Publish-Module, Save-Module and Install-Module do not work with pre-release module, which depends on another pre-release module

[kamennikolov]

We're trying to make a pre-release of our product which contains multiple modules, that depend on each other. We can successfully publish the first pre-release module which has no dependencies, but when we upload the next one, which depends on the we get an error saying that:
Publish-PSArtifactUtility : PowerShellGet cannot resolve the module dependency 'VMware.VimAutomation.Sdk' of the module
'VMware.VimAutomation.Common' on the repository 'PSGallery'. Verify that the dependent module 'VMware.VimAutomation.Sdk' is available in the
repository 'PSGallery'. If this dependent module 'VMware.VimAutomation.Sdk' is managed externally, add it to the ExternalModuleDependencies entry in the PSData section of the module manifest."

It turns out that the -AllowPreRelease parameter is not properly propagated down the stack. Even after we fixed Publish-Module locally and managed to upload all the modules Save-Module and Install-Module do not work for the same reason. Customers will only be able to download the first module, which has not dependencies.

Expected Behavior

Module should publish and install without errors.

Current Behavior

Publish-PSArtifactUtility : PowerShellGet cannot resolve the module dependency 'VMware.VimAutomation.Sdk' of the module
'VMware.VimAutomation.Common' on the repository 'PSGallery'. Verify that the dependent module 'VMware.VimAutomation.Sdk' is available in the
repository 'PSGallery'. If this dependent module 'VMware.VimAutomation.Sdk' is managed externally, add it to the ExternalModuleDependencies entry in the PSData section of the module manifest."

Possible Solution

-AllowPreRelease parameter should be properly propagated down the stack

Steps to Reproduce (for bugs)

Find-Module VMware.PowerCLI -AllowPrerelease | Install-Module

Context

We're trying to make a pre-release of our product which contains multiple modules, that depend on each other.

Your Environment

PS C:\windows\system32> $PSVersionTable

Name Value

---

PSVersion 5.1.15063.786
PSEdition Desktop
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
BuildVersion 10.0.15063.786
CLRVersion 4.0.30319.42000
WSManStackVersion 3.0
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1

PS C:\windows\system32> Get-Module -ListAvailable PowerShellGet,PackageManagement

Directory: C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules

ModuleType Version Name ExportedCommands

---

Script 1.1.7.0 PackageManagement {Find-Package, Get-Package, Get-PackageProvider, Get-Packa...
Binary 1.0.0.1 PackageManagement {Find-Package, Get-Package, Get-PackageProvider, Get-Packa...
Script 1.6.0 PowerShellGet {Install-Module, Find-Module, Save-Module, Update-Module...}
Script 1.0.0.1 PowerShellGet {Install-Module, Find-Module, Save-Module, Update-Module...}

PS C:\windows\system32> Get-PackageProvider

Name Version DynamicOptions

---

msi 3.0.0.0 AdditionalArguments
msu 3.0.0.0
NuGet 2.8.5.210 Destination, ExcludeVersion, Scope, SkipDependencies, Headers, FilterOnTag...
PowerShellGet 1.6.0.0 PackageManagementProvider, Type, Scope, AllowClobber, SkipPublisherCheck, ...
Programs 3.0.0.0 IncludeWindowsInstaller, IncludeSystemComponent

[kumbham]

@SydneyhSmith @kamennikolov I ran into a similar issue where I'm trying to publish a module that depends on a pre-release version of another module. Publish-Module throws No match was found for the specified search criteria and module name .. error. Are there any workarounds to resolve this problem?

[kamennikolov]

@kumbham we fixed Publish-Module locally and managed to upload.

[kumbham]

@kamennikolov thanks for the response. Do you mind sharing me few pointers on where and how can I fix it?

[dmilov]

@kamennikolov thanks for the response. Do you mind sharing me few pointers on where and how can I fix it?

It was back in 2018. We used PowerShellGet 1.6 then. The problem was in the ValidateAndGet-RequiredModuleDetails function of PSModule.psm1

The fix we did locally to be able to publish the prerelease modules was at line 8607 of PSModule.psm1 which calls Find-Module with splatting @FindModuleArguments. The FindModuleArguments hashble is defined 3 lines above at 8604 and the only parameter in it is the Name of the module. That is breaking the validation. -AllowPrerelease has to be specified on the Find-Module to be able to discover the published prerelease module dependencies.

The fix I did then was to replace

Find-Module @FindModuleArguments

with

Find-Module -Name $ModuleName -AllowPrerelease

another option is to add AllowPrerelease key with $true in the FindModuleArguments hashtable

The fix shouldn't have affect non prerelease modules it should work for them as well.

[TanmayDharmaraj]

A similar issue arises when I perform Save-Module as well.

[SteveL-MSFT]

I agree that AllowPrerelease should be propagated to other calls once specified by the user or if they specify a specific version string that includes prerelease. Note that a stable module that depends on prerelease dependencies is not a pattern we want to support so that should continue to fail.