Npm really slow

LukMas

Hi all!

I have a problem with npm. Downloading every package generates the following error:

3403 silly tarball no local data for [PACKAGE_NAME]@[OUR_NEXUS]/repository/npm-group/[PACKAGE_NAME_VERSION].tgz. Extracting by manifest.

We have a Nexus3 server that serves the Packages: the ones published locally by us, stored in private repository, and the public ones, through a Proxy repository. We could use different solutions, but this one simplifies a lot the publish/build process of all the packages and applications.

Anyway, this problems causes the npm install to fail after a while, hence I cannot work on my software.

I admit that even if I post the problem here, I'm not sure that is something connected to solus. Because:

when I work in the office with Ubuntu, I have no problem at all
working from home with Solus, using a VPN, causes the problem

There are 2 differences here: the distribution and the use of VPN.
If between Solus and Ubuntu are no differences in the way npm is packages/built/distributed, the problem should be the VPN.

Thanks in advance for any response about this.

JoshStrobl

We don't do anything specific to npm. For nodejs, we compile it against some shared libraries such as brotli, libuv, openssl, etc. but that shouldn't affect its performance.

You could check if using nvm gets you the same results, assuming you can actually consistently get the same performance when under Solus and on the VPN, otherwise there is going to be enough inconsistency and error margin to make it hard to really say for certain.

I would wager it's the VPN than anything else though. The most "extreme" thing we do with our node package is strip out a bunch of unneeded files like examples, dev files like Makefile, docs, AUTHORS files, etc.

LukMas

I found the problem.
It has something to do with npm, ssl and the certs used to connect using https to a server (the Nexus3).
Behind the VPN, hence when not directly connected to the same network (or, at least, the one that has direct connection to the Nexus) the VPN makes something with the certificates.

In detail I have no idea of what the problem is, just I know that disabling a flag in npm (that anyway is suggested to don't disable due to security reasons - but to check I've had to do it) everything works.

So, no Solus fault, as I've also thought (because I've not expected big changes in npm between Solus und Ubuntu), but the way the VPN works.

Thanks!

For future references, the problem is explained in detail here:
https://weekendprojects.dev/posts/fixed-npm-err-code-unable_to_get_issuer_cert_locally/

and here:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/29283040/how-to-add-custom-certificate-authority-ca-to-nodejs#comment91831623_47160447