Unable to install grpc-tools via npm or yarn on mac m1 chip?

Question

Commands Used to install:

npm install -g grpc-tools

yarn add global grpc-tools

While trying to install grpc-tools on mac m1 BigSur. I ran into errors pasted below:

npm ERR! code 1
npm ERR! path /Users/abdulmoiz_ahmer/.nvm/versions/node/v16.13.1/lib/node_modules/grpc-tools
npm ERR! command failed
npm ERR! command sh -c node-pre-gyp install
npm ERR! response status 404 Not Found on https://node-precompiled-binaries.grpc.io/grpc-tools/v1.11.2/darwin-arm64.tar.gz
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp info it worked if it ends with ok
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp info using [email protected]
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp info using [email protected] | darwin | arm64
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp info check checked for "/Users/abdulmoiz_ahmer/.nvm/versions/node/v16.13.1/lib/node_modules/grpc-tools/bin/grpc_tools.node" (not found)
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp http GET https://node-precompiled-binaries.grpc.io/grpc-tools/v1.11.2/darwin-arm64.tar.gz
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! install response status 404 Not Found on https://node-precompiled-binaries.grpc.io/grpc-tools/v1.11.2/darwin-arm64.tar.gz 
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! install error 
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! stack Error: response status 404 Not Found on https://node-precompiled-binaries.grpc.io/grpc-tools/v1.11.2/darwin-arm64.tar.gz
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at /Users/abdulmoiz_ahmer/.nvm/versions/node/v16.13.1/lib/node_modules/grpc-tools/node_modules/@mapbox/node-pre-gyp/lib/install.js:67:15
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! stack     at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:96:5)
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! System Darwin 20.4.0
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! command "/Users/abdulmoiz_ahmer/.nvm/versions/node/v16.13.1/bin/node" "/Users/abdulmoiz_ahmer/.nvm/versions/node/v16.13.1/lib/node_modules/grpc-tools/node_modules/.bin/node-pre-gyp" "install"
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! cwd /Users/abdulmoiz_ahmer/.nvm/versions/node/v16.13.1/lib/node_modules/grpc-tools
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! node -v v16.13.1
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! node-pre-gyp -v v1.0.8
npm ERR! node-pre-gyp ERR! not ok

Coats

Answer 1

I made it work by setting explicitly the npm_config_target_arch to x64, this is probably not the best solution but for now that's all I found. I ran my npm install like this:

npm_config_target_arch=x64 npm i grpc-tools

if I find a better way I'll update that answer.

Competence

Thank you! 'npm_config_target_arch=x64 npm ci' worked for me – Preece

It also works perfectly fine for yarn npm_config_target_arch=x64 yarn add grpc-tools – Orissa

This is the best answer for me! – Riley

@clément-jean - I just want to make sure I understand this solution. The problem is the owners of grpc-tools have not compiled an arm64 binary So for the scope of this command-line we're overriding the npm_config_target_arch environment variable to x64. After this command completes - the environment variable npm_config_target_arch will be reset to what it was before running this command? I'm not a shell expert - but don't you need to use two ampersands to make that environment setting stay in scope? example: test=blah && echo $test – Urson

@Urson You are right that after executing npm_config_target_arch=x64 npm i grpc-tools, the npm_config_target_arch variable will be reset. If you want this variable to persist (as long as your shell session), you can use the && operator but I generally prefer using a semicolon like so: npm_config_target_arch=x64; yarn add grpc-tools. If you want that variable to persist across reboot, you will have to set that in a file like .bashrc or whatever your shell uses. – Anacreontic

One thing I realized is that you can't actually use the x64 on an arm64 machine - so this really just "works around the npm install" issue - i.e. npm install will complete successfully - but the binary on your machine will not be executable – Urson

@Urson You are right on the fact that this is a workaround. However, the binary is executable. You can try the protoc binary like this ./node_modules/grpc-tools/bin/protoc once you installed it in your nodeJS working directory. – Anacreontic

I don't think that is true. I don't think you can run binaries built for x64 on arm64. And it is confirmed when I try it in my docker container: root@17079a4c0395:/usr/src/app# ./node_modules/grpc-tools/bin/protoc bash: ./node_modules/grpc-tools/bin/protoc: cannot execute binary file: Exec format error – Urson

@Urson When running uname -p I get arm, so my architecture is arm and when I run file ./node_modules/grpc-tools/bin/protoc, I get Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64 so the binary is x64. And I can run it. This might depend on OSes, not really sure for your case. – Anacreontic

Answer 2

I was able to work around it by just forcing the x64 binary and letting BigSur deal with it:

yarn add grpc-tools --ignore-scripts
pushd node_modules/grpc-tools
node_modules/.bin/node-pre-gyp install --target_arch=x64
popd

If anyone can find a normal way to install it that would be appreciated.

Coats

Answer 3

TL;DR:

softwareupdate --install-rosetta
# Open terminal in x86_64 mode:
arch -x86_64 zsh
source "${NVM_DIR}/nvm.sh"
# Install any another version of node (will be installed x86_x64 version):
nvm install v14
npm install -g grpc-tools

It is problem with package grpc-tools. One of solution for today is using Rosetta. Recommend good tutorial.

Escheat