AdonisJS ace serve --hmr Often Silent Crashes on Windows

[CodingMoeButa]

Windows 11 25H2

Package version

6.18.0

Describe the bug

node -v
v22.12.0

npm init adonisjs@latest hello-world

> npx
> create-adonisjs hello-world


     _       _             _         _ ____  
    / \   __| | ___  _ __ (_)___    | / ___| 
   / _ \ / _` |/ _ \| '_ \| / __|_  | \___ \ 
  / ___ \ (_| | (_) | | | | \__ \ |_| |___) |
 /_/   \_\__,_|\___/|_| |_|_|___/\___/|____/ 


> Which starter kit would you like to use · Web Starter Kit
> Which authentication guard you want to use · session
> Which database driver you want to use · postgres
> Download starter kit (1.56 s)
  Downloaded "github:adonisjs/web-starter-kit"
> Install packages (24 s)
> Prepare application (856 ms)
> Configure Lucid (6.47 s)
  Lucid configured to use "postgres" database
> Configure Auth (2.81 s)
  Auth configured to use "session" guard

╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│    Your AdonisJS project has been created successfully!          │
│──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│                                                                  │
│    > cd hello-world                                              │
│    > npm run dev                                                 │
│    > Open http://localhost:3333                                  │
│    >                                                             │
│    > Have any questions?                                         │
│    > Join our Discord server - https://discord.gg/vDcEjq6        │
│                                                                  │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

cd hello-world
npm run dev

Then crash. Just shows:

[ info ] starting HTTP server...
PS C:\Users\user\Desktop\hello-world>

Sometimes it can start, sometimes it cannot.

Reproduction repo

Any AdonisJS application.

[CodingMoeButa]

Downgrading the Node.js version to v20.19.5 doesn't resolve the issue.

[CodingMoeButa]

I tried it on a Linux virtual machine and didn't encounter this problem. It only occurs frequently on Windows.

[CodingMoeButa]

I was able to reproduce this problem on my other Windows 11 computer. It seems to be related to vite and fs.read. AdonisJS may have compatibility issues with Windows.

[thetutlage]

Hello @CodingMoeButa

Thanks for digging into the issue. Were you able to find any related issue on Vite's Github on this topic? Maybe, upgrading Vite to a newer version will help?

[CodingMoeButa]

Hello @CodingMoeButa

Thanks for digging into the issue. Were you able to find any related issue on Vite's Github on this topic? Maybe, upgrading Vite to a newer version will help?

I'm not sure if the problem is caused by Vite, but there are some indications pointing to it. I've searched the entire internet but haven't found any similar silent crashes. I created the application exactly according to the AdonisJS documentation.

[CodingMoeButa]

I've done some debugging:

$env:NODE_DEBUG="hot-hook,adonisjs:hmr,fs,esm_loader"; node ace serve --hmr

Prompt message upon failure:

[ info ] starting HTTP server...
HOT-HOOK 6964: Hot hook options {
  ignore: [
    '**/node_modules/**',
    '**/vite.config.js.timestamp*',
    '**/vite.config.ts.timestamp*',
    [length]: 3
  ],
  restart: [ '.env', [length]: 1 ],
  boundaries: [ './app/controllers/**/*.ts', './app/middleware/*.ts', [length]: 2 ],
  rootDirectory: 'F:\\<path_to>\\Library\\master',
  throwWhenBoundariesAreNotDynamicallyImported: false,
  root: undefined
}
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\adonisrc.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\env.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\app.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\auth.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\bodyparser.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\database.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\hash.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\logger.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\session.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\shield.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\static.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\vite.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\env.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\env.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\env.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\env.ts with version 0
PS F:\<path_to>\Library\master>

The error message line HOT-HOOK 6964: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\vite.ts with version 0 is highlighted in red by VScode, and VScode indicates an exit code of 1.

Success message:

[ info ] starting HTTP server...
HOT-HOOK 31952: Hot hook options {
  ignore: [
    '**/node_modules/**',
    '**/vite.config.js.timestamp*',
    '**/vite.config.ts.timestamp*',
    [length]: 3
  ],
  restart: [ '.env', [length]: 1 ],
  boundaries: [ './app/controllers/**/*.ts', './app/middleware/*.ts', [length]: 2 ],
  rootDirectory: 'F:\\<path_to>\\Library\\master',
  throwWhenBoundariesAreNotDynamicallyImported: false,
  root: undefined
}
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\adonisrc.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\env.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\app.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\auth.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\bodyparser.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\database.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\hash.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\logger.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\session.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\shield.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\static.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\config\vite.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\env.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\env.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\env.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\env.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Hot hook options {
  ignore: [
    '**/node_modules/**',
    '**/vite.config.js.timestamp*',
    '**/vite.config.ts.timestamp*',
    [length]: 3
  ],
  restart: [ '.env', [length]: 1 ],
  boundaries: [ './app/controllers/**/*.ts', './app/middleware/*.ts', [length]: 2 ],
  rootDirectory: 'F:\\<path_to>\\Library\\master',
  throwWhenBoundariesAreNotDynamicallyImported: false,
  root: undefined
}
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\routes.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\start\kernel.ts with version 0
HOT-HOOK 31952: Resolving F:\<path_to>\Library\master\app\exceptions\handler.ts with version 0
╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│                                                 │
│    Server address: http://localhost:3333        │
│    Watch Mode: HMR                              │
│    Ready in: 1.37 s                             │
│                                                 │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
[08:55:14.630] INFO (31952): started HTTP server on localhost:3333

I used "<path_to>" to hide some private information in the logs.

The issue points to hot-hook and vite. I suspect there might be some file system boundary issues on Windows.

