Node: Test failures with `TERM=dumb`

[richardlau]

• Version: master
• Platform: Linux/AIX
• Subsystem: test

Some tests, e.g. parallel/test-console-clear, fail when the TERM environment variable is dumb, e.g. on Linux:

-bash-4.2$ echo $TERM
xterm-256color
-bash-4.2$ ./node test/parallel/test-console-clear.js
-bash-4.2$ TERM=dumb ./node test/parallel/test-console-clear.js
assert.js:89
  throw new AssertionError(obj);
  ^

AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: Expected values to be strictly equal:
+ actual - expected

+ ''
- '\u001b[1;1H\u001b[0J'
    at doTest (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-console-clear.js:17:10)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-console-clear.js:21:1)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11 {
  generatedMessage: true,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: '',
  expected: '\u001b[1;1H\u001b[0J',
  operator: 'strictEqual'
}
-bash-4.2$

Noticed on our CI, where tests are failing on one of the AIX executors, test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-2, which has TERM set to dumb according to Jenkins, e.g. https://ci.nodejs.org/job/node-test-commit-aix/nodes=aix61-ppc64/23627/. (The other two AIX executors have TERM set to xterm and screen-256color and the tests pass on them.)

I guess there are two issues here:

1. the tests should be tolerant of TERM=dumb (either they should pass or at least skip)
2. test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-2 should probably have a different TERM setting (cc @nodejs/build-infra @nodejs/platform-aix)

The twelve failing tests

-bash-4.2$ echo $TERM
xterm-256color
-bash-4.2$ ./tools/test.py -J parallel
[00:21|% 100|+ 2236|-   0]: Done
-bash-4.2$ TERM=dumb ./tools/test.py -J parallel
=== release test-console-clear ===
Path: parallel/test-console-clear
assert.js:89
  throw new AssertionError(obj);
  ^

AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: Expected values to be strictly equal:
+ actual - expected

+ ''
- '\u001b[1;1H\u001b[0J'
    at doTest (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-console-clear.js:17:10)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-console-clear.js:21:1)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11 {
  generatedMessage: true,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: '',
  expected: '\u001b[1;1H\u001b[0J',
  operator: 'strictEqual'
}
Command: out/Release/node /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-console-clear.js
=== release test-readline-position ===
Path: parallel/test-readline-position
assert.js:89
  throw new AssertionError(obj);
  ^

AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: Expected values to be strictly equal:

3 !== 2

    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-readline-position.js:40:12)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11 {
  generatedMessage: true,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: 3,
  expected: 2,
  operator: 'strictEqual'
}
Command: out/Release/node --expose-internals /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-readline-position.js
=== release test-repl-editor ===
Path: parallel/test-repl-editor
assert.js:89
  throw new AssertionError(obj);
  ^

AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: Expected values to be strictly equal:
+ actual - expected

+ '> .editor\n// Entering editor mode (^D to finish, ^C to cancel)\n\n(To exit, press ^C again or ^D or type .exit)\n> '
- '\u001b[1G\u001b[0J> \u001b[3G.editor\n// Entering editor mode (^D to finish, ^C to cancel)\n\n(To exit, press ^C again or ^D or type .exit)\n\u001b[1G\u001b[0J> \u001b[3G'
    at run (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-editor.js:42:10)
    at Array.forEach (<anonymous>)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-editor.js:74:7)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11 {
  generatedMessage: true,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: '> .editor\n// Entering editor mode (^D to finish, ^C to ' +
    'cancel)\n\n(To exit, press ^C again or ^D or type .exit)\n> ',
  expected: '\u001b[1G\u001b[0J> \u001b[3G.editor\n// Entering editor mode (^D to finish, ^C to ' +
    'cancel)\n\n(To exit, press ^C again or ^D or type .exit)\n\u001b[1G\u001b[0J> ' +
    '\u001b[3G',
  operator: 'strictEqual'
}
Command: out/Release/node /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-editor.js
=== release test-readline ===
Path: parallel/test-readline
assert.js:89
  throw new AssertionError(obj);
  ^

AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: Expected values to be strictly equal:

6 !== 0

    at /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-readline.js:78:12
    at Array.forEach (<anonymous>)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-readline.js:76:47)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11 {
  generatedMessage: true,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: 6,
  expected: 0,
  operator: 'strictEqual'
}
Command: out/Release/node /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-readline.js
=== release test-readline-interface ===
Path: parallel/test-readline-interface
readline.js:1158
            throw err;
            ^

AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: Expected values to be strictly equal:
+ actual - expected

+ '\tfo\to\t'
- 'foo'
    at Interface.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-readline-interface.js:345:14)
    at Interface.emit (events.js:200:13)
    at Interface._onLine (readline.js:314:10)
    at Interface._line (readline.js:691:8)
    at Interface._ttyWriteDumb (readline.js:835:14)
    at FakeInput.onkeypress (readline.js:189:10)
    at FakeInput.emit (events.js:200:13)
    at emitKeys (internal/readline.js:424:14)
    at emitKeys.next (<anonymous>)
    at FakeInput.onData (readline.js:1145:36) {
  generatedMessage: true,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: '\tfo\to\t',
  expected: 'foo',
  operator: 'strictEqual'
}
Command: out/Release/node --expose_internals /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-readline-interface.js
=== release test-readline-undefined-columns ===
Path: parallel/test-readline-undefined-columns
assert.js:362
    throw err;
    ^

AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: The expression evaluated to a falsy value:

  assert(/process\.std\b/.test(output))

    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-readline-undefined-columns.js:38:1)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11 {
  generatedMessage: true,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: false,
  expected: true,
  operator: '=='
}
Command: out/Release/node /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-readline-undefined-columns.js
=== release test-repl-history-navigation ===
Path: parallel/test-repl-history-navigation
Mismatched runTest function calls. Expected exactly 2, actual 0.
    at Object.mustCall (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/common/index.js:340:10)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-history-navigation.js:76:28)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11
Command: out/Release/node --expose-internals /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-history-navigation.js
=== release test-repl-eval-scope ===
Path: parallel/test-repl-eval-scope
Mismatched <anonymous> function calls. Expected exactly 1, actual 0.
    at Object.mustCall (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/common/index.js:340:10)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-eval-scope.js:10:18)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11
Command: out/Release/node /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-eval-scope.js
=== release test-repl-load-multiline ===
Path: parallel/test-repl-load-multiline
assert.js:89
  throw new AssertionError(obj);
  ^

AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: Expected values to be strictly equal:
+ actual - expected

+ '.load /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/fixtures/repl-load-multiline.js\n'
- ".load /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/fixtures/repl-load-multiline.js\nconst getLunch = () =>\n  placeOrder('tacos')\n    .then(eat);\nconst placeOrder = (order) => Promise.resolve(order);\nconst eat = (food) => '<nom nom nom>';\n\nundefined\n"
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-load-multiline.js:38:8)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11 {
  generatedMessage: true,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: '.load ' +
    '/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/fixtures/repl-load-multiline.js\n',
  expected: '.load ' +
    '/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/fixtures/repl-load-multiline.js\n' +
    "const getLunch = () =>\n  placeOrder('tacos')\n    .then(eat);\n" +
    'const placeOrder = (order) => Promise.resolve(order);\nconst eat ' +
    "= (food) => '<nom nom nom>';\n\nundefined\n",
  operator: 'strictEqual'
}
Command: out/Release/node /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-load-multiline.js
=== release test-repl-persistent-history ===
Path: parallel/test-repl-persistent-history
Mismatched runTest function calls. Expected exactly 10, actual 0.
    at Object.mustCall (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/common/index.js:340:10)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-persistent-history.js:166:28)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11
Command: out/Release/node --expose-internals /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-persistent-history.js
=== release test-repl-programmatic-history ===
Path: parallel/test-repl-programmatic-history
Mismatched runTest function calls. Expected exactly 10, actual 0.
    at Object.mustCall (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/common/index.js:340:10)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-programmatic-history.js:164:28)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:781:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:792:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:641:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:556:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:844:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11
Command: out/Release/node /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-programmatic-history.js
=== release test-repl-end-emits-exit ===
Path: parallel/test-repl-end-emits-exit
assert.js:89
  throw new AssertionError(obj);
  ^

AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: Expected values to be strictly equal:

0 !== 1

    at process.<anonymous> (/home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-end-emits-exit.js:70:10)
    at process.emit (events.js:205:15)
    at process.EventEmitter.emit (domain.js:471:20)
    at process.topLevelDomainCallback (domain.js:126:23) {
  generatedMessage: true,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: 0,
  expected: 1,
  operator: 'strictEqual'
}
Command: out/Release/node /home/users/riclau/sandbox/github/nodejs/test/parallel/test-repl-end-emits-exit.js
[00:21|% 100|+ 2224|-  12]: Done
-bash-4.2$

[sam-github]

@richardlau I've been looking into this, too, trying to identify the root cause, it looks like you have figure it out.

Do you know where the TERM is set to that, so that we can change it? I've been looking, and haven't found it yet. I have a suspicion that it is inherited from whatever user manually sshed in and restarted the jenkins service, which could explain why these problems cleared away when I restarted jenkins on be-2 last week (my TERM is usally either screen-256color or ansi when I ssh in). Though, that doesn't explain why it then became dumb, unless someone else restarted jenkins? Does TERM neet to be set in /etc/rc.d/rc2.d/S20jenkins?

I started making the tests more robust yesterday: https://github.com/nodejs/node/commit/91320375cc7c2f3fd50bec50a9049c4fb799e9e3

If they can all be made more robust as simply as test-console-clear, I'll do that.

[richardlau]

@richardlau I've been looking into this, too, trying to identify the root cause, it looks like you have figure it out.

Do you know where the TERM is set to that, so that we can change it? I've been looking, and haven't found it yet. I have a suspicion that it is inherited from whatever user manually sshed in and restarted the jenkins service, which could explain why these problems cleared away when I restarted jenkins on be-2 last week (my TERM is usally either screen-256color or ansi when I ssh in). Though, that doesn't explain why it then became dumb, unless someone else restarted jenkins? Does TERM neet to be set in /etc/rc.d/rc2.d/S20jenkins?

Unfortunately I don't know (my experience of TERM is probably similar to yours where it's inherited from the user's terminal). All I know is what Jenkins reports the environment variables were when the job completes, e.g.

I started making the tests more robust yesterday: 9132037

If they can all be made more robust as simply as test-console-clear, I'll do that.

I came up with https://github.com/richardlau/node-1/commit/b3b9e7ed0dabab83368755a814dbb109f666dd97 for test-console-clear but the next test I looked at before I left the office today (test-readline-position) looked trickier to fix.

[sam-github]

I does look like TERM is inherited from java's env:

