix it needs to reproduce it(I probably won’t have time for awhile)

[gabebear]

This likely has something to do with #450