`ng serve` automatically rebuilds

[sarunint]

Versions

Angular CLI: 6.0.3
Node: 10.0.0
OS: linux x64
Angular: 6.0.2
... common, compiler, compiler-cli, core, forms, http
... platform-browser, platform-browser-dynamic, router

Package                           Version
-----------------------------------------------------------
@angular-devkit/architect         0.6.3
@angular-devkit/build-angular     0.6.3
@angular-devkit/build-optimizer   0.6.3
@angular-devkit/core              0.6.3
@angular-devkit/schematics        0.6.3
@angular/cli                      6.0.3
@ngtools/webpack                  6.0.3
@schematics/angular               0.6.3
@schematics/update                0.6.3
rxjs                              6.1.0
typescript                        2.7.2
webpack                           4.8.3

Repro steps

• run ng serve --aot. (Not tested with non-AOT yet)

Observed behavior

Webpack recompiles many times without file changes, which leads to multiple browser refresh. Notice that the hash stays the same.

Desired behavior

Webpack rebuilds only on file changes.

Mention any other details that might be useful (optional)

[filipesilva]

Heya, I don't know what causes this but I have seen it under some circumstances or another over the years. It doesn't happen on all machines. At some point I always saw it happening on CircleCI docker containers but it doesn't anymore.

Can you tell me more about your environment please?

A workaround is to use --poll 1000 for now.

If you want to try and debug it, you can edit node_modules/@ngtools/webpack/src/angular_compiler_plugin.js and replace

compiler.hooks.invalid.tap('angular-compiler', () => this._firstRun = false);

with

compiler.hooks.invalid.tap('angular-compiler', (changed) => {
  console.log('### CHANGED', changed);
  this._firstRun = false
});

This might give you an idea of what files webpack thinks have changed. If there's a pattern maybe we can do something about it.

[sarunint]

Strange, this issue started to appear since v6. Before that, I don't have any "auto-rebuild".

For the record, my system is Windows 10 but running node in WSL.

Will try the debugging as soon as I get home.

[sarunint]

Hi @filipesilva, I did what you asked me to do, and here's the result!

[filipesilva]

Well, this is unfortunate.... it looks like random files are being touched, but not modified, all the time. I'm not really sure what we can do about that.

Does this happen if you run outside WSL?

[sarunint]

Will try soon! Thanks for your help.

[sarunint]

@filipesilva long time no see!

Recently, no "auto-rebuilds" has occurred yet. (Yes, in WSL.) I will assume that this issue is resolved.

Thanks for you help anyway.