% parallel-ssh -i -h hosts/test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be "ps ewwwwg | grep jenkins | grep -v grep"       (1/3 results) [0/1]
[1] 12:47:08 [SUCCESS] test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-1
  5636174      - A    46:09 /home/iojs/jdk8/jre/bin/java -Xmx128m -Dorg.jenkinsci.plugins.gitclient.Git.timeOut=30 -jar /home/iojs/slave.jar -secret b9dc892bc932e06f3d0784216ad9b09d5e2fa7e7ec4ff80702eed2d67729e761 -jnlpUrl https://ci.nodejs.org/computer/test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-1/slave-agent.jnlp AUTHSTATE=files jenkins_log_file=/home/iojs/jenkins_console.log SSL_CERT_FILE=/home/iojs/ca-bundle.crt SHELL=/bin/bash TERM=xterm GIT_SSL_CAINFO=/home/iojs/ca-bundle.crt LOCPATH=/usr/lib/nls/loc USER=iojs ODMDIR=/etc/objrepos NODE_TEST_DIR=/home/iojs/tmp PATH=/opt/freeware/bin/ccache:/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/bin:/usr/bin:/etc:/usr/sbin:/usr/ucb:/usr/bin/X11:/sbin:/usr/java6/jre/bin:/usr/java6/bin LOGIN=iojs PWD=/home/iojs LANG=en_US TZ=CST6CDT SHLVL=1 HOME=/home/iojs OSTYPE=AIX61 LC__FASTMSG=true LOGNAME=iojs CLCMD_PASSTHRU=1 NODE_COMMON_PIPE=/home/iojs/test.pipe _=/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/bin/java IBM_JVM_AIXTHREAD_SCOPE_NEW_VALUE=S AIXTHREAD_SCOPE=S IBM_JVM_CHANGED_ENVVARS_5636174=AIXTHREAD_SCOPE,NULLPTR,CORE_MMAP IBM_JVM_NULLPTR_NEW_VALUE=NOSEGV NULLPTR=NOSEGV IBM_JVM_CORE_MMAP_NEW_VALUE=yes CORE_MMAP=yes NLSPATH=/usr/lib/nls/msg/%L/%N:/usr/lib/nls/msg/%L/%N.cat LIBPATH=/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/lib/ppc64/j9vm:/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/lib/ppc64:/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/../lib/ppc64:/usr/lib:/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/lib/ppc64 IBM_JAVA_COMMAND_LINE=/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/bin/java -Xmx128m -Dorg.jenkinsci.plugins.gitclient.Git.timeOut=30 -jar /home/iojs/slave.jar -secret b9dc892bc932e06f3d0784216ad9b09d5e2fa7e7ec4ff80702eed2d67729e761 -jnlpUrl https://ci.nodejs.org/computer/test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-1/slave-agent.jnlp
[2] 12:47:09 [SUCCESS] test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-3
  5046294      - A    14:41 java -Xmx128m -Dorg.jenkinsci.plugins.gitclient.Git.timeOut=30 -jar /home/iojs/slave.jar -secret 6134570a68c55efff65d4eadba88a459717fd952dde1f70ade3463a59863114b -jnlpUrl https://ci.nodejs.org/computer/test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-3/slave-agent.jnlp AUTHSTATE=files jenkins_log_file=/home/iojs/jenkins_console.log SSL_CERT_FILE=/home/iojs/ca-bundle.crt SHELL=/bin/bash TERM=screen-256color GIT_SSL_CAINFO=/home/iojs/ca-bundle.crt LOCPATH=/usr/lib/nls/loc USER=iojs ODMDIR=/etc/objrepos NODE_TEST_DIR=/home/iojs/tmp PATH=/opt/freeware/bin/ccache:/home/iojs/jdk8/sdk/bin:/usr/bin:/etc:/usr/sbin:/usr/ucb:/usr/bin/X11:/sbin:/usr/java6/jre/bin:/usr/java6/bin LOGIN=iojs PWD=/home/iojs LANG=en_US TZ=CST6CDT SHLVL=1 HOME=/home/iojs OSTYPE=AIX61 LC__FASTMSG=true LOGNAME=iojs CLCMD_PASSTHRU=1 NODE_COMMON_PIPE=/home/iojs/test.pipe _=/home/iojs/jdk8/sdk/bin/java