Webpack-dev-server: Release webpack-dev-server v4 or make chokidar dependency v3 instead of v2 for webpack-dev-server v3.11.0

[tatsujb]

• Operating System: Mac OS Catalina 10.15.6
• Node Version: 12.18.1
• NPM Version: 5.1.0
• webpack Version: 4.43.0
• webpack-dev-server Version: 3.11.0 (2020-05-08)
• Browser: chrome 84.0.4147.135

• [ ] This is a bug
• [x] This is a modification request

Expected Behavior

for npm install with an Angular-cli project to finish with a success under mac Catalina

Actual Behavior

npm install fails

For Bugs; How can we reproduce the behavior?

clone and npm i an angular-cli project under mac Catalina

For Features; What is the motivation and/or use-case for the feature?

having a functional npm stack under mac Catalina and multiple other newer entries of operating systems.

Explanation

fsevents v1 has been deprecated for over a year it is at long last fully incompatible with the latest iteration of MacOS (the two latest iterations if you count Big Sur) and a number of other unix-based OSes, but unfortunately fsevents v1 is what was around at the time chokidar v2 was made.

fsevents v2 has existed for a year and chokidar 3 since may 2019, however in it's latest release : 3.11.0 (2020-05-08), webpack-dev-server still points towards chokidar v2.

Apparently this is not the case in dev of webpack-dev-server v4 but webpack-dev-server v4 is not released.

This puts angular developers on the platforms I mentioned in difficulty.

Current hacky workaround

Through experimentation, I stumbled upon a workaround that makes tons of gyp errors in npm install but finishes on an install success so it can probably help others :

 npm i -d [email protected]

or manually adding [email protected] to your dev-dependencies.

you can then run npm i successfully.

[email protected] will download but npm will attempt (and fail) to compile fsevents v1 anyways but since the fsevents dependency is met, npm is sorta satisfied.

[alexander-akait]

ETA is 2020-10-07

[tatsujb]

@evilebottnawi thanks that's good to hear, I saw you as a contributor for webpack, will you be able to make webpack follow suit at the same date?

And when that's the case, what happens with Angular-cli? (I saw you're not a contributor there) are they alerted to this impending webpack v5 and "on-deck" to release their own Angular-cli update that includes it?

should I create an issue at angular-cli to alert them of the impending webpack v5?

[alexander-akait]

@tatsujb webpack@5 release is 2020-10-10 (couple days on fixing some critical issues).

And when that's the case, what happens with Angular-cli? (I saw you're not a contributor there) are they alerted to this impending webpack v5 and "on-deck" to release their own Angular-cli update that includes it?

I think they already work on this https://github.com/angular/angular-cli/pull/18820

Anyway better ask this in angular-cli repo

[jimsimon]

Any ETA on this fix? It's causing a lot of issues with npm@7.

[alexander-akait]

Next week, hope, a lot of issue and very few time :disappointed:

[alexander-akait]

Fixed in v4 branch (release will be soon), sorry for delay, a lot of work :disappointed:

[HansAarneLiblik]

This is not resolved yet despite even a change in year