Common Errors and Solutions

Troubleshooting guide for common errors during Chatwoot development setup

Common Errors and Solutions

This guide covers the most common errors encountered during Chatwoot development setup and their solutions. Use this as a quick reference when troubleshooting issues.

Installation and Setup Errors

Ruby and Bundler Issues

Bundle install fails with native extension errors

Error Message:

An error occurred while installing pg (1.5.4), and Bundler cannot continue.
Make sure that `gem install pg -v '1.5.4'` succeeds before bundling.

Cause: Missing PostgreSQL development headers or incorrect pg_config path.

Solutions:

macOS

# Install PostgreSQL with Homebrew
brew install postgresql

# Configure bundle to use correct pg_config
bundle config build.pg --with-pg-config=/opt/homebrew/bin/pg_config

# For Intel Macs
bundle config build.pg --with-pg-config=/usr/local/bin/pg_config

# Retry bundle install
bundle install

Ruby version mismatch

Error Message:

Your Ruby version is 3.1.0, but your Gemfile specified 3.3.3

Cause: Wrong Ruby version installed.

Solutions:

rbenv

# Install correct Ruby version
rbenv install 3.3.3

# Set as global version
rbenv global 3.3.3

# Verify version
ruby --version

# Rehash to update shims
rbenv rehash

Bundler version conflicts

Error Message:

Bundler could not find compatible versions for gem "bundler"

Cause: Incompatible Bundler version.

Solution:

# Check current Bundler version
bundler --version

# Install specific Bundler version (check Gemfile.lock)
gem install bundler:2.4.22

# Update Bundler
gem update bundler

# Clean bundle cache
bundle clean --force

# Retry installation
bundle install

Node.js and Package Manager Issues

Node.js version incompatibility

Error Message:

error @chatwoot/chatwoot@1.0.0: The engine "node" is incompatible with this module.

Cause: Wrong Node.js version.

Solutions:

nvm

# Install correct Node.js version
nvm install 20

# Use the version
nvm use 20

# Set as default
nvm alias default 20

# Verify version
node --version

pnpm installation issues

Error Message:

pnpm: command not found

Cause: pnpm not installed.

Solutions:

# Install pnpm globally
npm install -g pnpm

# Or using corepack (Node.js 16.10+)
corepack enable
corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate

# Or using Homebrew (macOS)
brew install pnpm

# Verify installation
pnpm --version

Package installation failures

Error Message:

ERR_PNPM_PEER_DEP_ISSUES  Unmet peer dependencies

Cause: Peer dependency conflicts or corrupted cache.

Solutions:

# Clear pnpm cache
pnpm store prune

# Remove node_modules and lock file
rm -rf node_modules pnpm-lock.yaml

# Reinstall with legacy peer deps
pnpm install --legacy-peer-deps

# Or force installation
pnpm install --force

# Alternative: use npm
npm install

Database Errors

PostgreSQL Connection Issues

Database connection refused

Error Message:

PG::ConnectionBad: could not connect to server: Connection refused

Cause: PostgreSQL service not running or incorrect connection parameters.

Solutions:

macOS

# Check if PostgreSQL is running
brew services list | grep postgresql

# Start PostgreSQL
brew services start postgresql

# Check connection
psql postgres -c "SELECT 1;"

# If user doesn't exist, create it
createuser -s chatwoot

Database does not exist

Error Message:

ActiveRecord::NoDatabaseError: FATAL: database "chatwoot_development" does not exist

Cause: Database not created.

Solution:

# Create databases
bundle exec rails db:create

# If that fails, create manually
createdb chatwoot_development
createdb chatwoot_test

# Or using psql
psql postgres -c "CREATE DATABASE chatwoot_development;"
psql postgres -c "CREATE DATABASE chatwoot_test;"

Migration errors

Error Message:

ActiveRecord::PendingMigrationError: Migrations are pending

Cause: Database schema is not up to date.

Solutions:

# Run pending migrations
bundle exec rails db:migrate

# If migrations fail, check status
bundle exec rails db:migrate:status

# Reset database (WARNING: destroys data)
bundle exec rails db:drop db:create db:migrate db:seed

# For specific migration issues
bundle exec rails db:migrate:up VERSION=20231201000000

Redis Connection Issues

Redis connection refused

Error Message:

Redis::CannotConnectError: Error connecting to Redis on localhost:6379

Cause: Redis service not running.

Solutions:

macOS

# Check if Redis is running
brew services list | grep redis

# Start Redis
brew services start redis

# Test connection
redis-cli ping

Application Runtime Errors

Rails Server Issues

Port already in use

Error Message:

Address already in use - bind(2) for "127.0.0.1" port 3000

Cause: Another process is using port 3000.

Solutions:

# Find process using port 3000
lsof -ti:3000

# Kill the process
kill -9 $(lsof -ti:3000)

# Or use a different port
bundle exec rails server -p 3001

# Check what's running on the port
netstat -tulpn | grep :3000

Secret key base missing

Error Message:

ArgumentError: Missing `secret_key_base` for 'development' environment

Cause: SECRET_KEY_BASE not set in environment.

