Cannot install grpc-tools js package on ubuntu 18.04 with npm

[PolyProgrammist]

Problem description

I am trying to install grpc-tools package on ubuntu 18.04 with npm. But an error arises. On ubuntu 20.04 everything is ok. How to install it on ubuntu 18.04?

Reproduction steps

I have Dockerfile:

FROM ubuntu:18.04
RUN apt update && apt install -y --no-install-recommends nodejs npm
RUN npm config set strict-ssl false
RUN npm install grpc-tools@1.11.0

I build docker this way:

docker build .

Getting an error:

Step 4/4 : RUN npm install grpc-tools@1.11.0
 ---> Running in 77d9132ac6af
npm WARN deprecated node-pre-gyp@0.15.0: Please upgrade to @mapbox/node-pre-gyp: the non-scoped node-pre-gyp package is deprecated and only the @mapbox scoped package will recieve updates in the future

> grpc-tools@1.11.0 install /node_modules/grpc-tools
> node-pre-gyp install

node-pre-gyp WARN Using request for node-pre-gyp https download 
node-pre-gyp ERR! install error 
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack Error: unable to get local issuer certificate
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at TLSSocket.<anonymous> (_tls_wrap.js:1105:38)
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at emitNone (events.js:106:13)
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at TLSSocket.emit (events.js:208:7)
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at TLSSocket._finishInit (_tls_wrap.js:639:8)
node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at TLSWrap.ssl.onhandshakedone (_tls_wrap.js:469:38)
node-pre-gyp ERR! System Linux 5.4.0-40-generic
node-pre-gyp ERR! command "/usr/bin/node" "/node_modules/.bin/node-pre-gyp" "install"
node-pre-gyp ERR! cwd /node_modules/grpc-tools
node-pre-gyp ERR! node -v v8.10.0
node-pre-gyp ERR! node-pre-gyp -v v0.15.0
node-pre-gyp ERR! not ok 
unable to get local issuer certificate
npm WARN enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/package.json'
npm WARN !invalid#1 No description
npm WARN !invalid#1 No repository field.
npm WARN !invalid#1 No README data
npm WARN !invalid#1 No license field.
npm ERR! Linux 5.4.0-40-generic
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "install" "grpc-tools@1.11.0"
npm ERR! node v8.10.0
npm ERR! npm  v3.5.2
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE

npm ERR! grpc-tools@1.11.0 install: `node-pre-gyp install`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Failed at the grpc-tools@1.11.0 install script 'node-pre-gyp install'.
npm ERR! Make sure you have the latest version of node.js and npm installed.
npm ERR! If you do, this is most likely a problem with the grpc-tools package,
npm ERR! not with npm itself.
npm ERR! Tell the author that this fails on your system:
npm ERR!     node-pre-gyp install
npm ERR! You can get information on how to open an issue for this project with:
npm ERR!     npm bugs grpc-tools
npm ERR! Or if that isn't available, you can get their info via:
npm ERR!     npm owner ls grpc-tools
npm ERR! There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     /npm-debug.log
The command '/bin/sh -c npm install grpc-tools@1.11.0' returned a non-zero code: 1

Environment

• Linux Ubuntu 18.04 amd64
• Node version 8.10.0
• Node installation method: apt
• Package name and version grpc-tools@1.11.0

Additional context

Also on stackoverflow: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/67114242/how-to-install-grpc-tools-js-package-on-ubuntu-18-04-with-npm

[murgatroid99]

You are using an old version of Node, that might be part of the problem. Node 8 has been past end of life for almost a year.

[PolyProgrammist]

You are using an old version of Node, that might be part of the problem. Node 8 has been past end of life for almost a year.

@murgatroid99 Thanks, that solves the problem. Updated with:

npm cache clean -f
npm install -g n
n stable

[PolyProgrammist]

Hello, there is still a problem.

Despite it does work, it doesn't work under corporate proxy. Most probably this is not an issue with grpc-tools, but could you please take a look?

While trying to install grpc-tools 1.9.0 under corporate proxy the error arises: Node.js: Error: 500 status code downloading tarball

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/67127855/node-js-error-500-status-code-downloading-tarball

[murgatroid99]

A 500 error should be temporary. Wait a bit and try again.

[PolyProgrammist]

Unfortunately it is not temporrarily and is reproduced always. I see that here https://node-precompiled-binaries.grpc.io/ 1.6.6 is present, but 1.9.0 is not

[murgatroid99]

Your original issue said that the installation succeeded on Ubuntu 20.04, but failed on Ubuntu 18.04. That's not an issue with a file not existing on the server. And I don't know how that XML file is generated, but it's definitely not complete. You can open the URL from the error message yourself and see that the file exists.

A 500 error is an internal server error, and I don't know why you would be getting that consistently from Cloudflare or Google Cloud Storage.