GitBook v3 build fails on Node.js 18 LTS due to plugin incompatibility
0 reputation · 03 Jun 2020, 18:14 UTC
The goal is to determine whether the legacy GitBook CLI (v3) can still be used on current Node.js LTS releases without modifying the toolchain.
Constraints include an unmaintained codebase whose dependency tree targets older Node.js APIs, and a plugin system (search, syntax highlighting, GitHub integration) that breaks as transitive dependencies drift. Pinning an older Node version may mask the underlying incompatibility rather than resolve it.
Uncertainty remains about which specific transitive packages cause installation or build aborts, and whether the existing book.json plugin configuration can be mapped to GitBook.com equivalents without a full content rewrite.
Which transitive dependencies cause the installation to abort on Node.js 18? Can the current book.json plugins be replaced with GitBook.com equivalents without rewriting content? What minimal Node version range allows a successful gitbook install and build today?
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