cypress open yields "bad option: --project"

[IRCraziestTaxi]

Current behavior:

Running the command cypress open yields output bad option: --project; cypress does not start.

Note also that I am not providing the --project flag; I do not know where that is coming from. I looked at the cypress and cypress.cmd files in node_modules, but I don't see it in there.

Note also that completely removing all traces of cypress from my system and doing npm install again (which in turns does a fresh install of cypress) fixes it, but I cannot do that every time I need to open cypress; it takes forever.

Desired behavior:

Running the command cypress open opens cypress.

Steps to reproduce: (app code and test code)

1. Install cypress via npm.
2. Run the command node_modules\\.bin\cypress open. (Cypress will open.)
3. Close cypress. Maybe even reboot machine; I can't remember how far you need to go with it.
4. Run the command node_modules\\.bin\cypress open. (Bad option output is yielded.)

Versions

Cypress package version: 3.1.0
Cypress binary version: 3.1.0

Edit for full disclosure of command and output:

C:\...\ProjectFolder>node_modules\.bin\cypress open
C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.0\Cypress\Cypress.exe: bad option: --project

[IRCraziestTaxi]

Update: re-installing always fixed it before, but now it blows up when running after re-installing.

C:\...\ProjectName>npm run cypress

> project-name@1.4.0 cypress C:\...\ProjectName
> cypress open

It looks like this is your first time using Cypress: 3.1.0

 ×  Verifying Cypress can run C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.0\Cypress
   → Cypress Version: 3.1.0
Cypress failed to start.

This is usually caused by a missing library or dependency.

The error below should indicate which dependency is missing.

https://on.cypress.io/required-dependencies

If you are using Docker, we provide containers with all required dependencies installed.
----------

C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.0\Cypress\Cypress.exe: bad option: --smoke-test
C:\Users\...AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.0\Cypress\Cypress.exe: bad option: --ping=744
----------

Platform: win32 (10.0.17134)
Cypress Version: 3.1.0
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! errno 1
npm ERR! project-name@1.4.0 cypress: `cypress open`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Failed at the project-name@1.4.0 cypress script.
npm ERR! This is probably not a problem with npm. There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     C:\Users\...\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_logs\2019-01-30T20_01_28_564Z-debug.log

I have blown cypress away and re-installed several times to no avail.

[jennifer-shehane]

Hey @IRCraziestTaxi, what is the name of the root directory where you are running node_modules\\.bin\cypress open at? Also, do you have a node_module installed in your project called project-name? I can't track down where this package is coming from.

Is there a reason you are using version 3.1.0? We just released version 3.1.5 with lots of bug fixes.

[jennifer-shehane]

Could you also open Cypress in debug mode mode and print the logs here?

[IRCraziestTaxi]

Thanks for the reply, @jennifer-shehane.

what is the name of the root directory where you are running node_modules\.bin\cypress open at?

I am running that command in the root folder of the project where the node_modules folder is located.

Also, do you have a node_module installed in your project called project-name?

No, ProjectName/project-name are what I replaced the actual name of the project using cypress with. So

> project-name@1.4.0 cypress C:\...\ProjectName
> cypress open

just means that cypress is running for my project, which I dubbed project-name for this discussion.

The only reason I was using 3.1.0 was because that is the version we have pinned in our package.json. I did try upgrading to 3.1.5, but the issue persists...

C:\...\ProjectName>npm install

> project-name@1.4.0 preinstall C:\...\ProjectName
> node tools/nodeVersionCheck.ts


> cypress@3.1.5 postinstall C:\...\ProjectName\node_modules\cypress
> node index.js --exec install

Installing Cypress (version: 3.1.5)

 √  Downloaded Cypress
 √  Unzipped Cypress
 √  Finished Installation C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5

You can now open Cypress by running: node_modules\.bin\cypress open

https://on.cypress.io/installing-cypress

... (npm warnings and stuff)

added 20 packages and removed 3 packages in 405.627s

C:\...\ProjectName>node_modules\.bin\cypress open
It looks like this is your first time using Cypress: 3.1.5

 ×  Verifying Cypress can run C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress
   → Cypress Version: 3.1.5
Cypress failed to start.

This is usually caused by a missing library or dependency.

The error below should indicate which dependency is missing.

https://on.cypress.io/required-dependencies

If you are using Docker, we provide containers with all required dependencies installed.
----------

C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\Cypress.exe: bad option: --smoke-test
C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\Cypress.exe: bad option: --ping=444
----------

Platform: win32 (10.0.17134)
Cypress Version: 3.1.5

I will give this debug mode thing a try... how does this work exactly? All the doc says is:

On Windows:
set DEBUG=cypress:*

Then what? Just run node_modules\.bin\cypress open again?

