new rails application stalls at tailwind install/build

[blairanderson]

 rails new keepalert-app --main --css tailwind --database=postgresql
      create  
      create  Gemfile
         run  bundle install --quiet
         run  bundle exec rails new /Users/blairanderson/dev/keepalert-app --main --css tailwind --database\=postgresql
       exist  
      remove  Gemfile
      remove  Gemfile.lock
      create  README.md
      create  Rakefile
      create  .ruby-version
      create  config.ru
      create  .gitignore
      create  .gitattributes
      create  Gemfile
         run  git init -b main from "."
Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/blairanderson/dev/keepalert-app/.git/
      create  app
      create  app/assets/stylesheets/application.css
      create  app/controllers/application_controller.rb
      create  app/helpers/application_helper.rb
      create  app/jobs/application_job.rb
      create  app/mailers/application_mailer.rb
      create  app/models/application_record.rb
      create  app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
      create  app/views/layouts/mailer.html.erb
      create  app/views/layouts/mailer.text.erb
      create  app/views/pwa/manifest.json.erb
      create  app/views/pwa/service-worker.js
      create  app/assets/images
      create  app/assets/images/.keep
      create  app/controllers/concerns/.keep
      create  app/models/concerns/.keep
      create  bin
      create  bin/brakeman
      create  bin/dev
      create  bin/rails
      create  bin/rake
      create  bin/rubocop
      create  bin/setup
      create  bin/thrust
      create  Dockerfile
      create  .dockerignore
      create  bin/docker-entrypoint
      create  .rubocop.yml
      create  .github/workflows
      create  .github/workflows/ci.yml
      create  .github/dependabot.yml
      create  config
      create  config/routes.rb
      create  config/application.rb
      create  config/environment.rb
      create  config/cable.yml
      create  config/puma.rb
      create  config/storage.yml
      create  config/environments
      create  config/environments/development.rb
      create  config/environments/production.rb
      create  config/environments/test.rb
      create  config/initializers
      create  config/initializers/assets.rb
      create  config/initializers/content_security_policy.rb
      create  config/initializers/cors.rb
      create  config/initializers/filter_parameter_logging.rb
      create  config/initializers/inflections.rb
      create  config/initializers/new_framework_defaults_8_1.rb
      create  config/locales
      create  config/locales/en.yml
      create  config/master.key
      append  .gitignore
      create  config/boot.rb
      create  config/database.yml
      create  db
      create  db/seeds.rb
      create  lib
      create  lib/tasks
      create  lib/tasks/.keep
      create  log
      create  log/.keep
      create  public
      create  public/400.html
      create  public/404.html
      create  public/406-unsupported-browser.html
      create  public/422.html
      create  public/500.html
      create  public/icon.png
      create  public/icon.svg
      create  public/robots.txt
      create  script
      create  script/.keep
      create  tmp
      create  tmp/.keep
      create  tmp/pids
      create  tmp/pids/.keep
      create  vendor
      create  vendor/.keep
      create  test/fixtures/files
      create  test/fixtures/files/.keep
      create  test/controllers
      create  test/controllers/.keep
      create  test/mailers
      create  test/mailers/.keep
      create  test/models
      create  test/models/.keep
      create  test/helpers
      create  test/helpers/.keep
      create  test/integration
      create  test/integration/.keep
      create  test/test_helper.rb
      create  test/system
      create  test/system/.keep
      create  test/application_system_test_case.rb
      create  storage
      create  storage/.keep
      create  tmp/storage
      create  tmp/storage/.keep
      remove  config/initializers/cors.rb
      remove  config/initializers/new_framework_defaults_8_1.rb
         run  bundle install --quiet
         run  bundle lock --add-platform=x86_64-linux
Writing lockfile to /Users/blairanderson/dev/keepalert-app/Gemfile.lock
         run  bundle binstubs bundler
       rails  importmap:install
       apply  /Users/blairanderson/.rbenv/versions/3.2.2/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/importmap-rails-2.1.0/lib/install/install.rb
  Add Importmap include tags in application layout
      insert    app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
  Create application.js module as entrypoint
      create    app/javascript/application.js
  Use vendor/javascript for downloaded pins
      create    vendor/javascript
      create    vendor/javascript/.keep
  Configure importmap paths in config/importmap.rb
      create    config/importmap.rb
  Copying binstub
      create    bin/importmap
         run  bundle install --quiet
       rails  turbo:install stimulus:install
       apply  /Users/blairanderson/.rbenv/versions/3.2.2/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/turbo-rails-2.0.13/lib/install/turbo_with_importmap.rb
  Import Turbo
      append    app/javascript/application.js
  Pin Turbo
      append    config/importmap.rb
         run  bundle install --quiet
       apply  /Users/blairanderson/.rbenv/versions/3.2.2/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/stimulus-rails-1.3.4/lib/install/stimulus_with_importmap.rb
  Create controllers directory
      create    app/javascript/controllers
      create    app/javascript/controllers/index.js
      create    app/javascript/controllers/application.js
      create    app/javascript/controllers/hello_controller.js
  Import Stimulus controllers
      append    app/javascript/application.js
  Pin Stimulus
  Appending: pin "@hotwired/stimulus", to: "stimulus.min.js"
      append    config/importmap.rb
  Appending: pin "@hotwired/stimulus-loading", to: "stimulus-loading.js"
      append    config/importmap.rb
  Pin all controllers
  Appending: pin_all_from "app/javascript/controllers", under: "controllers"
      append    config/importmap.rb
         run  bundle install --quiet
       rails  tailwindcss:install
       apply  /Users/blairanderson/.rbenv/versions/3.2.2/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/tailwindcss-rails-4.2.0/lib/install/install_tailwindcss.rb
  Add Tailwindcss container element in application layout
      insert    app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
      insert    app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
  Build into app/assets/builds
      create    app/assets/builds
      create    app/assets/builds/.keep
      append    .gitignore
  Add default /Users/blairanderson/dev/keepalert-app/app/assets/tailwind/application.css
      create    app/assets/tailwind/application.css
  Add default Procfile.dev
      create    Procfile.dev
  Ensure foreman is installed
         run    gem install foreman from "."
Fetching foreman-0.88.1.gem
Successfully installed foreman-0.88.1
1 gem installed
  Add bin/dev to start foreman
       force    bin/dev
  Compile initial Tailwind build
         run    rails tailwindcss:build from "."
============================================================
Bun v1.2.3 (8c4d3ff8) macOS x64
macOS v15.1.1
CPU: sse42 popcnt
Args: 
Features: no_avx2 no_avx 