Solution:

# Generate a new secret key
bundle exec rails secret

# Add to .env file
echo "SECRET_KEY_BASE=$(bundle exec rails secret)" >> .env

# Or set temporarily
export SECRET_KEY_BASE=$(bundle exec rails secret)
bundle exec rails server

Webpacker compilation errors

Error Message:

Webpacker::Manifest::MissingEntryError: Webpacker can't find application.js

Cause: Webpack assets not compiled or compilation failed.

Solutions:

# Check if webpack dev server is running
ps aux | grep webpack

# Start webpack dev server
pnpm run dev

# Or compile assets manually
bundle exec rails assets:precompile

# Clear webpack cache
rm -rf tmp/cache/webpacker
rm -rf public/packs

# Reinstall node modules
rm -rf node_modules
pnpm install

Sidekiq Worker Issues

Sidekiq not processing jobs

Error Message:

Jobs are queued but not being processed

Cause: Sidekiq worker not running.

Solutions:

# Check if Sidekiq is running
ps aux | grep sidekiq

# Start Sidekiq
bundle exec sidekiq

# Check Sidekiq web interface
open http://localhost:3000/sidekiq

# Clear failed jobs
bundle exec rails runner "Sidekiq::Queue.new.clear"

Redis memory issues

Error Message:

Redis::CommandError: OOM command not allowed when used memory > 'maxmemory'

Cause: Redis running out of memory.

Solutions:

# Check Redis memory usage
redis-cli info memory

# Clear Redis cache
redis-cli flushall

# Increase Redis memory limit (redis.conf)
# maxmemory 256mb

# Or restart Redis
brew services restart redis  # macOS
sudo systemctl restart redis  # Linux

Testing Errors

RSpec Test Failures

Database not prepared for testing

Error Message:

ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid: PG::UndefinedTable: ERROR: relation "users" does not exist

Cause: Test database not set up properly.

Solution:

# Prepare test database
RAILS_ENV=test bundle exec rails db:create
RAILS_ENV=test bundle exec rails db:migrate

# Or use the combined command
bundle exec rails db:test:prepare

# Reset test database if needed
RAILS_ENV=test bundle exec rails db:drop db:create db:migrate

Factory Bot errors

Error Message:

FactoryBot::DuplicateDefinitionError: Factory already registered

Cause: Factory definitions loaded multiple times.

Solution:

# Clear Spring cache
bundle exec spring stop

# Restart test suite
bundle exec rspec

# Check for duplicate factory definitions
grep -r "FactoryBot.define" spec/

Capybara/Selenium errors

Error Message:

Selenium::WebDriver::Error::WebDriverError: unable to connect to chromedriver

Cause: ChromeDriver not installed or incompatible version.

Solutions:

# Install ChromeDriver
# macOS
brew install chromedriver

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install chromium-chromedriver

# Or use webdrivers gem (should be automatic)
bundle exec rails runner "Webdrivers::Chromedriver.update"

# Run tests in headless mode
HEADLESS=true bundle exec rspec spec/system/

Development Environment Issues

IDE and Editor Problems

VS Code Ruby extension not working

Error: Ruby IntelliSense not working, no syntax highlighting.

Solutions:

# Install Ruby LSP
gem install ruby-lsp

# Or add to Gemfile
echo 'gem "ruby-lsp", group: :development' >> Gemfile
bundle install

# Restart VS Code
# Install recommended extensions:
# - Ruby LSP
# - Ruby Solargraph
# - Ruby Test Explorer

Solargraph not working

Error: Ruby documentation and autocomplete not working.

Solutions:

# Install Solargraph
gem install solargraph

# Generate documentation
bundle exec yard gems
bundle exec solargraph bundle

# Create .solargraph.yml config
solargraph config

# Restart your editor

Git and Version Control Issues

Pre-commit hooks failing

Error: Git commit rejected due to linting errors.

Solutions:

# Fix RuboCop issues
bundle exec rubocop -a

# Fix ESLint issues
pnpm run lint:fix

# Format code
pnpm run format

# Skip hooks temporarily (not recommended)
git commit --no-verify -m "Your commit message"

# Update pre-commit hooks
pre-commit autoupdate

Large file errors

Error: Git LFS or large file warnings.

Solutions:

# Install Git LFS
git lfs install

# Track large files
git lfs track "*.png"
git lfs track "*.jpg"
git lfs track "*.pdf"

# Add .gitattributes
git add .gitattributes

# Check LFS status
git lfs status

Performance Issues

Slow Application Startup

Rails server takes too long to start

Cause: Large codebase, slow database, or memory issues.

Solutions:

# Use Spring for faster Rails commands
bundle exec spring binstub --all

# Check Spring status
bundle exec spring status

# Restart Spring if needed
bundle exec spring stop

# Increase memory if needed
export RUBY_GC_HEAP_INIT_SLOTS=10000
export RUBY_GC_HEAP_FREE_SLOTS=10000

# Profile startup time
time bundle exec rails runner "puts 'Rails loaded'"

Slow test suite

Cause: Database setup, factory creation, or inefficient tests.

