[BUG](arborist) error: Tracker "idealTree:inflate:" already exists

[PenelopeFudd]

What / Why

I've been unable to install anything (e.g. npm install npm-groovy-lint) because of an error that wouldn't go away.

When

• Every time I try npm install $packagename

Where

• n/a

How

Current Behavior

• Type npm install npm-groovy-lint, see 'The package-lock.json file was created with an old version of npm, so supplemental metadata must be fetched from the registry. This is a one-time fix-up, please be patient...', followed by a long list of packages being checked, followed by an error message:

4065 silly inflate node_modules/edge
4066 silly inflate packages/edge
4067 http fetch GET 200 https://registry.npmjs.org/@types%2fnode 1163ms (cache updated)
4068 silly inflate packages/edge/node_modules/keycloak-js
4069 silly inflate node_modules/cas
4070 silly inflate packages/cas
4071 timing idealTree Completed in 22840ms
4072 timing command:install Completed in 22874ms
4073 notice New ^[[33mminor^[[39m version of npm available! ^[[31m7.23.0^[[39m -> ^[[32m7.24.2^[[39m
4073 notice Changelog: ^[[36mhttps://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v7.24.2^[[39m
4073 notice Run ^[[32mnpm install -g npm@7.24.2^[[39m to update!
4074 verbose stack Error: Tracker "idealTree:inflate:" already exists
4074 verbose stack     at Arborist.[_onError] (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/tracker.js:107:11)
4074 verbose stack     at Arborist.addTracker (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/tracker.js:31:21)
4074 verbose stack     at Array.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js:716:14)
4074 verbose stack     at run (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/promise-call-limit/index.js:30:26)
4074 verbose stack     at /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/promise-call-limit/index.js:33:7
4075 verbose cwd /home/chowes/work/ns/management-ui
4076 verbose Linux 5.13.19-200.fc34.x86_64
4077 verbose argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "install" "npm-groovy-lint"
4078 verbose node v14.17.6
4079 verbose npm  v7.23.0
4080 error Tracker "idealTree:inflate:" already exists
4081 verbose exit 1

Steps to Reproduce

• Install @npmcli/arborist version 2.9.0 : other versions not tested, as couldn't install anything
• Have an old lock file
• Type npm install npm-groovy-lint

Expected Behavior

• No error, it should "just work"

Steps to Workaround

• I modified /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js:717
• Exact link: https://github.com/npm/arborist/blob/v2.9.0/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js#L717
• Current git repository link: https://github.com/npm/arborist/blob/main/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js#L727
• Old code:

        const t = `idealTree:inflate:${sloc}`
        this.addTracker(t)

• New code:

        const rand = Math.random()
        const t = `idealTree:inflate:${sloc}:${rand}`
        this.addTracker(t)

• With this change, the error Tracker "idealTree:inflate:" already exists went away.
• It appears that the sloc variable was an empty string two times, leading to a duplicate tracker error message.

Who

• n/a

References

• n/a

[PenelopeFudd]

2021-10-05T01_34_22_408Z-debug.log

[PenelopeFudd]

Related:

• NPM dont install packages nodejs/help#3339
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/57534295/npm-err-tracker-idealtree-already-exists-while-creating-the-docker-image-for
• https://www.icode9.com/content-4-1121636.html
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/67217531/how-can-i-fix-npm

[dianabarsan]

I ran into this as well when running npm ci. After I ran an npm update, npm ci worked.