Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch

See original GitHub issue

Bug report

What is the current behavior?

Webpack watch doesn’t work when VSCode is running. Whenever I run webpack, it prints lots of messages like this:

Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch <path>
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch <path>
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch <path>

If the current behavior is a bug, please provide the steps to reproduce.

I’m not sure how to reproduce it. The error is triggered if VSCode is running.

Here is the output:

asset index.js 94.2 KiB [compared for emit] (name: index)
orphan modules 15.9 KiB [orphan] 10 modules
runtime modules 972 bytes 5 modules
modules by path ./node_modules/ 28.9 KiB
  modules by path ./node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers/esm/*.js 7.77 KiB 22 modules
  modules by path ./node_modules/style-loader/dist/runtime/*.js 5.75 KiB 6 modules
  modules by path ./node_modules/uuid/dist/esm-browser/*.js 3.24 KiB 5 modules
  modules by path ./node_modules/css-loader/dist/runtime/*.js 2.33 KiB 2 modules
  + 1 module
modules by path ./src/ 17.2 KiB
  modules by path ./src/components/ 3.31 KiB 3 modules
  modules by path ./src/*.ts 2.35 KiB 2 modules
  modules by path ./src/watchers/*.ts 6.02 KiB 2 modules
  modules by path ./src/models/*.ts 419 bytes 2 modules
  ./src/app.tsx 5.16 KiB [built] [code generated]
webpack 5.72.1 compiled successfully in 772 ms
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/watchers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/models'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/components'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/preact/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/preact'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers/esm'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist/esm-browser'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/style-loader/dist/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/style-loader'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/css-loader/dist/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/css-loader'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/projects/custom/mitm'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/projects/custom'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/projects'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/babel-loader'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/babel-loader/lib'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/css-loader/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/style-loader/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/sass-loader'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/sass-loader/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/path/to/project/src'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/path/to/project'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/projects/custom/mitm'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/projects/custom'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/projects'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/components'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/models'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/watchers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/preact/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/style-loader/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/css-loader/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/projects/custom'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/babel-loader/lib'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/projects/custom/mitm'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/css-loader/dist/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/style-loader/dist/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/sass-loader/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/babel-loader'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/css-loader'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/preact'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/sass-loader'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/style-loader'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers/esm'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist/esm-browser'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/components'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/models'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/watchers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/babel-loader/lib'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/css-loader/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/preact/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/sass-loader/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/style-loader/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers/esm'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist/esm-browser'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/components'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/models'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/watchers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist/esm-browser'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/components'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/models'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/src/watchers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist/esm-browser'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist/esm-browser'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist/esm-browser'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel'
...

The last 5 lines are then being printed in an infinite loop:

Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist/esm-browser'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel'

Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist/esm-browser'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/uuid/dist'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime/helpers'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel/runtime'
Watchpack Error (watcher): Error: EMFILE: too many open files, watch '/path/to/project/node_modules/@babel'

My webpack.config.js:

const path = require("path");

module.exports = {
  mode: "development",
  entry: {
    index: path.resolve(__dirname, "src/index.ts"),
  },
  output: {
    path: path.resolve(__dirname, "build"),
    filename: "[name].js",
    clean: true,
    assetModuleFilename: "[name][ext]",
  },
  resolve: {
    extensions: [".js", ".jsx", ".ts", ".tsx"],
  },
  module: {
    rules: [
      {
        test: /\.tsx?$/,
        exclude: /node_modules/,
        use: {
          loader: "babel-loader",
          options: {
            presets: [
              "@babel/preset-env",
              ["@babel/preset-typescript", { jsxPragma: "h" }],
            ],
            plugins: [
              "@babel/transform-runtime",
              ["@babel/plugin-transform-react-jsx", { pragma: "h" }],
            ],
          },
        },
      },
      {
        test: /\.scss$/,
        exclude: /node_modules/,
        use: ["style-loader", "css-loader", "sass-loader"],
      }
    ],
  },
  watch: true
};

What is the expected behavior?

No errors.

Other relevant information: System: Linux Kubuntu 20.04. VSCode: 1.66.2, 1.67.1 (tried both) Webpack: 5.72.1 Webpack-cli: 4.9.2 Babel: 7.17.10 Node.js: 16.14.0

$ awk '{print $1}' /proc/sys/fs/file-nr
22809

$ cat /proc/sys/fs/inotify/max_user_watches
531290

I also tried running VSCode w/o extensions: $ code --disable-extensions. It didn’t make any difference.

Issue Analytics

  • State:closed
  • Created a year ago
  • Comments:7 (4 by maintainers)

github_iconTop GitHub Comments

1reaction
OnkelTemcommented, May 26, 2022

I get this issue when running Angular’s ng serve. What is the workaround?

Not really. Just some vanilla js plus a little of Preact. My workaround was to restart the OS.

0reactions
php4fancommented, May 25, 2022

I get this issue when running Angular’s ng serve. What is the workaround?

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