sits there forever.

control+c to break:

^C

bin/rails aborted!
Interrupt: Interrupt
bin/rails aborted!
bin/rails aborted!
Interrupt: Interrupt

Tasks: TOP => tailwindcss:install
Interrupt: Interrupt
(See full trace by running task with --trace)
Tasks: TOP => tailwindcss:build
(See full trace by running task with --trace)

Tasks: TOP => app:template
(See full trace by running task with --trace)

running install again gets to build step and freezes:

$ rails tailwindcss:install
       apply  /Users/blairanderson/.rbenv/versions/3.2.2/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/tailwindcss-rails-4.2.0/lib/install/install_tailwindcss.rb
  Add Tailwindcss container element in application layout
  Build into app/assets/builds
       exist    app/assets/builds
   identical    app/assets/builds/.keep
   unchanged    .gitignore
   unchanged    Procfile.dev
  Add bin/dev to start foreman
   identical    bin/dev
  Compile initial Tailwind build
         run    rails tailwindcss:build from "."
============================================================
Bun v1.2.3 (8c4d3ff8) macOS x64
macOS v15.1.1
CPU: sse42 popcnt
Args: 
Features: no_avx2 no_avx 

running VERBOSE doesn't do much:

$ rails tailwindcss:build[verbose]
["/Users/blairanderson/.rbenv/versions/3.2.2/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/tailwindcss-ruby-4.0.9-x86_64-darwin/exe/x86_64-darwin/tailwindcss", "-i", "/Users/blairanderson/dev/keepalert-app/app/assets/tailwind/application.css", "-o", "/Users/blairanderson/dev/keepalert-app/app/assets/builds/tailwind.css", "--minify"]
============================================================
Bun v1.2.3 (8c4d3ff8) macOS x64
macOS v15.1.1
CPU: sse42 popcnt
Args: 
Features: no_avx2 no_avx 

[patriciomacadden]

Hi @blairanderson, and what happens if you run this command?