[jennifer-shehane]

yes, you then run node_modules\.bin\cypress open again after set DEBUG like you mentioned.

[IRCraziestTaxi]

Here is my output after setting debug:

C:\...\ProjectName>set DEBUG=cypress:*

C:\...\ProjectName>node_modules\.bin\cypress open
  cypress:cli cli starts with arguments ["C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe","C:\\...\\ProjectName\\node_modules\\cypress\\bin\\cypress","open"] +0ms
  cypress:cli NODE_OPTIONS is not set +0ms
  cypress:cli program parsing arguments +17ms
  cypress:cli opening Cypress +4ms
  cypress:cli parsed cli options {} +287ms
  cypress:cli opening from options {"project":"C:\\...\\ProjectName"} +0ms
  cypress:cli command line arguments ["--project","C:\\...\\ProjectName"] +11ms
  cypress:cli verifying Cypress app +0ms
  cypress:cli checking environment variables +1ms
  cypress:cli checking if executable exists C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\Cypress.exe +16ms
  cypress:cli Binary is executable? : true +13ms
  cypress:cli binaryDir is  C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress +1ms
  cypress:cli Reading binary package.json from: C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\resources\app\package.json +0ms
  cypress:cli Found binary version 3.1.5 installed in: C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress +24ms
  cypress:cli could not read binary_state.json file +32ms
  cypress:cli {} +3ms
  cypress:cli is Verified ? undefined +13ms
  cypress:cli running binary verification check 3.1.5 +16ms
It looks like this is your first time using Cypress: 3.1.5

  cypress:cli clearing out the verified version +29ms
  cypress:cli running smoke test +9ms
  cypress:cli using Cypress executable C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\Cypress.exe +9ms
  cypress:cli needs XVFB? false +8ms
  cypress:cli smoke test command: C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\Cypress.exe --smoke-test --ping=727 +2ms
 \  Verifying Cypress can run C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress
  cypress:cli Smoke test failed: { Error: Command failed: C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\Cypress.exe --smoke-test --ping=727
C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\Cypress.exe: bad option: --smoke-test
C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\Cypress.exe: bad option: --ping=727


    at makeError (C:\...\ProjectName\node_modules\execa\index.js:172:9)
    at Promise.all.then.arr (C:\...\ProjectName\node_modules\execa\index.js:277:16)
    at <anonymous>
    at process._tickCallback (internal/process/next_tick.js:188:7)
  code: 9,
  stdout: '',
  stderr: 'C:\\Users\\...\\AppData\\Local\\Cypress\\Cache\\3.1.5\\Cypress\\Cypress.exe: bad option: --smoke-test\r\nC:\\Users\\...\\AppData\\Local\\Cypress\\Cache\\3.1.5\\Cypress\\Cypress.exe: bad option: --ping=727\r\n',
  failed: true,
  signal: null,
  cmd: 'C:\\Users\\...\\AppData\\Local\\Cypress\\Cache\\3.1.5\\Cypress\\Cypress.exe --smoke-test --ping=727',
  timedOut: false,
 ×  Verifying Cypress can run C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress
   → Cypress Version: 3.1.5
Cypress failed to start.

This is usually caused by a missing library or dependency.

The error below should indicate which dependency is missing.

https://on.cypress.io/required-dependencies

If you are using Docker, we provide containers with all required dependencies installed.
----------

C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\Cypress.exe: bad option: --smoke-test
C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Cypress\Cache\3.1.5\Cypress\Cypress.exe: bad option: --ping=727
----------

Platform: win32 (10.0.17134)
Cypress Version: 3.1.5

[IRCraziestTaxi]

Update: I tried a reboot again (after upgrading to 3.1.5) and that seems to have fixed it. Even after verifying I can open cypress and rebooting a second time, it now continues to open.

Maybe the upgrade to 3.1.5 did the trick? (And a reboot afterwards, obviously.)

Either way, I guess I'll go ahead and close this since it seems to have been an edge case solved by the good old "turning it off and back on". I will try to be careful when opening cypress and note the steps to reproduce the issue in case it comes up again.

[jennifer-shehane]

In order to direct better focus on the overall problem that is being described in several issues - we opened one issue to track this behavior #4624 Please add any information about how we can reproduce this bug there. 🙏