Error accessing box from Windows (getenv('ANSICON') returns boolean)

[andrey-helldar]

Bug report

Question	Answer
Box version	4.3.8
PHP version	8.1.20
Platform with version	Windows
Github Repo	https://github.com/TheDragonCode/codestyler

I am using Laravel Zero which contains the Box binary.

Yesterday they updated the framework version with Box file version 4.3.8. Previously version 4.2.0 was used.

There are no problems with version 4.2.0, but in 4.3.8 they appeared and manifest themselves as follows:

1. Compilation of the phar file happens without errors, BUT:
2. When I try to call a phar file from the console, I get an error;
3. When I try to get the box version of the file, I get the same error.

With all this, the error is displayed only under Windows. There are no problems when running inside Ubuntu.

box.json.dist

{
   "chmod": "0755",
   "directories": [
       "app",
       "bootstrap",
       "config",
       "resources",
       "vendor",
       "modules/laravel/pint/app",
       "modules/laravel/pint/resources/views"
   ],
   "files": [
       ".editorconfig",
       "composer.json",
       "The_Dragon_Code_phpStorm.xml"
   ],
   "exclude-composer-files": false,
   "exclude-dev-files": false,
   "compression": "GZ",
   "compactors": [
       "KevinGH\\Box\\Compactor\\Php",
       "KevinGH\\Box\\Compactor\\Json"
   ]
}

Output

$ ./vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box --version
PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: trim(): Argument #1 ($string) must be of type string, bool given in phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Terminal.php:60
Stack trace:
#0 phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Terminal.php(60): trim(false)
#1 phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Terminal.php(31): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Terminal::initDimensions()
#2 phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Printer.php(28): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Terminal->getWidth()
#3 phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Checker.php(17): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Printer->__construct(32, true)
#4 phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/bin/check-requirements.php(22): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Checker::checkRequirements()
#5 D:\domains\dragon-code\codestyler\vendor\laravel-zero\framework\bin\box(16): require('phar://D:/domai...')
#6 {main}
 thrown in phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Terminal.php on line 60

Fatal error: Uncaught TypeError: trim(): Argument #1 ($string) must be of type string, bool given in phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Terminal.php:60
Stack trace:
#0 phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Terminal.php(60): trim(false)
#1 phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Terminal.php(31): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Terminal::initDimensions()
#2 phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Printer.php(28): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Terminal->getWidth()
#3 phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Checker.php(17): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Printer->__construct(32, true)
#4 phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/bin/check-requirements.php(22): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Checker::checkRequirements()
#5 D:\domains\dragon-code\codestyler\vendor\laravel-zero\framework\bin\box(16): require('phar://D:/domai...')
#6 {main}
 thrown in phar://D:/domains/dragon-code/codestyler/vendor/laravel-zero/framework/bin/box/.box/src/Terminal.php on line 60

On execution, the error points to the code trim(getenv('ANSICON'))

I also downloaded the phar file from the latest release and also got an error:

Output

$ ./box.phar --version
PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: trim(): Argument #1 ($string) must be of type string, bool given in phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Terminal.php:60
Stack trace:
#0 phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Terminal.php(60): trim(false)
#1 phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Terminal.php(31): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Terminal::initDimensions()
#2 phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Printer.php(28): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Terminal->getWidth()
#3 phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Checker.php(17): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Printer->__construct(32, true)
#4 phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/bin/check-requirements.php(22): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Checker::checkRequirements()
#5 D:\domains\box.phar(16): require('phar://D:/domai...')
#6 {main}
 thrown in phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Terminal.php on line 60

Fatal error: Uncaught TypeError: trim(): Argument #1 ($string) must be of type string, bool given in phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Terminal.php:60
Stack trace:
#0 phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Terminal.php(60): trim(false)
#1 phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Terminal.php(31): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Terminal::initDimensions()
#2 phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Printer.php(28): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Terminal->getWidth()
#3 phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Checker.php(17): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Printer->__construct(32, true)
#4 phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/bin/check-requirements.php(22): HumbugBox436\KevinGH\RequirementChecker\Checker::checkRequirements()
#5 D:\domains\box.phar(16): require('phar://D:/domai...')
#6 {main}
 thrown in phar://D:/domains/box.phar/.box/src/Terminal.php on line 60

[owenvoke]

Hey @andrey-helldar, I think this is due to the change to strict types in Box 3.8, which has led to the false return type from getenv() no longer being cast to an empty string.

This should be fixable by basically falling back to an empty string when getenv() returns null. Which would replicate the previous functionality.

[andrey-helldar]

Yes, but I'm not using the environment settings and the .env file doesn't exist.

In addition, if we try to execute a simple variable lookup code, we get the following:

$ php -r "var_dump(getenv('ANSICON'));"
bool(false)

[owenvoke]

What I'm meaning is, this is code from Box (not LZ). It doesn't matter whether you are using the Env component, it will still try and run this code as part of the environment checker.

As you can see from your example code, running it returns false, and therefore this will fail when passed to trim() as it's expecting a string. 👍🏻

As a temporary workaround, you could disable the requirements checker for your Phar by adding "check-requirements": false to your box.json (or running with BOX_REQUIREMENT_CHECKER=0 set in your env).

However, to fix this, it will require a change in Box so that this strict type check doesn't fail.

[owenvoke]

@andrey-helldar, just to mention, this will be resolved once #999 is merged and released. 👍🏻

[andrey-helldar]

@owenvoke, wow. I was trying to find issues or PRs for my issue, but searched for ansi. Sorry 😅

[8ctopus]

same issue for me on Windows, reverting to 4.2.0 fixes it.

[theofidry]

#999 has been merged and 4.4.0 release. If there is still an issue please comment on it or open a new one.