npm install fails in Jenkins pipeline

Question

I've created a docker images to be able to run node >= 7.9.0 and monogodb for testing in Jenkins. Some might argue that testing with mongodb is not correct approach but the app uses it extensively and I have some complex updates and deletes so I need it there.

Docker file is under dockerfiles/test/Dockerfile in my github repo. When using the pipeline syntax the docker images is built successfully but I can't do sh 'npm install' or sh 'npm -v' in the steps of the pipeline. The docker images is tested and if I build it locally and run it I can do the npm install there. sh 'node -v' runs successfully in the pipeline and also sh 'ls'.

Here is the pipeline syntax.

pipeline {
  agent { dockerfile { dir 'dockerfiles/test' } }
  stages {
    stage('Build') {
        steps {
           sh 'npm install'
        }
    }
  }
  post {
      always {
        echo 'I will always say Hello again!'
      }
  }
}

I get this error: ERROR: script returned exit code -1. I can't see anything wrong here. I've also tested with other node images with the same result. If I run it with a node slave I can do the installation but I do not want to have many different slaves with a lot of setups for integration tests.

And here is the dockerfile

FROM ubuntu:16.04

ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND noninteractive

RUN apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv EA312927
RUN echo "deb http://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu $(cat /etc/lsb-release | grep DISTRIB_CODENAME | cut -d= -f2)/mongodb-org/3.2 multiverse" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-3.2.list

RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
curl && \
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_7.x | bash - && \
apt-get install -y nodejs && \
apt-get install -y mongodb-org


RUN mkdir -p /data/db
RUN export LC_ALL=C
RUN groupadd -g 1000 jenkins && useradd -u 1000 jenkins -g jenkins

EXPOSE 27017

CMD ["/usr/bin/mongod"]

Answer 1

Found a workaround to a similar problem.

Problem

• Jenkins running a pipeline job
• This job is running commands inside a debian slim container
• All commands are failing instantly with no error output, only a ERROR: script returned exit code -1
• Running the container outside docker and executing the same commands with the same user is working as it should be

Extract from Jenkinfile :

androidImage = docker.build("android")
androidImage.inside('-u root') {
    stage('Install'){
        sh 'npm install' // is failing with generic error and no output
}

Solution

Found the answer on Jenkins bugtracker : https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-35370 and on Jenkins Docker Pipeline Exit Code -1

My problem was solved by installing the procps package in my debian Dockerfile :

apt-get install -y procps

Answer 2

I replicated your setup as faithfully as I could. I used your Dockerfile and Jenkinsfile, and here's my package.json:

{
  "name": "minimal",
  "description": "Minimal package.json",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "devDependencies": {
    "mocha": "*"
  }
}

It failed like this for me during npm install:

npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, mkdir '/home/jenkins'

I updated one line in your Dockerfile to add --create-home:

RUN groupadd -g 1000 jenkins && useradd -u 1000 jenkins -g jenkins --create-home

And the build passed. Kudos to @mkobit for keying in on the issue and linking to the jenkins issue that will make this cleaner in the future.