${option} requires a non-empty value for live node qualifica

Error message

${option} requires a non-empty value for live node qualification.

What it means

Even when a required option appears exactly once, its value must be non-empty and must not look like another flag. requiredOptionValue rejects a value that is missing, whitespace-only, or begins with '--'. This catches the case where the value slot was accidentally filled by the next flag.

Source

Thrown at scripts/ito.js:101

Live node qualification requires ITO_ENABLE_SIXTYTWO_LIVE=1,
--live-sixtytwo, an explicit node list, and an existing absolute config
directory. It forwards only named SIXTYTWO_API_TOKEN/SIXTYTWO_TOKEN and SSH
agent state; ITO_API_KEY is intentionally excluded. The canonical CLI requires
sixtytwo-cli==0.3.33 and fails closed.
`);
}

function requiredOptionValue(args, option) {
  const indexes = args
    .map((value, index) => (value === option ? index : -1))
    .filter((index) => index >= 0);
  if (indexes.length !== 1) {
    throw new Error(`${option} is required exactly once for live node qualification.`);
  }
  const value = args[indexes[0] + 1];
  if (!value?.trim() || value.startsWith("--")) {
    throw new Error(`${option} requires a non-empty value for live node qualification.`);
  }
  return value;
}

function validateNodeQualificationArgs(args, environment) {
  if (environment.ITO_ENABLE_SIXTYTWO_LIVE !== "1") {
    throw new Error(
      "Live node qualification requires ITO_ENABLE_SIXTYTWO_LIVE=1 before any process is started."
    );
  }
  if (args.filter((value) => value === "--live-sixtytwo").length !== 1) {
    throw new Error(
      "Live node qualification requires --live-sixtytwo exactly once before any process is started."
    );
  }
  requiredOptionValue(args, "--cluster");
  const nodes = requiredOptionValue(args, "--nodes");
  if (!nodes.split(",").every((node) => node.trim().length > 0)) {

View on GitHub (pinned to 01e15490f0)

Solutions

Supply a concrete non-empty value that does not start with '--'
Quote empty-prone shell variables and default them, e.g. ${CLUSTER:?must be set}
Re-run with --help to confirm the expected value shape for each option

Example fix

// before
--cluster --nodes n1
// after
--cluster my-cluster --nodes n1

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

function assertOptionHasValue(args, option) {
  const i = args.indexOf(option);
  if (i === -1) return;
  const v = args[i + 1];
  if (!v || !v.trim() || v.startsWith('--')) {
    throw new Error(`${option} needs a non-empty value not starting with --`);
  }
}
['--cluster','--nodes','--config-dir'].forEach(opt => assertOptionHasValue(args, opt));

Type guard

function optionHasConcreteValue(args, option) {
  const i = args.indexOf(option);
  if (i === -1) return true;
  const v = args[i + 1];
  return typeof v === 'string' && v.trim().length > 0 && !v.startsWith('--');
}

Try / catch

try { validateNodeQualificationArgs(args, env); }
catch (err) {
  if (/requires a non-empty value/.test(err.message)) {
    console.error(err.message);
    process.exit(2);
  }
  throw err;
}

Prevention

Quote shell variables and fail on empty expansion, e.g. ${VAR:?must be set}
Never let a value flag immediately precede another flag
Validate generated argv in wrappers before execution

When it happens

Trigger: Writing --cluster --nodes n1 (the value of --cluster is the next flag), --cluster '' (empty), or --cluster ' ' (whitespace only).

Common situations: Reordering flags so a value flag immediately precedes another flag, an unset shell variable expanding to empty, or a quoting mistake that drops the value.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of affaan-m/ECC@01e15490f0 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a80044633be33d71. Report an issue: GitHub.