NPM failing on github branch dependency

Question

I have the current dependency in my package.json:

"gulp": "github:gulpjs/gulp#4.0",

This has been working for some time but all of a sudden I get the following error:

λ npm i
npm WARN addRemoteGit Error: Command failed: git -c core.longpaths=true config --get remote.origin.url
npm WARN addRemoteGit
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at ChildProcess.exithandler (child_process.js:206:12)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at emitTwo (events.js:106:13)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:191:7)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:852:16)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at Socket.<anonymous> (internal/child_process.js:323:11)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at emitOne (events.js:96:13)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at Socket.emit (events.js:188:7)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at Pipe._handle.close [as _onclose] (net.js:492:12)
npm WARN addRemoteGit  gulpjs/gulp#4.0 resetting remote C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\git-github-com-gulpjs-gulp-git-4-0-ecf98f08 because of error: { Error: Command failed: git -c core.longpaths=true config --get remote.origin.url
npm WARN addRemoteGit
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at ChildProcess.exithandler (child_process.js:206:12)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at emitTwo (events.js:106:13)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:191:7)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:852:16)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at Socket.<anonymous> (internal/child_process.js:323:11)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at emitOne (events.js:96:13)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at Socket.emit (events.js:188:7)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at Pipe._handle.close [as _onclose] (net.js:492:12)
npm WARN addRemoteGit   killed: false,
npm WARN addRemoteGit   code: 1,
npm WARN addRemoteGit   signal: null,
npm WARN addRemoteGit   cmd: 'git -c core.longpaths=true config --get remote.origin.url' }
npm ERR! git clone --template=C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\_templates --mirror git://github.com/gulpjs/gulp.git C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\git-github-com-gulpjs-gulp-git-4-0-ecf98f08: Cloning into bare repository 'C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\git-github-com-gulpjs-gulp-git-4-0-ecf98f08'...
npm WARN addRemoteGit gulpjs/gulp#4.0 pre-existing cached repo C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\git-https-github-com-gulpjs-gulp-git-4-0-4b46db44 points to undefined and not https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp.git
npm ERR! git submodule -q update --init --recursive: Unable to determine absolute path of git directory
npm ERR! git submodule -q update --init --recursive:
npm WARN addRemoteGit Error: Command failed: git -c core.longpaths=true config --get remote.origin.url
npm WARN addRemoteGit
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at ChildProcess.exithandler (child_process.js:206:12)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at emitTwo (events.js:106:13)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:191:7)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:852:16)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:215:5)
npm WARN addRemoteGit  gulpjs/gulp#4.0 resetting remote C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\git-github-com-gulpjs-gulp-git-4-0-7c06e801 because of error: { Error: Command failed: git -c core.longpaths=true config --get remote.origin.url
npm WARN addRemoteGit
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at ChildProcess.exithandler (child_process.js:206:12)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at emitTwo (events.js:106:13)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:191:7)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:852:16)
npm WARN addRemoteGit     at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:215:5)
npm WARN addRemoteGit   killed: false,
npm WARN addRemoteGit   code: 1,
npm WARN addRemoteGit   signal: null,
npm WARN addRemoteGit   cmd: 'git -c core.longpaths=true config --get remote.origin.url' }
npm ERR! git clone --template=C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\_templates --mirror git@github.com:gulpjs/gulp.git C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\git-github-com-gulpjs-gulp-git-4-0-7c06e801: Cloning into bare repository 'C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\git-github-com-gulpjs-gulp-git-4-0-7c06e801'...
npm ERR! git clone --template=C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\_templates --mirror git@github.com:gulpjs/gulp.git C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\git-github-com-gulpjs-gulp-git-4-0-7c06e801: ssh: connect to host github.com port 22: Connection timed out
npm ERR! Windows_NT 6.1.7601
npm ERR! argv "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Users\\ekalkj\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js" "i"
npm ERR! node v6.4.0
npm ERR! npm  v3.10.7
npm ERR! code 128

npm ERR! Command failed: git -c core.longpaths=true clone --template=C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\_templates --mirror git@github.com:gulpjs/gulp.git C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\git-github-com-gulpjs-gulp-git-4-0-7c06e801
npm ERR! Cloning into bare repository 'C:\Users\ekalkj\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_git-remotes\git-github-com-gulpjs-gulp-git-4-0-7c06e801'...
npm ERR! ssh: connect to host github.com port 22: Connection timed out
npm ERR!
npm ERR!
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this error at:
npm ERR!     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     C:\Projects\danskespil.website\npm-debug.log

When I remove the gulp 4 dependency it's working like it should.

The same thing happens when doing npm install glob-fs, not that strange as it also uses a branch or tag.

I think it might be the enterprise proxy, and npm that does something else when it's hitting a branch or tag.

I tried git config --global url."https://github.com/".insteadOf git@github.com: but with no luck, just a new error:

npm ERR! git submodule -q update --init --recursive: Unable to determine absolute path of git directory
npm ERR! git submodule -q update --init --recursive:
npm ERR! git submodule -q update --init --recursive: Unable to determine absolute path of git directory
npm ERR! git submodule -q update --init --recursive:
npm ERR! Windows_NT 6.1.7601
npm ERR! argv "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Users\\ekalkj\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js" "install" "glob-fs"
npm ERR! node v6.4.0
npm ERR! npm  v3.10.7
npm ERR! code 1

npm ERR! Command failed: git -c core.longpaths=true submodule -q update --init --recursive
npm ERR! Unable to determine absolute path of git directory
npm ERR!
npm ERR!
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this error at:
npm ERR!     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     C:\Projects\danskespil.website\npm-debug.log

I tried updating git-for-windows, nodejs and npm with no luck. I tried adding a proxy to the NPM configuration with no luck. I'm a bit lost, so what the next debugging step for this issue?

Answer 1

github:gulpjs/gulp#4.0

Means that you want the 4.0 tag in the repository https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/tags

There is no tag 4.0

Maybe there was one and it was removed, I don't know, but as of today, this can't work.

Gulp is on npm https://www.npmjs.com/package/gulp So there is no need do write it that way.

You should have :

"gulp":"3.9.1"

[EDIT]

Yups, my bad, there is a BRANCH 4.0

So maybe try this :

"gulp":"git+ssh://git@github.com:gulpjs/gulp#4.0"

or

"gulp":"https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp.git#4.0"

Anyway, do you really need an unreleased branch of gulp ?