[Bug] Code Apps CLI fails in GCC High during init and push

[kneely]

npm Code Apps CLI fails in GCC High during init and push; PAC commands work as workaround

Summary

When using Code Apps in a GCC High environment, the npm-based Power Apps CLI appears to fail in two places:

1. npx power-apps init --cloud gcchigh reports that a valid GCC High environment ID cannot be found.
2. npx power-apps push fails with an encryption/decryption error.

I was able to work around both issues locally, so I wanted to document the behavior for maintainers and for other GCC High users who may hit the same problem.

Environment

• Cloud: GCC High
• Code Apps package: @microsoft/power-apps ^1.0.3
• npm Code Apps CLI package observed in node_modules: @microsoft/power-apps-cli 0.11.0
• Project type: Vite / React Code App
• OS/shell: Windows PowerShell

Issue 1: npx power-apps init --cloud gcchigh rejects the environment ID

Command

npx power-apps init --cloud gcchigh

Prompt/input

Please provide the environment ID:
<gcc-high-environment-id>

Actual behavior

Environment '<gcc-high-environment-id>' not found. Please verify the environment ID and ensure you have access to it.

The same environment is valid and accessible in GCC High.

Workaround

Temporarily bypassing the environment existence check in the installed package allowed initialization to continue.

In node_modules\@microsoft\power-apps-cli\dist\Verbs\Init.js, comment out the environment existence throw:

// if (!environmentExists) {
//     throw new Error(`Environment '${environmentId}' not found. Please verify the environment ID and ensure you have access to it.`);
// }

Then run init with the environment supplied explicitly:

npx power-apps init --cloud gcchigh -e "<gcc-high-environment-id>"

After initialization succeeds, restore the original lines in Init.js so the local package matches the expected CLI behavior again.

Issue 2: npx power-apps push fails with encryption/decryption error

Command

npx power-apps push

Actual behavior

Encryption/Decryption failed. Error code: 2148073483

Workaround

Use the PAC command instead:

pac code push

That path completed successfully in the same project/environment.

Expected behavior

• npx power-apps init --cloud gcchigh should validate GCC High environment IDs correctly.
• npx power-apps push should work in GCC High, or the documentation should call out that GCC High users need to use pac code push for now.

Notes

The likely failure area for the first issue is the environment lookup used by the npm CLI before initialization. It may be calling an endpoint or authority that works for commercial cloud but does not resolve GCC High environments correctly. It's most likely line 29 "const environmentExists = await validateEnvironmentExists(environmentId);" in Init.js because it does not pass the cloud parameter and the error message matches the one thrown when the check fails.

[eschavez]

Thanks for the detailed report and for doing the root cause legwork — this is really helpful.

Issue 1 —
px power-apps init --cloud gcchigh\ rejects the environment ID

We've reproduced the failure path. The environment existence check in the npm CLI doesn't correctly scope its API call to GCC High at the time it runs, so the lookup falls back to a commercial cloud endpoint and correctly reports the environment as not found. Your workaround (commenting out the validation throw in \Init.js) is accurate and safe to use in the interim.

Issue 2 —
px power-apps push\ fails with encryption/decryption error on GCC High

This is a separate failure likely in how the credential store handles tokens for GCC High. The \pac code push\ workaround you found is the right path for now — it handles sovereign cloud token flows correctly.

We're tracking both issues and will be fixing sovereign cloud support (GCC High and DoD) in the npm CLI. We'll update this thread when a fix is available. In the meantime, the \pac code\ commands remain the supported path for GCC High environments.

[harell-web]

Thank you great write up! Noncommercial environments are so poorly documented when it comes to product releases. Just to add to this. If you are using GCC, not GCC High. I found cliutils.js was looking for gccmoderate which is= to GCC. I thought it was UsGov or GCC.