Chromatic CLI v16.0.0 - CI Error "spawn ps ENOENT"

[byjokese]

Chromatic Issues
When using the chromatic CLI v16 on CI (Using Node 22), is falling with following error:

Chromatic CLI v16.0.0
https://www.chromatic.com/docs/cli
Authenticating with Chromatic
    → Connecting to https://index.chromatic.com/
Using custom npm registry: https://nuget.xxxxxxxx.com/repository/npm-release/
Authenticated with Chromatic
    → Using project token '********0b48'
Retrieving git information
Error: spawn ps ENOENT
    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:285:19)
    at onErrorNT (node:internal/child_process:483:16)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:90:21) {
  errno: -2,
  code: 'ENOENT',
  syscall: 'spawn ps',
  path: 'ps',
  spawnargs: [ '-o', 'pid', '--no-headers', '--ppid', 695 ]
}

From our command:

Error: Command failed: npx chromatic --project-token [MASKED] -d="dist/storybook/storybook" --only-changed --untraced "./!(apps)/**,./!(libs)/**" --zip --exit-zero-on-changes --auto-accept-changes develop --ci}

[cgbl-90]

@byjokese do you use GitLab? Can you install the procps package in your pipeline's before_script or immediately before the Chromatic command?

# For Alpine:
- apk add --no-cache procps

# For Debian/Ubuntu (e.g., node:24-slim):
- apt-get update && apt-get install -y procps

If adding procps doesn't clear the error, please share your .gitlab-ci.yml file via support@chromatic.com

[byjokese]

Will check, using version v15.3.1 also fails, but v15.3.0 does work.

[cgbl-90]

Hey @byjokese did it work? Let me know

[byjokese]

@cgbl-90, sorry busy day at work, did manage to try it on GitLab yes. With apt-get update && apt-get install -y procps and the latest version v16.0.0 is working yes. Should that be a for ever dependency that we need to handle, or is just a temporal one?

[cgbl-90]

Glad that it works with procps! @byjokese

GitHub Actions often includes procps by default, GitLab users often opt for node:slim or alpine to optimize pipeline speed and procps aren't included. For BitBucket, it depends on the image definition. Let me escalate to our Capture team to confirm if this workaround will be permanent or if we are going to implement a solution.

We'll write back 😬

[jmhobbs]

We are going to find an approach that does not require ps to function, or gracefully falls back if it is not found. Will update this ticket as we get canary's and a release out. Thanks for your patience!

[byjokese]

@jmhobbs Thanks for the information, will leave for no CI workaround as temporary and depending how it goes we take another look. Thank you so much.

[jmhobbs]

Sorry for the delay here!

We have a canary for testing available at 16.1.0--canary.1261.23861903118.0

Also available as a GitHub Action at chromaui/action-canary@v16.1.0--canary.1261.23861903118.0

[jmhobbs]

Should be resolved in v16.1.0!