Postinstall not fit for Windows

[waiblinger]

Hi,
since the update yesterday I can't install my modules, since the postinstall script uses "||", which isn`t supported on Windows in the given context.

`At line:1 char:53
+  node -e "try{require('./_postinstall')}catch(e){}" || exit 0
+                                                     ~~
The token '||' is not a valid statement separator in this version.
    + CategoryInfo          : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidEndOfLine`

[medikoo]

@waiblinger thanks for the report, what terminal are you using on Windows? I was actually testing it on Windows prior release and all worked well.

[waiblinger]

I use the integrated terminal in Visual Studio Code (so cmd). The project ran yesterday befor the changes.

[waiblinger]

@medikoo I tried powershell as well. Same problem

[ilyachalov]

@medikoo I'm trying to install 'gulp-cli' from 'npm' and I have the same problem (Windows 10):

|| is pipeline chain operator. They appeared in 'PowerShell 7':

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_pipeline_chain_operators

'Windows Powershell' (version 5.1) comes with 'Windows 10', executable file 'powershell.exe'.
'Powershell 7' can be obtained separately, executable file 'pwsh.exe'.
'Windows Powershell' (version 5.1) and 'Powershell 7' installed side by side.

'Windows Powershell' (version 5.1) does not have an pipeline chain operator ||.

I think the line
powershell -c node -e "try{require('./_postinstall')}catch(e){}" || exit 0
need to replace with
pwsh -c node -e "try{require('./_postinstall')}catch(e){}" || exit 0

Then it will work for those who have installed 'PowerShell 7'.

[medikoo]

I think the line
powershell -c node -e "try{require('./_postinstall')}catch(e){}" || exit 0
need to replace with
pwsh -c node -e "try{require('./_postinstall')}catch(e){}" || exit 0

It's actually an npm that adds powershell -c, so it'll be good to confirm if that happens with latest npm version, and eventually report issue over there.

[ilyachalov]

@medikoo Thanks for the reply. I've already figured it out.

npm can be configured in command line:

> npm config set script-shell="pwsh"

And now I have succeeded (I also installed 'PowerShell 7'):

Thanks again. 🎉🎉🎉

[mrJli]

Windows 11, PowerShell 7.2.6, i try this npm config set script-shell="pwsh" but

[ilyachalov]

@mrJli Are you really running the installation in PowerShell? PowerShell command prompt usually looks like this PS C:\>. You have the command prompt shown as $. Perhaps you are using 'Git Bash' (or some other shell) rather than 'PowerShell'?

Can you show a screenshot without cropping the window title?

[mrJli]

@mrJli Are you really running the installation in PowerShell? PowerShell command prompt usually looks like this PS C:\>. You have the command prompt shown as $. Perhaps you are using 'Git Bash' (or some other shell) rather than 'PowerShell'?

Can you show a screenshot without cropping the window title?

[ilyachalov]

@mrJli Earlier it was about a mistake with operator ||. To fix this error I used 'PowerShell 7' and 'npm' setting npm config set script-shell="pwsh".

You have a different situation. You have a unary operator --, which is not needed there:

pwsh -c --  node -e "try{require('./_postinstall')}catch(e){}" || exit 0

'es5-ext' is responsible for part of the command:
https://github.com/medikoo/es5-ext/blob/main/package.json

 node -e "try{require('./_postinstall')}catch(e){}" || exit 0

I think 'npm' is responsible for the initial part:

pwsh -c -- 

Maybe it's a bug in npm:
npm/cli#5332

What version of 'npm' do you have (npm --version, I have 8.12.1)? Maybe you should use a different version of 'npm'.

[mrJli]

npm version - 8.19.2
i try to install 8.12.1 and all works, thanks

[rjwut-chg]

I have zero issue with the message and intent behind the postinstall script, but perhaps unintended consequences like this are a good argument for limiting that sort of thing to the README.md file instead.