preload: TypeError: Cannot destructure property __id of 'undefined' or 'null'

[pdcastro]

When the balena preload command is used with an application that has no successful releases, an unhelpful / unhandled error is produced:

balena preload balena-fin-image.img --app fin_support --commit latest --debug
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Warn] Renaming notice: The '-a', '--app' or '--application' options are now
[Warn] aliases for the '-f' or '--fleet' options. THE ALIASES WILL BE REMOVED
[Warn] in the next major version of the balena CLI (so that a different '--app'
[Warn] option can be implemented in the future). Use '-f' or '--fleet' instead.
[Warn] Find out more at: https://git.io/JRuZr
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Building Docker preloader image. [========================] 100%
| Checking that the image is a writable file
| Finding a free tcp port
| Checking if the image is an edison zip archive
\ Creating preloader container
\ Starting preloader container
| Fetching application g_alex_gonzalez2/fin_support
\ Cleaning up temporary files
| Reading image information
Cannot destructure property `__id` of 'undefined' or 'null'.

TypeError: Cannot destructure property `__id` of 'undefined' or 'null'.
    at _fetchApplication._runWithSpinner (/snapshot/versioned-source/node_modules/balena-preload/build/preload.js:566:25)
    at process._tickCallback (internal/process/next_tick.js:68:7)
From previous event:
    at runCallback (timers.js:705:18)
    at tryOnImmediate (timers.js:676:5)
    at processImmediate (timers.js:658:5)
    at process.topLevelDomainCallback (domain.js:126:23)
From previous event:
    at Preloader.prepare (/snapshot/versioned-source/node_modules/balena-preload/build/preload.js:621:48)
    at PreloadCmd.prepareAndPreload (/snapshot/versioned-source/build/commands/preload.js:296:25)
    at run.Promise (/snapshot/versioned-source/build/commands/preload.js:133:30)
    at new Promise (<anonymous>)
    at PreloadCmd.run (/snapshot/versioned-source/build/commands/preload.js:131:19)
    at process._tickCallback (internal/process/next_tick.js:68:7)

It is not possible and/or does not make sense to attempt to preload an inexistent or unsuccessful release (a release for which services images failed to build), but this error can happen when a newly created application is selected by mistake, and it causes confusion. A nicer error message should be printed instead, e.g. "Application does not have any successful releases." This could be implemented in the _fetchApplication() function, around the following line of code:
https://github.com/balena-io-modules/balena-preload/blob/v10.5.0/lib/preload.js#L767

Originally reported by @alexgg in an FD thread (restricted access), using CLI v12.48.12. cc: @klutchell

Workaround

Select a different application that has successful releases, or push a new release.