TypeError loading webpack.config.js in ESM project with node v16.6

[olizilla]

I think this change nodejs/node#39175 in node 16.6 means the webpack.config.js is loading is broken for ESM projects.

Our CI started failing once node 16.6 got rolled out with:

$ npm run build

> @web3-storage/api@3.1.1 build
> webpack

TypeError: String.prototype.startsWith called on null or undefined
    at startsWith (<anonymous>)
    at node:internal/errors:811:19
    at Array.filter (<anonymous>)
    at node:internal/errors:809:16
    at prepareStackTrace (node:internal/errors:96:12)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1138:38)
    at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:981:32)
    at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:822:12)
    at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1005:19)

Setting WEBPACK_CLI_FORCE_LOAD_ESM_CONFIG=true fixed it, but it seems like a workaround.

see:

webpack-cli/packages/webpack-cli/lib/webpack-cli.js

Lines 50 to 51 in a660ffc

	(error.code === "ERR_REQUIRE_ESM" ||
	process.env.WEBPACK_CLI_FORCE_LOAD_ESM_CONFIG) &&

see: nodejs/node#39175
see: nodejs/node@e2a6399#r54198959

[olizilla]

reported in: nodejs/node@e2a6399#r54198959

add your +1 on this comment to vote to fast track the fix nodejs/node#39593 (comment)

[olizilla]

it's already landed! Noice!

[alexander-akait]

Fixed in Node.js