vsce package error on Windows: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.

[devhawk]

I created a new VSCode extension with yo code (used testext as the extension name, chose defaults for other options), changed to the new extension directory and ran vsce package and it failed.

$ vsce package
Executing prepublish script 'npm run vscode:prepublish'...

> testext@0.0.1 vscode:prepublish
> npm run compile

The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
 ERROR  npm failed with exit code 1

I am able to vsce package on WSL Ubuntu 20.04.

node --version: v16.15.1
npm --version: 8.13.1
vsce --version: 2.9.2

[devhawk]

FYI, I am able to run vsce package on another Windows machine, so this is clearly a local config issue. However, I have no idea how to troubleshoot this.

[Zxynine]

I am in a similar boat, I keep getting brought back to this page as its the only relevant reference to this problem.

[Zxynine]

After a long time of trying everything, removing the line :"vscode:prepublish": "npm run compile", from scripts in package.json allowed me to finally run vsce package, it clearly is NOT ideal but I also dont know why it would even cause a problem. I can run npm run compile perfectly fine and all of the debug runs work.

[devhawk]

After a long time of trying everything, removing the line :"vscode:prepublish": "npm run compile", from scripts in package.json allowed me to finally run vsce package, it clearly is NOT ideal but I also dont know why it would even cause a problem. I can run npm run compile perfectly fine and all of the debug runs work.

I see similar behavior. I can run npm run compile directly, but if I try and run npm run vscode:prepublish (which just invokes npm run compile), it crashes

[ied206]

I have the same issue with my local development machine.

FYI, I am able to run vsce package on another Windows machine, so this is clearly a local config issue. However, I have no idea how to troubleshoot this.

It works on the other local system, too.

The strange thing is, npm run compile command itself succeeds when I type it myself.

 "scripts": {
        "vscode:prepublish": "npm run compile",
        "compile": "tsc -p ./",
        "watch": "tsc -watch -p ./",
        "pretest": "npm run compile && npm run lint",
        "lint": "eslint src --ext ts",
        "test": "node ./out/test/runTest.js"
    },

• System Information

Command	Version
node --version	v18.4.0
npm --version	8.13.1
vsce --version	2.9.2

I have tested and reproduced the issue on cmd and PowerShell core both.

[sinotaotao]

I think the problem just happens on windows system, the colon : in script name let commandline parser treat it as volume letter, then refuse to execute the right scripts.

[sinotaotao]

There is a simple solution: change package script to: npm run build && vsce package
or webpack --mode production && vsce package if you use bundle tool. AND remove the old vscode:prepublish script.

Consider rename vscode:prepublish to vscode-prepublish avoid problems on windows platform?

[joaomoreno]

All of this is very strange:

• We haven't released a new version of vsce recently which would break this
• 4 different people talked in this issue within ~24h
• I'm on Windows and I can't repro (node 16.15.1, npm 8.11.0, vsce 2.9.2)

What's common between all of you?

[joaomoreno]

Figured it out: I can repro if I update npm to 8.13.1. This is a bug in npm.

[joaomoreno]

Upstream issue, npm will fix: npm/cli#5066

Current workaround: downgrade npm to 8.11.0

[ied206]

My machine has npm 8.13.1 installed, and it still fails to run vsce publish with The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect message.

[joaomoreno]

Please downgrade npm.

[sinotaotao]

Thanks @joaomoreno , run npm i -g npm@8.11.0 and wait npm team to fix it. everyone!

[devhawk]

npm i -g npm@8.13.0

Confirmed downgrading npm resolves the issue on my machine. I'm using npm-windows-upgrade so I ran npm-windows-upgrade -v 8.11.0 in an admin terminal window.

[Zxynine]

I tried to downgrade and it caused more problems than I knew how to handle, I reverted and just used "vscode-prepublish" as @sinotaotao suggested and everything works fine.

[sinotaotao]

@Zxynine pay attention to this, rename vscode:prepublish to vscode-prepublish bypassed the prepublish task. Current implementation just execute vscode:prepublish script.
The renaming is a suggestion to MS

[Jason3S]

Thanks @joaomoreno , run npm i -g npm@8.13.0 and wait npm team to fix it. everyone!

The bug is also in 8.13.0.

[joaomoreno]

I've edited @sinotaotao's post so it doesn't confuse anyone else.

Workaround: npm i -g npm@8.11.0