npm install sqlite3 -g fails only with snapped node 18 or 19

[nobuto-m]

With the binary distribution, it just works. But when using a snap, the sqlite3 package fails to install. It's worth noting that the issue does NOT happen with the 20/stable channel with core22.

binary distribution with LTS (v18.x)

$ lsb_release -d
Description:    Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS

$ curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash - &&\
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

$ type -a node; node -v; type -a npm; npm -v
node is /usr/bin/node
node is /bin/node
v18.17.0
npm is /usr/bin/npm
npm is /bin/npm
9.6.7

$ sudo -H npm install sqlite3 -g
npm WARN deprecated @npmcli/[email protected]: This functionality has been moved to @npmcli/fs

added 105 packages in 5s

5 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details
npm notice 
npm notice New minor version of npm available! 9.6.7 -> 9.8.1
npm notice Changelog: https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v9.8.1
npm notice Run npm install -g [email protected] to update!
npm notice 

-> succeeds

snap with 18/stable channel

$ lsb_release -d
Description:    Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS

$ sudo snap install --classic node --channel 18/stable

$ type -a node; node -v; type -a npm; npm -v
node is /snap/bin/node
v18.16.1
npm is /snap/bin/npm
9.5.1

$ sudo -H npm install sqlite3 -g
npm WARN deprecated @npmcli/[email protected]: This functionality has been moved to @npmcli/fs
npm notice 
npm notice New minor version of npm available! 9.5.1 -> 9.8.1
npm notice Changelog: https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v9.8.1
npm notice Run npm install -g [email protected] to update!
npm notice 
npm ERR! code 1
npm ERR! path /usr/local/lib/node_modules/sqlite3
npm ERR! command failed
npm ERR! command sh -c node-pre-gyp install --fallback-to-build

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     /root/.npm/_logs/2023-07-26T10_17_43_325Z-debug-0.log

-> installation error

[/root/.npm/_logs/2023-07-26T10_17_43_325Z-debug-0.log]

784 timing build:queue Completed in 7ms
785 timing build:link:node_modules/sqlite3/node_modules/@mapbox/node-pre-gyp Completed in 6ms
786 timing build:link:node_modules/sqlite3/node_modules/make-dir/node_modules/semver Completed in 4ms
787 timing build:link:node_modules/sqlite3/node_modules/color-support Completed in 6ms
788 timing build:link:node_modules/sqlite3/node_modules/mkdirp Completed in 6ms
789 timing build:link:node_modules/sqlite3/node_modules/node-gyp Completed in 6ms
790 timing build:link:node_modules/sqlite3/node_modules/nopt Completed in 6ms
791 timing build:link:node_modules/sqlite3/node_modules/rimraf Completed in 5ms
792 timing build:link:node_modules/sqlite3/node_modules/semver Completed in 5ms
793 timing build:link:node_modules/sqlite3/node_modules/which Completed in 5ms
794 timing build:link Completed in 7ms
795 info run [email protected] install node_modules/sqlite3 node-pre-gyp install --fallback-to-build
796 info run [email protected] install { code: 1, signal: null }
797 timing reify:rollback:createSparse Completed in 86ms
798 timing reify:rollback:retireShallow Completed in 0ms
799 timing command:install Completed in 7208ms
800 notice
800 notice New minor version of npm available! 9.5.1 -> 9.8.1
800 notice Changelog: https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v9.8.1
800 notice Run npm install -g [email protected] to update!
800 notice
801 verbose stack Error: command failed
801 verbose stack     at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/snap/node/7588/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/promise-spawn/lib/index.js:53:27)
801 verbose stack     at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:513:28)
801 verbose stack     at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1091:16)
801 verbose stack     at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:302:5)
802 verbose pkgid [email protected]
803 verbose cwd /home/ubuntu
804 verbose Linux 5.15.0-75-generic
805 verbose node v18.16.1
806 verbose npm  v9.5.1
807 error code 1
808 error path /usr/local/lib/node_modules/sqlite3
809 error command failed
810 error command sh -c node-pre-gyp install --fallback-to-build
811 verbose exit 1
812 timing npm Completed in 7237ms
813 verbose unfinished npm timer reify 1690366663352
814 verbose unfinished npm timer reify:build 1690366670327
815 verbose unfinished npm timer build 1690366670328
816 verbose unfinished npm timer build:deps 1690366670328
817 verbose unfinished npm timer build:run:install 1690366670343
818 verbose unfinished npm timer build:run:install:node_modules/sqlite3 1690366670343
819 verbose code 1

[kern.log]

Jul 26 10:17:50 n8n kernel: audit: type=1400 audit(1690366670.405:37): apparmor="DENIED" operation="file_inherit" profile="/snap/snapd/19361/usr/lib/snapd/snap-confine" pid=9854 comm="snap-confine" family="unix" sock_type="stream" protocol=0 requested_mask="send receive" denied_mask="send receive" addr=none peer_addr=none
Jul 26 10:17:50 n8n kernel: audit: type=1400 audit(1690366670.405:38): apparmor="DENIED" operation="file_inherit" profile="/snap/snapd/19361/usr/lib/snapd/snap-confine" pid=9854 comm="snap-confine" family="unix" sock_type="stream" protocol=0 requested_mask="send receive" denied_mask="send receive" addr=none peer_addr=none
Jul 26 10:17:50 n8n kernel: audit: type=1400 audit(1690366670.405:39): apparmor="DENIED" operation="file_inherit" profile="/snap/snapd/19361/usr/lib/snapd/snap-confine" pid=9854 comm="snap-confine" family="unix" sock_type="stream" protocol=0 requested_mask="send receive" denied_mask="send receive" addr=none peer_addr=none

[rvagg]

Unfortunately there's some problems using the snap to build and load addons; we don't have good answers for this that aren't hacky, so generally it's best, if you're using compiled addons, to not use the snap, but to use a directly installed form.

See the issue tracker here for other related discussions and people's workarounds.