[CodingMoeButa]

I am an AdonisJS newbee. I'm out of troubleshooting ideas. Hopefully, you can try it on Windows; it should be able to reproduce the issue.

If I want to continue using AdonisJS, I can only give up using the ace development server, or use WSL or a Linux virtual machine now.

[CodingMoeButa]

Hello @CodingMoeButa

Thanks for digging into the issue. Were you able to find any related issue on Vite's Github on this topic? Maybe, upgrading Vite to a newer version will help?

I just checked Vite's GitHub again, but didn't find any useful information. To be honest, I don't know what keywords to use to search.

This is the default package.json file for the AdonisJS application:

{
  "name": "hello-world",
  "version": "0.0.0",
  "private": true,
  "type": "module",
  "license": "UNLICENSED",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node bin/server.js",
    "build": "node ace build",
    "dev": "node ace serve --hmr",
    "test": "node ace test",
    "lint": "eslint .",
    "format": "prettier --write .",
    "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit"
  },
  "imports": {
    "#controllers/*": "./app/controllers/*.js",
    "#exceptions/*": "./app/exceptions/*.js",
    "#models/*": "./app/models/*.js",
    "#mails/*": "./app/mails/*.js",
    "#services/*": "./app/services/*.js",
    "#listeners/*": "./app/listeners/*.js",
    "#events/*": "./app/events/*.js",
    "#middleware/*": "./app/middleware/*.js",
    "#validators/*": "./app/validators/*.js",
    "#providers/*": "./providers/*.js",
    "#policies/*": "./app/policies/*.js",
    "#abilities/*": "./app/abilities/*.js",
    "#database/*": "./database/*.js",
    "#tests/*": "./tests/*.js",
    "#start/*": "./start/*.js",
    "#config/*": "./config/*.js"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@adonisjs/assembler": "^7.8.2",
    "@adonisjs/eslint-config": "^2.0.0",
    "@adonisjs/prettier-config": "^1.4.4",
    "@adonisjs/tsconfig": "^1.4.0",
    "@japa/assert": "^4.0.1",
    "@japa/plugin-adonisjs": "^4.0.0",
    "@japa/runner": "^4.2.0",
    "@swc/core": "1.11.24",
    "@types/luxon": "^3.7.1",
    "@types/node": "^22.15.18",
    "eslint": "^9.26.0",
    "hot-hook": "^0.4.0",
    "pino-pretty": "^13.0.0",
    "prettier": "^3.5.3",
    "ts-node-maintained": "^10.9.5",
    "typescript": "~5.8",
    "vite": "^6.3.5"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "@adonisjs/auth": "^9.4.0",
    "@adonisjs/core": "^6.18.0",
    "@adonisjs/lucid": "^21.6.1",
    "@adonisjs/session": "^7.5.1",
    "@adonisjs/shield": "^8.2.0",
    "@adonisjs/static": "^1.1.1",
    "@adonisjs/vite": "^4.0.0",
    "@vinejs/vine": "^3.0.1",
    "edge.js": "^6.2.1",
    "luxon": "^3.7.2",
    "pg": "^8.16.3",
    "reflect-metadata": "^0.2.2"
  },
  "hotHook": {
    "boundaries": [
      "./app/controllers/**/*.ts",
      "./app/middleware/*.ts"
    ]
  },
  "prettier": "@adonisjs/prettier-config"
}

npm view vite versions --json

[
  "0.1.0",
// ...
  "7.2.4"
]

I tried npm install vite@6.4.1 and npm install vite@7.2.4 but things didn't get better.

I honestly don't know what else I can do. Please let me know if you need anything.

[CodingMoeButa]

This issue might not be related to Vite, because my friend always uses Vue and the Vite toolchain on Windows and has never encountered any problems. The problem might be with the hot-hook. I'm not sure.

[thetutlage]

Can you try setting the transport property to undefined inside the config/logger.ts file and then give it a try?

loggers: {
  app: {
    enabled: true,
    level: env.get('LOG_LEVEL'),
    transport: undefined,
  },
}

[CodingMoeButa]

Can you try setting the transport property to undefined inside the config/logger.ts file and then give it a try?

loggers: {
app: {
enabled: true,
level: env.get('LOG_LEVEL'),
transport: undefined,
},
}

Created a new project named hello-world.

hello-world/config/logger.ts:

import env from '#start/env'
import app from '@adonisjs/core/services/app'
import { defineConfig, targets } from '@adonisjs/core/logger'

const loggerConfig = defineConfig({
  default: 'app',

  /**
   * The loggers object can be used to define multiple loggers.
   * By default, we configure only one logger (named "app").
   */
  loggers: {
    app: {
      enabled: true,
      name: env.get('APP_NAME'),
      level: env.get('LOG_LEVEL'),
      transport: undefined,
    },
  },
})

export default loggerConfig

/**
 * Inferring types for the list of loggers you have configured
 * in your application.
 */
declare module '@adonisjs/core/types' {
  export interface LoggersList extends InferLoggers<typeof loggerConfig> {}
}

Execute the command manually one hundred times:

npm run dev

The development server no longer experiences silent crashes. It always returns a message similar to:

[ info ] starting HTTP server...
{"level":30,"time":1764094310095,"pid":13572,"hostname":"ROG-B460I-10700","msg":"started HTTP server on localhost:3333"}
╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│                                                 │
│    Server address: http://localhost:3333        │
│    Watch Mode: HMR                              │
│    Ready in: 1.24 s                             │
│                                                 │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

To create a comparison, I created another project called bye-world, without making any changes to the code, and it quickly resulted in a silent crash.