/Users/blairanderson/.rbenv/versions/3.2.2/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/tailwindcss-ruby-4.0.9-x86_64-darwin/exe/x86_64-darwin/tailwindcss -i /Users/blairanderson/dev/keepalert-app/app/assets/tailwind/application.css -o /Users/blairanderson/dev/keepalert-app/app/assets/builds/tailwind.css --minify

If the problem persists, i'd tend to think it's a problem with the tailwindcss-cli executable rather than this gem. Similar issues have been reported in the past (see #499, though I don't think it's exactly your problem).

Btw, I tried your command and worked without issues (though on a docker container).

[brandongs-MP]

Hi @patriciomacadden,

I'm experiencing the same issue after installing it in an existing Rails project.

The process gets stuck at:

Compile initial Tailwind build
Running rails tailwindcss:build from "."

I tried running the command you suggested, but it didn’t work. Do you have any other recommendations?

[patriciomacadden]

Hi @brandongs-MP,

Unfortunately, your output is not enough for me to tell what might be wrong. If you're running the standalone cli tool by tailwind (the output of running rails tailwindcss:build[verbose]) and it's stuck, then it might be a problem with the standalone cli tool.

Please refer to this comment.

How are you running this command? Are you running on docker? mac? The more info you can share, the better!

[iCueto]

I'm facing the same issue as well.

I'm running my project on an Apple Silicon M3 Max computer. What exactly is Bun? Why is Tailwind using it?

[dhh]

For anyone having trouble, could you try running https://github.com/rails/tailwindcss-rails/releases/tag/v3.3.1 instead? Tailwind recently moved a big version. Maybe related to that?

[iCueto]

For anyone having trouble, could you try running https://github.com/rails/tailwindcss-rails/releases/tag/v3.3.1 instead? Tailwind recently moved a big version. Maybe related to that?

I had to specify that version.

[blairanderson]

Hi @blairanderson, and what happens if you run this command?

/Users/blairanderson/.rbenv/versions/3.2.2/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/tailwindcss-ruby-4.0.9-x86_64-darwin/exe/x86_64-darwin/tailwindcss -i /Users/blairanderson/dev/keepalert-app/app/assets/tailwind/application.css -o /Users/blairanderson/dev/keepalert-app/app/assets/builds/tailwind.css --minify

If the problem persists, i'd tend to think it's a problem with the tailwindcss-cli executable rather than this gem. Similar issues have been reported in the past (see #499, though I don't think it's exactly your problem).

Btw, I tried your command and worked without issues (though on a docker container).

This didn't work. It stalled

[blairanderson]

For anyone having trouble, could you try running https://github.com/rails/tailwindcss-rails/releases/tag/v3.3.1 instead? Tailwind recently moved a big version. Maybe related to that?

@dhh @patriciomacadden yes this worked. Gemfile gem "tailwindcss-rails", "~> 3.3.1" built without issues.

$ rails tailwindcss:build

Rebuilding...

Done in 468ms.

[flavorjones]

What exactly is Bun? Why is Tailwind using it?

Tailwind v4's CLI executable is built using Bun (by this, I mean the upstream tailwindlabs/tailwindcss project).

@iCueto @blairanderson If v3 is working for you, then this is most likely an issue with the upstream tailwind CLI executable that is being packaged by the tailwindcss-ruby gem. This version has been a bit bumpy specifically around support for specific hardware.

If someone who can reproduce this issue would be kind enough to report their experience upstream on the tailwindlabs/tailwindcss project, I'd be very grateful. In the meantime, you may want to stay on tailwindcss-rails v3.3.1, which pins to Tailwind v3.