Fix: Angular Ng Serve Exits With Code 3221226356/3221225477

by Admin 60 views
Flaky ng Serve Exits with Code 3221226356 or 3221225477

Experiencing issues with ng serve exiting unexpectedly with codes 3221226356 or 3221225477? This article dives into a peculiar problem encountered when using Angular with native federation, specifically after upgrading to Angular 20 or later. It appears to be more prevalent on Windows operating systems and can be a major roadblock in your development workflow. Let's explore the details, potential causes, and possible workarounds.

The Problem: Unreliable ng Serve

The core issue revolves around the ng serve command, which is essential for local development in Angular projects. Instead of running smoothly, it sometimes exits prematurely with either code 3221226356 or 3221225477. This behavior is described as "flaky" because it doesn't happen consistently, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause and implement a reliable fix. Imagine trying to start your development server, only to have it crash repeatedly – super frustrating, right?

This problem seems to surface when using native federation, a technique that allows you to build and deploy Angular applications as independent modules. The original poster of this issue noted that disabling caching for native federation and Angular CLI sometimes helps with reproducibility. In their larger project, the issue occurred about 80% of the time after upgrading from Angular 19.x.x to Angular 20.x.x. They also confirmed that the issue persists in Angular 21.

Technical Details and Versions

To give you a clearer picture, here’s a breakdown of the versions and environment where this issue was observed:

  • Native Federation:
    • @angular-architects/native-federation: ^20.1.7
    • @softarc/native-federation-node: ^3.3.4
  • Angular: @angular/core: ^20.1.0
  • Node: v22.12.0
  • NPM: v10.9.0
  • Operating System: Windows_NT 10.0.22631 (Windows 11)

It’s worth noting that the problem appears to be specific to Windows OS, as colleagues using MacOS did not experience the same issue. The user also mentioned that they were using older versions of native federation that worked with Angular 19:

  • @angular-architects/native-federation: 19.0.23
  • @softarc/native-federation-node: 2.0.28

Possible Causes and Solutions for ng Serve Issues

Let's explore the reasons behind the flaky ng serve and potential fixes.

1. Native Federation Configuration

The configuration of native federation might be a key factor. Ensure all modules are correctly configured and that there are no conflicts in the shared dependencies.

Solution: Double-check your federation.manifest.json files. Verify that the exposed modules and shared dependencies are correctly defined. A small typo or version mismatch can lead to unexpected behavior. Also, confirm that the versions of @angular-architects/native-federation and @softarc/native-federation-node are compatible with your Angular version.

2. Caching Issues

Caching, while intended to speed up builds, can sometimes cause problems, especially after upgrading Angular versions. The original poster mentioned that disabling caching sometimes helped.

Solution: Try disabling the Angular CLI cache: ng cache disable. You can also try clearing the cache manually by deleting the .angular/cache directory in your project. For native federation, ensure that caching is disabled in your configuration as well. This can force a fresh build and eliminate any potential conflicts arising from cached files.

3. Dependency Conflicts

Dependency conflicts are a common source of issues in Angular projects, especially when using module federation. Conflicting versions of libraries can lead to runtime errors and unpredictable behavior.

Solution: Use npm ls or yarn list to identify any dependency conflicts in your project. If you find conflicting versions, try to resolve them by updating or downgrading the problematic packages. You can also use npm dedupe or yarn dedupe to try and resolve duplicate dependencies.

4. Windows-Specific Issues

Since the issue appears to be more prevalent on Windows, there might be underlying problems related to the operating system or its interaction with Node.js and Angular CLI.

Solution: Ensure that your Node.js and npm installations are up-to-date. You might also try running your command prompt or terminal as an administrator. Some users have reported that certain antivirus or firewall software can interfere with the Angular CLI, so temporarily disabling them could help identify if they are the cause.

5. Memory Leaks

Memory leaks could potentially cause the ng serve process to crash. This is more likely if you are running a large or complex application.

Solution: Monitor the memory usage of the ng serve process using Task Manager (on Windows) or Activity Monitor (on macOS). If you see the memory usage steadily increasing over time, it could indicate a memory leak. In this case, you might need to profile your application to identify the source of the leak.

6. Version Mismatch Between Global and Local Angular CLI

A version mismatch between your global Angular CLI and the local Angular CLI installed in your project can sometimes cause issues.

Solution: Check the versions of your global and local Angular CLI using ng version. If they are different, try uninstalling the global Angular CLI (npm uninstall -g @angular/cli) and then installing the local version globally (npm install -g @angular/cli@<version>, where <version> is the version of the local Angular CLI). Afterwards, restart your terminal.

Diving Deeper into the Error Codes

Let's analyze the error codes to understand what they signify:

  • 3221226356 (0xC0000074): This error code typically indicates a STATUS_DLL_INIT_FAILED error. It suggests that a DLL (Dynamic Link Library) failed to initialize properly. This could be due to a corrupted DLL file, missing dependencies, or conflicts between different DLLs. It may also signify an issue related to Visual C++ Redistributable packages that Angular CLI depends on.

  • 3221225477 (0xC0000005): This error code represents an ACCESS_VIOLATION. It means that the program tried to read or write to a memory location that it didn't have permission to access. This can be caused by a variety of factors, including null pointer dereferences, buffer overflows, or incorrect memory management.

Given these error codes, it is highly probable that the issue resides in either faulty dependencies, corrupted system files, or library incompatibilities. Focus on potential library conflicts and system-level issues.

Reproduction Repository Analysis

The user provided a reproduction repository (https://github.com/domas3ds/reproduce-serve-issue). Analyzing this repository can provide valuable insights. Here’s a general approach to analyzing such a repository:

  1. Clone the Repository: Start by cloning the repository to your local machine.
  2. Install Dependencies: Run npm install or yarn install to install the project's dependencies.
  3. Run ng serve: Try running ng serve to reproduce the issue.
  4. Debug: If the issue is reproduced, use debugging tools (e.g., Chrome DevTools) to step through the code and identify the source of the error.

Examine the angular.json, package.json, and webpack.config.js files (if present) for any unusual configurations or dependencies. Pay special attention to the native federation configuration files.

Steps to Troubleshoot

Here’s a step-by-step approach to troubleshoot this issue:

  1. Update Node.js and npm: Ensure you are using the latest versions of Node.js and npm.
  2. Clear Cache: Clear both Angular CLI and npm caches.
  3. Check Dependencies: Look for dependency conflicts and resolve them.
  4. Disable Caching: Disable caching for Angular CLI and native federation.
  5. Run as Administrator: Try running the command prompt or terminal as an administrator.
  6. Check Antivirus/Firewall: Temporarily disable antivirus or firewall software.
  7. Analyze Error Logs: Examine the error logs for more detailed information about the cause of the error.
  8. Simplify the Project: Try to simplify the project by removing unnecessary modules or dependencies to isolate the issue.

Community Contributions and Further Research

Consulting community forums, Stack Overflow, and GitHub issues related to Angular, native federation, and the specific error codes can provide additional insights. Other developers might have encountered similar issues and found solutions or workarounds.

If you are willing to submit a PR to fix this issue, start by identifying the root cause and then implement a solution that addresses the problem without introducing new issues. Make sure to test your solution thoroughly before submitting the PR.

Conclusion

The flaky ng serve issue with exit codes 3221226356 or 3221225477 can be a significant hurdle for Angular developers using native federation on Windows. By systematically troubleshooting the configuration, dependencies, caching mechanisms, and potential OS-specific problems, you can hopefully identify the root cause and implement a solution. Remember to leverage community resources and debugging tools to aid in your investigation. Good luck, and happy coding!