Solutions:

# Use parallel testing
bundle exec rspec --parallel

# Profile slow tests
bundle exec rspec --profile

# Use database cleaner strategies
# Add to spec/rails_helper.rb:
# config.use_transactional_fixtures = true

# Optimize factories
# Use build_stubbed instead of create when possible

Email and Communication Issues

Email Delivery Problems

Emails not being sent in development

Cause: SMTP configuration or email service issues.

Solutions:

MailHog

# Install and start MailHog
brew install mailhog  # macOS
mailhog

# Configure .env
MAILER_SENDER_EMAIL=[e-mail]
SMTP_ADDRESS=localhost
SMTP_PORT=1025

# Check web interface
open http://localhost:8025

WebSocket Connection Issues

ActionCable not working

Error: Real-time features not working, WebSocket connection failed.

Solutions:

# Check if ActionCable is mounted
grep -r "mount ActionCable" config/routes.rb

# Check Redis connection
redis-cli ping

# Configure ActionCable for development
# In config/environments/development.rb:
# config.action_cable.url = "ws://localhost:3000/cable"
# config.action_cable.allowed_request_origins = ["http://localhost:3000"]

# Test WebSocket connection
# Open browser console and check for WebSocket errors

Debugging and Logging Issues

Log File Problems

Log files too large or not rotating

Cause: Excessive logging in development.

Solutions:

# Clear log files
> log/development.log
> log/test.log

# Configure log rotation in development.rb
# config.logger = ActiveSupport::Logger.new("log/development.log", 5, 10.megabytes)

# Reduce log level
# config.log_level = :info

# Use logrotate (Linux)
sudo logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.conf

Debugging Tool Issues

Pry or byebug not stopping execution

Cause: Debugger not properly configured or running in wrong context.

Solutions:

# Make sure gems are in Gemfile
echo 'gem "pry-rails", group: [:development, :test]' >> Gemfile
echo 'gem "pry-byebug", group: [:development, :test]' >> Gemfile
bundle install

# Use correct debugger syntax
# binding.pry  # for Pry
# debugger     # for built-in debugger
# byebug       # for byebug

# Check if running in correct environment
puts Rails.env

Quick Diagnostic Commands

System Health Check

#!/bin/bash
# health_check.sh - Quick system diagnostic

echo "=== Chatwoot Development Health Check ==="

# Check Ruby version
echo "Ruby version: $(ruby --version)"

# Check Node.js version
echo "Node.js version: $(node --version)"

# Check database connection
if bundle exec rails runner "ActiveRecord::Base.connection.execute('SELECT 1')" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "✅ Database connection: OK"
else
  echo "❌ Database connection: FAILED"
fi

# Check Redis connection
if redis-cli ping > /dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "✅ Redis connection: OK"
else
  echo "❌ Redis connection: FAILED"
fi

# Check if services are running
echo "Running processes:"
ps aux | grep -E "(rails|sidekiq|webpack|mailhog)" | grep -v grep

# Check ports
echo "Port usage:"
lsof -i :3000,3035,6379,5432,8025 2>/dev/null || echo "No processes found on common ports"

echo "=== Health Check Complete ==="

Environment Validation

#!/bin/bash
# validate_env.sh - Validate development environment

required_vars=(
  "RAILS_ENV"
  "DATABASE_URL"
  "REDIS_URL"
  "SECRET_KEY_BASE"
  "FRONTEND_URL"
)

echo "=== Environment Variable Check ==="
for var in "${required_vars[@]}"; do
  if [ -z "${!var}" ]; then
    echo "❌ Missing: $var"
  else
    echo "✅ Set: $var"
  fi
done

echo "=== Dependency Check ==="
commands=("ruby" "node" "psql" "redis-cli" "git")
for cmd in "${commands[@]}"; do
  if command -v $cmd > /dev/null 2>&1; then
    echo "✅ $cmd: $(command -v $cmd)"
  else
    echo "❌ $cmd: Not found"
  fi
done

Getting Additional Help

If you’re still experiencing issues after trying these solutions:

1. Search GitHub Issues: Check if others have reported similar problems
2. Check Logs: Look at log/development.log for detailed error messages
3. Discord Community: Join the Chatwoot Discord for real-time help
4. Documentation: Review the official documentation
5. Create an Issue: If it’s a bug, create a detailed GitHub issue

Creating a Good Bug Report

When reporting issues, include:

## Environment
- OS: [e.g., macOS 13.0, Ubuntu 22.04]
- Ruby version: [e.g., 3.3.3]
- Node.js version: [e.g., 20.10.0]
- Database: [e.g., PostgreSQL 15.0]

## Steps to Reproduce
1. Step one
2. Step two
3. Step three

## Expected Behavior
What you expected to happen

## Actual Behavior
What actually happened

## Error Messages
Full error message and stack trace

## Additional Context
Any other relevant information

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This guide covers the most common development issues. For production deployment issues, see the Self-hosted documentation.