How to use --inspect-brk with NODE_OPTIONS

[ORESoftware]

I am on Node.js versions 6+

I am trying to use NODE_OPTIONS

this is working for me:

node --inspect-brk foo.js

but this isn't

NODE_OPTIONS="--inspect-brk" node foo.js

with the latter I keep getting "address is already in use" errors

any ideas?

[gibfahn]

Does foo.js spawn another process? If so the child_process will also try to start a version of the inspector, and you'll get the address in use error. Command line options don't propagate to child processes by default, environment variables do.

However I'm not able to use the inspector through NODE_OPTIONS in 6.12.0:

▶▶▶ nvm use 6                                                                                                                                                                                    ~/tmp 1s
Now using node v6.12.0 (npm v3.10.10)
▶▶▶ NODE_OPTIONS=--inspect-brk node t.js                                                                                                                                                         ~/tmp 1s
node: --inspect-brk is not allowed in NODE_OPTIONS

is it working for you?

[ORESoftware]

@gibfahn ahh good thinking. so actually I am using ts-node to transpile TypeScript to JS on the fly.

so you can do:

ts-node --inspect-brk foo.ts

and that flag will be passed to the node executable by ts-node, and this one works!

but if I do

NODE_OPTIONS="--inspect-brk" ts-node foo.ts

this one gets the

address already in use

error.

so maybe ts-node is spawning a child process, as you say. I am going to cross-contaminate this thread to see if I can get @blakeembrey on the line.

TypeStrong/ts-node#471