IBM_JVM_AIXTHREAD_SCOPE_NEW_VALUE=S AIXTHREAD_SCOPE=S IBM_JVM_CHANGED_ENVVARS_5046294=AIXTHREAD_SCOPE,NULLPTR,CORE_MMAP IBM_JVM_NULLPTR_NEW_VALUE=NOSEGV NULLPTR=NOSEGV IBM_JVM_CORE_MMAP_NEW_VALUE=yes CORE_MMAP=yes NLSPATH=/usr/lib/nls/msg/%L/%N:/usr/lib/nls/msg/%L/%N.cat LIBPATH=/home/iojs/jdk8/sdk/jre/lib/ppc64/j9vm:/home/iojs/jdk8/sdk/jre/lib/ppc64:/home/iojs/jdk8/sdk/jre/../lib/ppc64:/usr/lib:/home/iojs/jdk8/sdk/jre/lib/ppc64 IBM_JAVA_COMMAND_LINE=java -Xmx128m -Dorg.jenkinsci.plugins.gitclient.Git.timeOut=30 -jar /home/iojs/slave.jar -secret 6134570a68c55efff65d4eadba88a459717fd952dde1f70ade3463a59863114b -jnlpUrl https://ci.nodejs.org/computer/test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-3/slave-agent.jnlp
[3] 12:47:09 [SUCCESS] test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-2
  4849902      - A     2:30 /home/iojs/jdk8/jre/bin/java -Xmx128m -Dorg.jenkinsci.plugins.gitclient.Git.timeOut=30 -jar /home/iojs/slave.jar -secret 6ef0fd9bd426c050b4e710aaa5908baf21957e3c9665acde4f39971935aeade7 -jnlpUrl https://ci.nodejs.org/computer/test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-2/slave-agent.jnlp AUTHSTATE=files jenkins_log_file=/home/iojs/jenkins_console.log SSL_CERT_FILE=/home/iojs/ca-bundle.crt SHELL=/bin/bash TERM=dumb GIT_SSL_CAINFO=/home/iojs/ca-bundle.crt LOCPATH=/usr/lib/nls/loc USER=iojs ODMDIR=/etc/objrepos NODE_TEST_DIR=/home/iojs/tmp PATH=/opt/freeware/bin/ccache:/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/bin/:/usr/bin:/etc:/usr/sbin:/usr/ucb:/usr/bin/X11:/sbin:/usr/java6/jre/bin:/usr/java6/bin LOGIN=iojs PWD=/home/iojs LANG=en_US TZ=CST6CDT SHLVL=1 HOME=/home/iojs OSTYPE=AIX61 LC__FASTMSG=true LOGNAME=iojs CLCMD_PASSTHRU=1 NODE_COMMON_PIPE=/home/iojs/test.pipe _=/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/bin/java IBM_JVM_AIXTHREAD_SCOPE_NEW_VALUE=S AIXTHREAD_SCOPE=S IBM_JVM_CHANGED_ENVVARS_4849902=AIXTHREAD_SCOPE,NULLPTR,CORE_MMAP IBM_JVM_NULLPTR_NEW_VALUE=NOSEGV NULLPTR=NOSEGV IBM_JVM_CORE_MMAP_NEW_VALUE=yes CORE_MMAP=yes NLSPATH=/usr/lib/nls/msg/%L/%N:/usr/lib/nls/msg/%L/%N.cat LIBPATH=/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/lib/ppc64/j9vm:/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/lib/ppc64:/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/../lib/ppc64:/usr/lib:/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/lib/ppc64 IBM_JAVA_COMMAND_LINE=/home/iojs/jdk8/jre/bin/java -Xmx128m -Dorg.jenkinsci.plugins.gitclient.Git.timeOut=30 -jar /home/iojs/slave.jar -secret 6ef0fd9bd426c050b4e710aaa5908baf21957e3c9665acde4f39971935aeade7 -jnlpUrl https://ci.nodejs.org/computer/test-osuosl-aix61-ppc64_be-2/slave-agent.jnlp

I restarted jenkins on be-2, it now has my TERM value. I'll PR a change to the rc scripts to ensure TERM always gets a consistent value.

[mhdawson]

@sam-github so that would mean that when-ever the agent was restarted we might have gotten a different TERM value? If so that would explain the behaviour we've seen and that restarting the jenkins agent can fix it.

Assuming I've understood correctly ensuring that TERM is set in the rc scripts sounds good :)