npx fails on Windows 7

[simonua]

Hi Kat,

Thanks for releasing npx! Sorry to file a bug so quickly. =(

Windows 7 64-bit
node: 8.1.3
npm: 5.2.0
npx: 9.0.3

This probably relates to #58 but is on a different setup with a seemingly different error.

I see the same issue with two different command shells, so to keep this on a common denominator across, just use cmd.exe to run this in:

Unrelated perhaps, but this gets interesting, too, when cowsay, etc. is already installed globally.

[katemihalikova]

The first screen shows the js file being run. This is probably the same problem I had today (npm-cli.js was being opened in my editor by which). This should be solved with changes in calling the js file so it's the same as #58.

The second screen is almost the same as #58 so I suppose there is a common denominator in which again.

The last screen is the same problem as #60.

[simonua]

@katemihalikova, thank you. I think you're spot on. I missed #60 when I looked through the few issues. Since this is fairly covered then, I suspect it could just be closed as a duplicate, @zkat, but will defer to you to make that call for sure. Sorry for the noise. =(

[katemihalikova]

No need to be sorry, your report also added one very important piece of that windows puzzle. Thanks! 🎉

[Mithgol]

Unfortunately, npx v9.1.0 still fails on my Windows 7 with the message Command failed: c:\Utils\Node\node_modules\npx\node_modules\npm\bin\npm-cli.js config get cache --parseable (where c:\Utils\Node\ is the path to Node.js) after a bit of trying to run Windows Scripting Host.

[katemihalikova]

So it still tries to run the file in its associated program instead of node.. I'll try to look into it more then. Thanks for reporting!

[zkat]

I think I understand why this one's happening

[zkat]

This is fixed, and will be included in the next release.

Source: I'm literally on Windows right now. 😂

[simonua]

@zkat, lol, welcome! This must be a bit of an out-of-body experience for a loyal Mac user? =P

[simonua]

And thanks for the fix. =P

[zkat]

I'm not really loyal, I'm just too lazy to reboot and I don't trust VMs to be good enough to do real cross-platform work.

Ironically, the npx build and release scripts don't run on Windows, so I'll have to run a new release after I'm done doing Windows stuff today. ;)

[simonua]

I hear you on the reboot. =(

[zkat]

lol I have a few more fixes to do with Windows, it seems. Probably better that I'm taking my time with this anyway, I guess.

[zkat]

ok. npx@9.2.1 should have fixed this problem. Please file another issue if you find more Windows stuff. I want that platform to work super well for folks <3

[Mithgol]

Yeah, seems to be fixed in v9.2.1, congratulations. 🎉

[simonua]

Different, but not quite there for me:

[zkat]

Oh bollocks.

I even told myself I needed to remember to bring the path escaping along. I totally forgot. Sorry again lol

[simonua]

No worries. Happy to check it out with the next fix.

[zkat]

@simonua can you give 9.2.2 a whirl?

[simonua]

You bet but I'm afk right now. Got plans for rest of day but can look early tomorrow my time. I'm sorry. 🙁

[simonua]

@zkat, just checked with 9.2.2

[zkat]

I'm gonna go mope for a while now. I'll try again on Monday I guess. lol.

[zkat]

@simonua I've filed #84 to track this separately. I'll spend some more time combing through Windows issues. I think I didn't run into this because my npm is installed into C:\Users\kat\..., so there's no spaces 🙃

[simonua]

Confirmed all cases to be working. It's nice that it appears to prefer a globally-installed module rather than attempting to pull from the registry or extract from cache.

[Mithgol]

This issue has resurfaced in npx version 9.6.0.

Once again this version (bundled with npm v5.5.1) tries Windows Script Host (i.e. runs a script in JavaScript's default system handler) instead of using Node.js path that npx should have in its process.argv[0].

Screenshot (after using npx npmtree fidohtml to test):

It does not say Command failed: . . . in the console afterwards, it just says null.

[Mithgol]

However, it only happens in npmtree's own directory (cloned from GitHub) and does not happen in any other directory. Could be a separate issue. Should I open a separate issue?