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README: gitbook-cli is deprecated and no longer runs on current Node.js #519
Description
Disclosure: I'm the developer of Presend, a small tool that checks package installs. I came across this while reviewing install instructions in docs repos.
The README asks contributors to run npm install gitbook-cli -g to preview the docs locally. gitbook-cli has been unmaintained for about 9 years (last release 2.3.2), and GitBook itself has moved to its hosted platform with Git Sync. On current Node.js versions the legacy toolchain typically crashes during install with a cb.apply is not a function error from an old graceful-fs, so the step tends to fail for new contributors.
Two options:
- If the docs are only published through GitBook's Git Sync (the README links to
nanovms.gitbook.io/ops), the local CLI step can simply be removed or marked optional. - If local preview is still useful, HonKit is the maintained fork of the legacy GitBook toolchain and reads the same
SUMMARY.md/book.jsonlayout:npx honkit serve.
Happy to open a PR for either one if you tell me which you prefer.
Activity
eyberg commentedon Oct 11, 2026
i'm not sure why the disclosure is necessary unless you're related to honkit?
i personally only look at the local in a text editor however, we're still very much using gitbook for prod but are open to other options
presendapp commentedon Oct 11, 2026
Not related to honkit. I add the disclosure because I build a small package-checking tool, and I'd rather say so whenever I open an issue about dependencies.
If production builds use the hosted GitBook rather than gitbook-cli, then only the local preview steps in the README are affected. A one-line change to "open the .md files directly, or use honkit (a maintained fork of gitbook-cli)" would be enough. Happy to open a PR for that if useful.