nextjs - 💡(How to fix) Fix create-next-app hangs in non-interactive environments (CI/CD, AI tools) [1 comments, 2 participants]

if (!process.stdin.isTTY && requiresUserInput(args)) { console.error('Error: Interactive prompts not available'); console.error('For automation, use: npx create-next-app my-app --yes'); process.exit(1); }

Problem Summary

create-next-app blocks forever in non‑interactive environments (CI, Docker, AI‑driven runs) because it still tries to show prompts even when stdin isn’t a TTY.

Root Cause

The CLI always assumes it can ask the user for missing options. When process.stdin.isTTY === false the prompts never receive input, so the process hangs.

Fix Plan

1. Add early TTY guard
   In the entry point (usually src/cli.ts or index.ts) insert a check before any prompt logic.

2. Expose a --yes / -y flag
   Treat it as “accept defaults, no prompts”. This already exists in many CLIs; make sure it short‑circuits the prompt flow.

3. Show a helpful error when prompts are required but impossible
   If the user didn’t pass --yes and the CLI still needs input, abort with a clear message.

4. Update documentation & README
   Add a “Running in CI / Docker” section that tells users to add --yes.

5. Add a unit test to guarantee the guard works.

1. Code change (TypeScript)

// src/cli.ts (or wherever the main function lives)

import yargs from 'yargs';
import { hideBin } from 'yargs/helpers';
import { runCreateNextApp } from './create-next-app';

// Helper to decide if we will need interactive input later
function requiresUserInput(argv: any): boolean {
  // any option that is still undefined after parsing means we would prompt for it
  const needed = ['app', 'srcDir', 'tailwind', 'eslint', 'importAlias'];
  return needed.some((key) => argv[key] === undefined);
}

// Parse flags first – this must happen before any prompt library is imported
const argv = yargs(hideBin(process.argv))
  .option('yes', {
    alias: 'y',
    type: 'boolean',
    description: 'Accept defaults and skip all prompts',
    default: false,
  })
  .option('typescript', { type: 'boolean' })
  .option('tailwind', { type: 'boolean' })
  // … other flags …
  .parseSync();

// 1️⃣ TTY guard
if (!process.stdin.isTTY && !argv.yes) {
  if (requiresUserInput(argv)) {
    console.error('\n❌