Executables with target node16-linux-arm64 are broken

[Niek]

What version of pkg are you using?

5.4.1

What version of Node.js are you using?

v17.0.1

What operating system are you using?

macOS

What CPU architecture are you using?

arm64

What Node versions, OSs and CPU architectures are you building for?

node16-linux-arm64

Describe the Bug

Files compiled with target node16-linux-arm64 are broken - after starting the executable, it quits silently.

Expected Behavior

It should run normally, like e.g. with the target node14-linux-arm64.

To Reproduce

$ cat test.js 
console.log('hello world')
$ pkg -t node16-linux-arm64,node14-linux-arm64 test.js
$ ./test-node14
hello world
$ ./test-node16

[yseymour]

I also see this issue with pkg 5.5.1. Furthermore, going the opposite way (building for node16-macos-arm64 on Linux ARM64, and running the resulting binary on MacOS Monterey) gives the same result.

[Niek]

In addition, cross-building on linux-amd64 targeting linux-arm64 seems to be broken as well.

[jesec]

I can confirm the issue with cross compiling for Node 16 binaries. This happens when you build executable for node16-macos-arm64 on a linux-x64 machine. However, node16-linux-arm64 executable compiled on linux-x64 works fine for me.

You may workaround this with --public-packages "*" --public. Note that the arguments disable bytecode generation, and, as a result, the source code obfuscation.

Or simply run pkg on a machine that has the same architecture as the target.

[jesec]

I have identified the issue. There is a V8 flag mismatch between macos-arm64 and linux-arm64 causing the generated bytecode to be rejected. The flag was added to support Apple Silicon [1].

I have determined that the V8 flag in question only affects runtime behavior, and has no impact on the generated bytecode. Thus, the fix is to simply remove the flag check [2]. Unfortunately there is no better way, as only the hash of the flags is available in the header of bytecode (so, no way to only remove that flag from consideration).

[1]: v8/v8@1a88569
[2]: vercel/pkg-fetch#231

[thanpolas]

Soooo, what is the current remedy @jesec? Do we wait? Something we can do (use the branch?)

[jesec]

It requires a new minor release to change the binaries, which could take a substantial amount of time for me to queue the CI tasks, validate the binaries and reupload them.

I have some other commitments this week, so you will have to wait.

[thanpolas]

fwiw, I managed to build for Arm64 using an Arm64 Ubuntu docker image and some scripting.

[Niek]

This seems to be fixed in pkg@5.5.2 / pkg-fetch@3.2.6, at least in my tests:

docker run --rm -it --platform=linux/arm64 node bash -c 'echo "console.log(\"hello world\")" > test.js && npx -y pkg -t node16-linux-arm64,node14-linux-arm64 test.js && ./test-node14; ./test-node16'
hello world
hello world

[jesec]

This issue only presents when macos-arm64 is involved, either as the host or the target.

[GrahamCampbell]

I think this has been fixed in v5.6.0.