Error after installing in standalone mode when trying to install packages with a CLI globally - `This: not found`

[glektarssza]

While playing around with the action, I ran into a strange issue.

I am trying to install the cspell package globally to use it as an automated spell checker and also have support for various package managers (if possible) since the idea is that the workflow in question will later become part of a template repository for my other projects to pull from.

Since GitHub-hosted runners may not have a compatible version of NodeJS installed on them for pnpm, I decided installing in standalone mode was a good idea and ran into this weird situation. I'm not sure if this is the action's fault or pnpm's fault. If it's the latter, let me know and I'll file a bug over there instead.

Link to the relevant log line of the failing workflow job where I saw this behaviour: https://github.com/glektarssza/shellscript-lib/actions/runs/29330520079/job/87077869884#step:8:48

Log snippet for ease of reference:

pnpm install -g cspell \
  @cspell/dict-cspell-bundle @cspell/dict-java @cspell/dict-fonts \
  @cspell/dict-public-licenses @cspell/dict-gaming-terms \
  @cspell/dict-companies @cspell/dict-git @cspell/dict-software-terms;
  shell: /usr/bin/bash -e {0}
  env:
    GITHUB_TOKEN: ***
    PNPM_HOME: /home/runner/setup-pnpm/node_modules/.bin
/home/runner/setup-pnpm/node_modules/.bin/bin/../global/v11/955-19f607a6675/node_modules/@pnpm/exe/pnpm: 1: This: not found
Error: Process completed with exit code 127.

Failing workflow file link: https://github.com/glektarssza/shellscript-lib/actions/runs/29330520079/workflow

[YiCChi]

Hi — I've been debugging this end-to-end on a self-hosted runner and think I have a fairly complete picture of what's happening. Sharing in case it helps.

TL;DR

pnpm/action-setup@v6.0.9 on a self-hosted Linux runner without Node.js pre-installed ends up with a 34-byte stub as the resolved pnpm binary because two things combine:

1. pnpm v11's isolated-global-install machinery doesn't install @pnpm/exe's platform-specific optional dependencies (@pnpm/linux-x64 etc.)
2. action-setup prefers the @pnpm/exe package (over the JS pnpm package) when Node isn't already on PATH

Either one alone would be survivable; combining them produces the This: not found crash.

Environment

• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, x86_64, glibc 2.39
• Self-hosted runner with a minimal image — no pre-installed Node.js, no file, no xxd
• pnpm/action-setup@v6.0.9 (latest), defaults
• packageManager: "pnpm@11.13.0+sha512..." in package.json

Reproduction

1. action-setup runs its self-installer → bundled pnpm 11.7.0 is placed at ~/setup-pnpm/node_modules/

2. It sees packageManager: pnpm@11.13.0 and self-upgrades: pnpm add -g pnpm@11.13.0

3. pnpm v11's isolated-global-install creates ~/setup-pnpm/node_modules/.bin/global/v11/<hash>/

4. Inside that isolated dir, only @pnpm/exe is linked. No @pnpm/linux-x64, no @pnpm/linux-x64-musl, no other platform subdir.

5. The @pnpm/exe/pnpm file resolved through the CAS symlink is a 34-byte stub:

   $ head -c 64 <file> | od -c
   0000000   T   h   i   s       f   i   l   e       i   n   t   e   n   t
   0000020   i   o   n   a   l   l   y       l   e   f   t       b   l   a
   0000040   n   k
   

6. actions/setup-node with cache: pnpm (or any code calling pnpm store path --silent) tries to exec this stub → shell falls back to /bin/sh interpretation → treats This as a command → line 1: This: not found → exit 127.

The isolated tree at the moment of failure

node_modules/.bin/global/v11/<hash>/
├── bin/
│   ├── pn        (1211 bytes, shim)
│   ├── pnpm      (718 bytes, shim → the stub)
│   ├── pnpx
│   └── pnx
├── package.json
└── node_modules/
    ├── .pnpm/lock.yaml
    └── @pnpm/
        └── exe -> ../../../../../store/v11/links/@pnpm/exe/11.13.0/<hash>/node_modules/@pnpm/exe
        (no linux-x64 subdir — this is the bug)

For contrast: the top-level ~/setup-pnpm/node_modules/@pnpm/exe/pnpm created by the initial npm-based self-installer step IS the correct 146 MB ELF, because npm at that layer correctly resolved @pnpm/linux-x64 and its preinstall script populated the binary.

Hosted runners don't reproduce

Same OS, same glibc, same action-setup version. Only difference: Node.js pre-installed.

