child_process: sync spawn should not return pid number of a non-exist-command

[dr-js]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

This strange behavior of sync spawn is found when adding test to #37014 (comment).

Upon adding the test, I found the pid value is a bit more complex than I thought:

• an async spawn with invalid cwd will get pid undefined (expected)
• an async spawn with invalid commad and shell: false will get pid undefined (expected)
• an async spawn with invalid commad and shell: true will get pid of the shell (expected)
• a sync spawn seems always return pid (strange)

The test code for this:

[test.js]

[
  () => testSpawn('with invalid command', [ 'non-exist-command' ]),
  () => testSpawn('with invalid command and `shell: true`', [ 'non-exist-command', { shell: true } ]),
  () => testSpawn('with invalid cwd', [ 'node', { cwd: './non/exist/cwd/path/' } ]),
  () => testSpawn('invalid cwd and `shell: true`', [ 'node', { cwd: './non/exist/cwd/path/', shell: true } ]),

  () => testSpawnSync('with invalid command', [ 'non-exist-command' ]),
  () => testSpawnSync('with invalid command and `shell: true`', [ 'non-exist-command', { shell: true } ]),
  () => testSpawnSync('with invalid cwd', [ 'node', { cwd: './non/exist/cwd/path/' } ]),
  () => testSpawnSync('invalid cwd and `shell: true`', [ 'node', { cwd: './non/exist/cwd/path/', shell: true } ])
].forEach((testFunc, index) => setTimeout(testFunc, index * 200))

const formatError = (error) => error && error.message
// const formatError = (error) => error && error.stack // for more detail

const testSpawn = (title = '', spawnArgs = '') => {
  console.log(`\n== test spawn ${title} ==`)
  const { spawn } = require('child_process')
  const subProcess = spawn(...spawnArgs)
  subProcess.on('error', (error) => console.warn('- "error" event:', formatError(error))) // mute Unhandled "error" event or the test will exit
  console.log('- pid:', subProcess.pid, 'exitCode:', subProcess.exitCode)
  process.nextTick(() => console.log('- nextTick pid:', subProcess.pid, 'exitCode:', subProcess.exitCode))
  setTimeout(() => console.log('- after 100ms pid:', subProcess.pid, 'exitCode:', subProcess.exitCode), 100)
}

const testSpawnSync = (title = '', spawnArgs = '') => {
  console.log(`\n== test spawnSync ${title} ==`)
  const { spawnSync } = require('child_process')
  const outcome = spawnSync(...spawnArgs) // NOTE: not a `subProcess`
  console.log('- pid:', outcome.pid, 'status', outcome.status)
  console.log('- error', formatError(outcome.error))
}

And the output:

[v15.6.0 linux x64]

v15.6.0 linux x64

== test spawn with invalid command ==
- pid: undefined exitCode: null
- "error" event: spawn non-exist-command ENOENT
- nextTick pid: undefined exitCode: -2
- after 100ms pid: undefined exitCode: -2

== test spawn with invalid command and `shell: true` ==
- pid: 30493 exitCode: null
- nextTick pid: 30493 exitCode: null
- after 100ms pid: 30493 exitCode: 127

== test spawn with invalid cwd ==
- pid: undefined exitCode: null
- "error" event: spawn node ENOENT
- nextTick pid: undefined exitCode: -2
- after 100ms pid: undefined exitCode: -2

== test spawn invalid cwd and `shell: true` ==
- pid: undefined exitCode: null
- "error" event: spawn /bin/sh ENOENT
- nextTick pid: undefined exitCode: -2
- after 100ms pid: undefined exitCode: -2

== test spawnSync with invalid command ==
- pid: 30496 status null
- error spawnSync non-exist-command ENOENT

== test spawnSync with invalid command and `shell: true` ==
- pid: 30497 status 127
- error undefined

== test spawnSync with invalid cwd ==
- pid: 30498 status null
- error spawnSync node ENOENT

== test spawnSync invalid cwd and `shell: true` ==
- pid: 30499 status null
- error spawnSync /bin/sh ENOENT

[v15.6.0 win32 x64]

v15.6.0 win32 x64

== test spawn with invalid command ==
- pid: undefined exitCode: null
- "error" event: spawn non-exist-command ENOENT
- nextTick pid: undefined exitCode: -4058
- after 100ms pid: undefined exitCode: -4058

== test spawn with invalid command and `shell: true` ==
- pid: 21860 exitCode: null
- nextTick pid: 21860 exitCode: null
- after 100ms pid: 21860 exitCode: 1

== test spawn with invalid cwd ==
- pid: undefined exitCode: null
- "error" event: spawn node ENOENT
- nextTick pid: undefined exitCode: -4058
- after 100ms pid: undefined exitCode: -4058

== test spawn invalid cwd and `shell: true` ==
- pid: undefined exitCode: null
- "error" event: spawn C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe ENOENT
- nextTick pid: undefined exitCode: -4058
- after 100ms pid: undefined exitCode: -4058

== test spawnSync with invalid command ==
- pid: 0 status null
- error spawnSync non-exist-command ENOENT

== test spawnSync with invalid command and `shell: true` ==
- pid: 8864 status 1
- error undefined

== test spawnSync with invalid cwd ==
- pid: 0 status null
- error spawnSync node ENOENT

== test spawnSync invalid cwd and `shell: true` ==
- pid: 0 status null
- error spawnSync C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe ENOENT

On win32 some spawnSync tests return pid 0, which is strange, so I try tracked the source code,
and the main difference is spawn_sync set the pid without checking the uv_spawn result.

• The sync spawn's code path:

  • internalBinding: https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/v15.6.0/lib/internal/child_process.js#L55
  • set pid: https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/v15.6.0/src/spawn_sync.cc#L720-L721

• The async spawn code path: (different C++ code)

  • internalBinding: https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/v15.6.0/lib/internal/child_process.js#L39
  • set pid: https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/v15.6.0/src/process_wrap.cc#L261-L266

Describe the solution you'd like

Change the sync spawn to return pid similar to the async spawn's subprocess.pid behavior.

Describe alternatives you've considered

Or do not return the pid for sync spawn?
As the process should have exited at the time, and there'll be less use for the pid.