Issue with Overriding getConfigDirUri() in Custom EnvVariablesServer Implementation

[VilikNakhshikyan]

I am attempting to change the default configuration directory path for Theia by overriding the getConfigDirUri() method in the EnvVariablesServerImpl class. However, my build fails with the following implementation:

// my-env-variables-server.ts
  import { injectable } from 'inversify';
  import { EnvVariablesServerImpl } from '@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables';
  @injectable()
  export class MyEnvVariableServer extends EnvVariablesServerImpl {
      async getConfigDirUri(): Promise<string> {
          return 'file:///path/to/my/desired/config/dir';
      }

 // my-application-module.ts:
import { ContainerModule } from 'inversify';
  import { EnvVariablesServer } from '@theia/core/lib/common/env-variables';
  import { MyEnvVariableServer } from './my-env-variables-server';
 
  export default new ContainerModule((bind, unbind, isBound, rebind) => {
      rebind(EnvVariablesServer).to(MyEnvVariableServer).inSingletonScope();
  });

Could you please help me change the default ~/.theia config folder path, or provide guidance on how to correctly override the getConfigDirUri() method?
theia version : 1.46.1

[msujew]

Hey @VilikNakhshikyan,

However, my build fails with the following implementation

Can you also post the build errors?

[VilikNakhshikyan]

ERROR in ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/empty/index.js 4:11-24
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'fs' in '../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/empty'
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/index.js 17:11-29
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 32:19-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102
 
ERROR in ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/remove/rimraf.js 5:15-32
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'assert' in '../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/remove'
 
BREAKING CHANGE: webpack < 5 used to include polyfills for node.js core modules by default.
This is no longer the case. Verify if you need this module and configure a polyfill for it.
 
If you want to include a polyfill, you need to:
        - add a fallback 'resolve.fallback: { "assert": require.resolve("assert/") }'
        - install 'assert'
If you don't want to include a polyfill, you can use an empty module like this:
        resolve.fallback: { "assert": false }
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/remove/index.js 4:15-34
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/index.js 13:11-30
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 32:19-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102
 
ERROR in ../node_modules/bindings/bindings.js 5:9-22
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'fs' in '../node_modules/bindings'
@ ../node_modules/drivelist/js/index.js 22:17-36
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 31:18-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102
 
ERROR in ../node_modules/drivelist/js/lsblk/index.js 20:13-26
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'fs' in '../node_modules/drivelist/js/lsblk'
@ ../node_modules/drivelist/js/index.js 24:16-34
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 31:18-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102
 
ERROR in ../node_modules/drivelist/js/lsblk/index.js 22:15-30
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'util' in '../node_modules/drivelist/js/lsblk'
 
BREAKING CHANGE: webpack < 5 used to include polyfills for node.js core modules by default.
This is no longer the case. Verify if you need this module and configure a polyfill for it.
 
If you want to include a polyfill, you need to:
        - add a fallback 'resolve.fallback: { "util": require.resolve("util/") }'
        - install 'util'
If you don't want to include a polyfill, you can use an empty module like this:
        resolve.fallback: { "util": false }
@ ../node_modules/drivelist/js/index.js 24:16-34
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 31:18-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102
 
ERROR in ../node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js 1:9-22
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'fs' in '../node_modules/graceful-fs'
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/fs/index.js 4:11-33
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/index.js 8:11-26
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 32:19-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102
 
ERROR in ../node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js 6:11-26
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'util' in '../node_modules/graceful-fs'
 
BREAKING CHANGE: webpack < 5 used to include polyfills for node.js core modules by default.
This is no longer the case. Verify if you need this module and configure a polyfill for it.
 
If you want to include a polyfill, you need to:
        - add a fallback 'resolve.fallback: { "util": require.resolve("util/") }'
        - install 'util'
If you don't want to include a polyfill, you can use an empty module like this:
        resolve.fallback: { "util": false }
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/fs/index.js 4:11-33
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/index.js 8:11-26
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 32:19-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102
 
ERROR in ../node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js 87:6-29
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'assert' in '../node_modules/graceful-fs'
 
BREAKING CHANGE: webpack < 5 used to include polyfills for node.js core modules by default.
This is no longer the case. Verify if you need this module and configure a polyfill for it.
 
If you want to include a polyfill, you need to:
        - add a fallback 'resolve.fallback: { "assert": require.resolve("assert/") }'
        - install 'assert'
If you don't want to include a polyfill, you can use an empty module like this:
        resolve.fallback: { "assert": false }
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/fs/index.js 4:11-33
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/index.js 8:11-26
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 32:19-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102
 
ERROR in ../node_modules/graceful-fs/legacy-streams.js 1:13-37
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'stream' in '../node_modules/graceful-fs'
 
BREAKING CHANGE: webpack < 5 used to include polyfills for node.js core modules by default.
This is no longer the case. Verify if you need this module and configure a polyfill for it.
 
If you want to include a polyfill, you need to:
        - add a fallback 'resolve.fallback: { "stream": require.resolve("stream-browserify") }'
        - install 'stream-browserify'
If you don't want to include a polyfill, you can use an empty module like this:
        resolve.fallback: { "stream": false }
@ ../node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js 3:13-43
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/fs/index.js 4:11-33
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/index.js 8:11-26
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 32:19-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102
 
ERROR in ../node_modules/graceful-fs/polyfills.js 1:16-36
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'constants' in '../node_modules/graceful-fs'
 
BREAKING CHANGE: webpack < 5 used to include polyfills for node.js core modules by default.
This is no longer the case. Verify if you need this module and configure a polyfill for it.
 
If you want to include a polyfill, you need to:
        - add a fallback 'resolve.fallback: { "constants": require.resolve("constants-browserify") }'
        - install 'constants-browserify'
If you don't want to include a polyfill, you can use an empty module like this:
        resolve.fallback: { "constants": false }
@ ../node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js 2:16-41
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/fs/index.js 4:11-33
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/index.js 8:11-26
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 32:19-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102
 
ERROR in ../node_modules/jsonfile/index.js 5:8-21
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'fs' in '../node_modules/jsonfile'
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/json/jsonfile.js 4:17-36
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/json/index.js 4:17-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/index.js 14:11-28
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/env-variables-server.js 32:19-38
@ ../node_modules/@theia/core/lib/node/env-variables/index.js 28:13-46
@ ../lib/browser/wizard-dialog.js 20:24-69
@ ../lib/browser/sdc-ide-frontend-module.js 13:24-50
@ ./src-gen/frontend/index.js 111:30-102

[msujew]

It looks like you're trying to import code from the backend part of Theia (node) into your browser code. This is not possible and will always lead to build errors.

If you want to change the behavior of the application backend, you need to create a dedicated backend-module and register that in your package.json.