When Node is on PATH before action-setup runs, its self-upgrade path resolves to the pnpm npm package (JS CLI) instead of @pnpm/exe. The isolated tree looks like:

node_modules/pnpm -> ../../../../store/v11/links/@/pnpm/11.13.0/<hash>/node_modules/pnpm

No @pnpm/exe — so the optional-deps issue never bites.

Verified side-by-side: the exact same pnpm/action-setup@v6.0.9 invocation with defaults, on ubuntu-latest alongside our failing self-hosted runner. Same commands, different package resolved into the isolated dir, hosted succeeds.

workaround

Placing actions/setup-node (any recent version) before pnpm/action-setup eliminates the failure deterministically:

- name: Setup Node.js
  uses: actions/setup-node@v6
  with:
    node-version: 24

- name: Install pnpm
  uses: pnpm/action-setup@v6

- name: Setup Node.js (with pnpm cache)
  uses: actions/setup-node@v6
  with:
    node-version: 24
    cache: pnpm

With Node on PATH, action-setup's self-upgrade picks the JS pnpm variant and the isolated-global-install optional-deps issue is bypassed. The second setup-node call sets up the pnpm-store cache once pnpm is available.

Happy to share full logs if it helps.

[glektarssza]

@YiCChi Thank you for the thorough look at this! I do have two comments to make, however.

Same commands, different package resolved into the isolated dir, hosted succeeds.

This may be incorrect as I'm seeing this on a hosted runner as opposed to a self-hosted runner. My setup may be different from yours, of course, but it suggests the issue may lie on the action code itself.

I also see that some other projects have resolved the issue by pinning to a version two patch versions back. In going to try this as a workaround first as I've already attempted using the NodeJS setup action twice and it didn't help.

[viceice]

I see the same error. i've node globally available on my self-hosted runner and setting standalone: true & cache: true

Running self-installer...
added 5 packages, and audited 6 packages in 8s
found 0 vulnerabilities
npm warn allow-scripts 1 package has install scripts not yet covered by allowScripts:
npm warn allow-scripts   @pnpm/exe@11.7.0 (preinstall: node setup.js)
npm warn allow-scripts
npm warn allow-scripts Run `npm approve-scripts --allow-scripts-pending` to review, or `npm approve-scripts <pkg>` to allow.
Checking for updates...
Switching pnpm from v11.7.0 to v11.13.0...
node_modules/.bin                        | [WARN] deprecated pnpm@11.13.0
node_modules/.bin                        | [WARN] deprecated @pnpm/exe@11.13.0
.../.bin/global/v11/125-19f7046b6fb      | Progress: resolved 1, reused 0, downloaded 0, added 0
.../.bin/global/v11/125-19f7046b6fb      |   +5 +
.../.bin/global/v11/125-19f7046b6fb      | Progress: resolved 5, reused 0, downloaded 5, added 5, done
[WARN] Detected a pnpm v10 installation layout at PNPM_HOME. The pnpm shims at PNPM_HOME have been refreshed so the new version is active, but pnpm v11 expects bins in PNPM_HOME/bin. Run "pnpm setup" to migrate your PATH to the v11 layout.
Successfully updated pnpm to v11.13.0
Installation Completed!
Restoring cache...
[command]/root/setup-pnpm/node_modules/.bin/bin/pnpm store path --silent
/root/setup-pnpm/node_modules/.bin/bin/../global/v11/125-19f7046b6fb/node_modules/@pnpm/exe/pnpm: 1: This: not found
Error: The process '/root/setup-pnpm/node_modules/.bin/bin/pnpm' failed with exit code 127
    at t._setResult (/run/act/actions/0f/e502fa6c253b344c5921ddeb8440d9cb986f4ebf9dbd9a7be105cdf03d1be9/dist/index.js:58:19711)
    at t.CheckComplete (/run/act/actions/0f/e502fa6c253b344c5921ddeb8440d9cb986f4ebf9dbd9a7be105cdf03d1be9/dist/index.js:58:19298)
    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/run/act/actions/0f/e502fa6c253b344c5921ddeb8440d9cb986f4ebf9dbd9a7be105cdf03d1be9/dist/index.js:58:18286)
    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:509:28)
    at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1124:16)
    at Socket.<anonymous> (node:internal/child_process:481:11)
    at Socket.emit (node:events:509:28)
    at Pipe.<anonymous> (node:net:351:12)
::error::Error: The process '/root/setup-pnpm/node_modules/.bin/bin/pnpm' failed with exit code 127

[viceice]

https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/releases/tag/v11.13.1

this should fix the issue