slidevjs/slidev · critical · Error

Failed to resolve package "${dep}"

Error message

Failed to resolve package "${dep}"

What it means

Thrown by findPkgRoot(dep, parent, ensure: true) when the package root cannot be located: findDepPkgJsonPath returned nothing from the parent tree, and (in global mode) findGlobalPkgRoot also returned nothing. The ensure: true overload always returns a string or throws.

Source

Thrown at packages/slidev/node/resolver.ts:250

  if (!confirm)
    process.exit(1)

  if (isInstalledGlobally.value)
    await run(parseNi, ['-g', pkgName])
  else
    await run(parseNi, [pkgName])
}

/**
 * Find the root of the package. If Slidev is installed globally, it will also search globally.
 */
export async function findPkgRoot(dep: string, parent: string, ensure: true): Promise<string>
export async function findPkgRoot(dep: string, parent: string, ensure?: boolean): Promise<string | undefined>
export async function findPkgRoot(dep: string, parent: string, ensure = false) {
  const pkgJsonPath = await findDepPkgJsonPath(dep, parent)
  const path = pkgJsonPath ? dirname(pkgJsonPath) : isInstalledGlobally.value ? await findGlobalPkgRoot(dep, false) : undefined
  if (ensure && !path)
    throw new Error(`Failed to resolve package "${dep}"`)
  return path
}

export async function findGlobalPkgRoot(name: string, ensure: true): Promise<string>
export async function findGlobalPkgRoot(name: string, ensure?: boolean): Promise<string | undefined>
export async function findGlobalPkgRoot(name: string, ensure = false) {
  const localPath = await findDepPkgJsonPath(name, cliRoot)
  if (localPath)
    return dirname(localPath)
  for (const nm of invocationSearchPaths) {
    const direct = join(nm, ...name.split('/'), 'package.json')
    if (existsSync(direct))
      return dirname(direct)
    const walked = await findDepPkgJsonPath(name, nm)
    if (walked)
      return dirname(walked)
  }
  const yarnPath = join(globalDirs.yarn.packages, name)

View on GitHub (pinned to 0d798ace58)

Solutions

1. Reinstall dependencies at the project root: npm install / pnpm install --force.
2. Confirm the dep is present: ls node_modules/<dep> or check package.json dependencies.
3. If Slidev itself is the dep (e.g. @slidev/client), reinstall @slidev/cli.
4. For monorepos, ensure the workspace is hoisted/linked so findDepPkgJsonPath can walk to the dep.

Example fix

// before: @slidev/client missing after a botched upgrade
findPkgRoot('@slidev/client', cliRoot, true) // throws

// after: reinstall the cli (brings client back)
// shell:
npm i -D @slidev/cli@latest

import { findDepPkgJsonPath } from 'vitefu'

async function pkgRootExists(dep: string, parent: string): Promise<boolean> {
  try {
    return !!(await findDepPkgJsonPath(dep, parent))
  } catch {
    return false
  }
}

// before findPkgRoot(dep, parent, true):
if (!await pkgRootExists(dep, parent)) {
  throw new Error(`Reinstall dependencies; ${dep} not found under ${parent}`)
}

async function pkgResolvable(dep: string, parent: string): Promise<boolean> {
  try {
    return !!(await findDepPkgJsonPath(dep, parent))
  } catch {
    return false
  }
}

try {
  return await findPkgRoot(dep, parent, true)
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof Error && e.message.startsWith('Failed to resolve package ')) {
    throw new Error(`${dep} not installed; run npm install and retry.`)
  }
  throw e
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling findPkgRoot(dep, parent, true) for a dependency that is not installed in the parent's node_modules tree and not installed globally. Internally used by getRoots() to find @slidev/client, and by createResolver after a prompted install.

Common situations: A fresh/corrupted Slidev install where @slidev/client is missing; a dependency listed in package.json but not actually installed (broken lockfile); running in an environment where node_modules was pruned.

Related errors

• Failed to resolve package "${importName}"
• Failed to resolve global package "${name}"
• Invalid ${type} name "${name}". Only valid npm package names
• [slidev] Cannot find roots without entry
• Package "${pkg}" not found in "${importer}"

AI-assisted analysis of slidevjs/slidev@0d798ace58 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c1fab8be48c1d094. Report an issue: GitHub.