--tarball option doesn't work on windows (node.lib)

[gibfahn]

node-gyp build --tarball=C:\path\to\tarball works on Unix but not on Windows, as node-gyp also requires the node.lib file to be in ~/.node-gyp.

If you have a node source directory you can use --nodedir=C:\path\to\node

Possible fixes are:

1. Add the node.lib files to the release tarballs (ia32 and x64)
   • Requires changes to the node build process, shouldn't be too difficult, and doesn't increase the tarball size much.
2. Add another option to specify the location of the lib file (e.g. --node-lib=C:\path\to\node.lib)
   • Unintuitive, but an easy change
3. Don't add the node.lib files to the release tarballs, but still accept tarballs with node.lib files in them
   • Complicates things

If there are any other alternatives let me know!

Error

C:\Users\gib\node\test\gc\node_modules\weak>node-gyp build --tarball=C:\Users\gib\node\node-v6.3.1-headers.tar.gz
gyp info it worked if it ends with ok
gyp info using node-gyp@3.4.0
gyp info using node@6.3.1 | win32 | x64
gyp ERR! build error
gyp ERR! stack Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, open 'C:\Users\gib\.node-gyp\6.3.1\x64\node.lib'
gyp ERR! stack     at Error (native)
gyp ERR! System Windows_NT 10.0.10586
gyp ERR! command "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Users\\gib\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\node-gyp\\bin\\node-gyp.js" "build" "--tarball=C:\\Users\\gib\\node\\nh.tar.gz"
gyp ERR! cwd C:\Users\gib\node\test\gc\node_modules\weak
gyp ERR! node -v v6.3.1
gyp ERR! node-gyp -v v3.4.0
gyp ERR! not ok

[roneyrao]

Why is this issue still open without fix after more than two years?

I had the same problem as @gibfahn.

While trying to use node-gyp build behind a proxy, for security reasons the best alternative was to use the headers pre-downloaded.

But since node.lib wasn't present, the --tarball option is not viable.

[rvagg]

@nodejs/platform-windows @nodejs/build any appetite to take this on? otherwise I'm inclined to close this as it's 3 years old with no movement.

[bnoordhuis]

It's been 10 months and still no movement. Please follow up with a PR if you want to see this happen.