Hey everyone, I’m pulling my hair out over here! Our web app builds on Microsoft-hosted agents have been crashing since mid-November. It’s weird because the code hasn’t changed. We can even run old tags that used to work fine, but now they fail too.
Looks like the agent version jumped from 3.246 to 4.246.1 and higher. That’s when things went south. The npm task is the culprit, but it runs fine on my local machine.
We’ve tried a bunch of stuff:
- Updating the npm task version in the yaml
- Clearing the npm cache
- Setting a specific Ubuntu image version
Nothing’s worked so far. The error log shows a bunch of ‘ERR! code ELIFECYCLE’ messages. Any ideas what could be causing this or how to fix it? I’m stumped!
I’ve been down this road before, and it’s frustrating when seemingly nothing has changed but everything’s broken. In my experience, these issues often stem from subtle dependency conflicts or versioning mismatches that the agent update exposes.
One thing that’s saved my bacon a few times is using a package manager version locking tool like ‘npm-shrinkwrap’ or ‘yarn.lock’. These create a snapshot of your exact dependency tree, which can help maintain consistency across different environments.
Another approach that’s worked for me is setting up a custom agent pool with a specific configuration that matches your local dev environment. It takes some initial setup, but it gives you much more control and stability in the long run.
If all else fails, don’t underestimate the power of a clean slate. Sometimes, deleting your node_modules folder and package-lock.json, then running a fresh npm install can resolve mysterious issues. Just be prepared for potential version changes.
hey, have u tried downgrading the npm version? sometimes newer versions can break stuff. also, check ur package-lock.json file. it might be out of sync with package.json. if that doesn’t work, maybe try using yarn instead of npm? just a thought.
I’ve encountered similar issues after agent updates. It’s often due to changes in the underlying environment rather than your code. Have you tried explicitly specifying the Node.js version in your pipeline? Sometimes, the default version changes with agent updates, causing compatibility issues.
Another approach worth exploring is to use a container job. This gives you more control over the build environment and can help isolate the problem. You could use a Docker image with a known working configuration.
If those don’t work, I’d recommend diving deeper into the ‘ELIFECYCLE’ errors. They usually point to specific scripts failing. Try running those scripts individually with verbose logging to pinpoint the exact failure point.
Lastly, consider reaching out to Microsoft support. They might have insights into recent changes that could be affecting your builds.