global module/package resolution problem for ESM

[cyberphone]

Version

v18.17.1

Platform

Linux ubuntu 5.15.0-83-generic #92-Ubuntu SMP Mon Aug 14 09:30:42 UTC 2023 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Subsystem

No response

What steps will reproduce the bug?

npm install cbor-object -g

"added 2 packages in 3s"

npm list -g

├── [email protected]
├── [email protected]
└── [email protected]

node test.js

node:internal/process/esm_loader:97
internalBinding('errors').triggerUncaughtException(
throw err;
^

Error: Cannot find module 'cbor-object'
Require stack:

• /home/demo/cbor-test/test.js
  at Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1077:15)
  at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:922:27)
  at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1143:19)
  at require (node:internal/modules/cjs/helpers:121:18)
  at Object. (/home/demo/cbor-test/test.js:2:14)
  at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1256:14)
  at Module._extensions..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1310:10)
  at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1119:32)
  at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:960:12)
  at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:81:12) {
  code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
  requireStack: [ '/home/demo/cbor-test/test.js' ]
  }

comment: this is rather strange given that npm found the module. Continued...

export NODE_PATH=/home/demo/node-v18.17.1-linux-x64/lib/node_modules
node test.js

Now it worked! Continued...

node test.mjs

node:internal/process/esm_loader:97
internalBinding('errors').triggerUncaughtException(
^

Error [ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND]: Cannot find package 'cbor-object' imported from /home/demo/cbor-test/test.mjs
Did you mean to import cbor-object/cjs/index.cjs?
at new NodeError (node:internal/errors:405:5)
at packageResolve (node:internal/modules/esm/resolve:887:9)
at moduleResolve (node:internal/modules/esm/resolve:936:20)
at defaultResolve (node:internal/modules/esm/resolve:1129:11)
at nextResolve (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:163:28)
at ESMLoader.resolve (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:835:30)
at ESMLoader.getModuleJob (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:424:18)
at ModuleWrap. (node:internal/modules/esm/module_job:77:40)
at link (node:internal/modules/esm/module_job:76:36) {
code: 'ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND'
}

comment: Node has obviously found the module since it refers to cbor-object/cjs/index.cjs which is a part of the associated package.json file:

{
  "name": "cbor-object",
  "version": "1.0.1",
  "description": "CBOR: deterministic encoder/decoder, bidirectional diagnostic notation, and utilities",
  "homepage": "https://github.com/cyberphone/CBOR.js#cborjs",
  "repository": {
    "type": "git",
    "url": "https://github.com/cyberphone/CBOR.js"
  },
  "keywords": [ "cbor", "RFC8949", "deterministic" ],
  "exports": {
    ".": {
      "import": "./mjs/index.mjs",
      "require": "./cjs/index.cjs"
    }
  },
  "scripts": {
    "test": "node ./test-all.mjs"
  },
  "author": {
    "name": "Anders Rundgren",
    "email": "[email protected]"
  },
  "engines": {
    "node": ">=14.18.1"
  },
  "license": "MIT",
  "dependencies": {
    "npm": "*"
  }
}

comment: although npm link cbor-object works, it defeats the value of global installations.

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

Always

What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?

Global should (IMO) not require any specific actions

What do you see instead?

Global package/module resolution working as for npm

Additional information

Gives identical results on W11

[aduh95]

That seems to be an issue with a different project (NPM), not Node.js. FYI NPM development is happening at https://github.com/npm/cli.

[cyberphone]

Thanx for the quick response @aduh95!
Since the workaround (setting NODE_PATH) works flawlessly for CJS, there seems to be a bug (or "by design" limitation), in the ESM resolver.

Although NPM is not the same project as Node.js, it is hard to see the point having different conventions. If NPM can find global modules, why can't Node.js?

[aduh95]

@cyberphone apologies, I read past that. This limitation is documented in the docs: https://nodejs.org/api/esm.html#esm_no_node_path
I’ll try to find the issue where this was discussed. EDIT: here it is nodejs/modules#534

[cyberphone]

Thanx @aduh95 !
I don't know/understand the rationale for outlawing NODE_PATH for ESM but I guess this won't change 😪

It was the error message put me on the wrong track since it shows that the associated package.json indeed was found.