Error serializing package 'github' when attempting to open Git tab

[absynce]

Prerequisites

• ✔️ Have you tried to reproduce the problem in Safe Mode?
  ⚠️ Yes, but it has the same error.
• ✔️ Have you followed all applicable steps in the debugging guide?
  • ✔️ Clear saved state
    ⚠️ Same error.
  • ✔️ Reset to Factory Defaults
    ⚠️ Same error.
• ✔️ Have you checked the FAQs on the message board for common solutions?
• ✔️ Have you checked that your issue isn't already filed?

Description

When trying to open the Git tab it fails and logs an error to the console:

<embedded>:69654 Error serializing package 'github' TypeError: Cannot read property 'serialize' of undefined
    at GithubPackage.serialize (C:\Users\JSmith\AppData\Local\atom\app-1.18.0\resources\app\node_modules\github\lib\github-package.js:268:43)
    at Package.module.exports.Package.serialize (C:\Users\JSmith\AppData\Local\atom\app-1.18.0\resources\app\src\package.js:785:103)
    at PackageManager.module.exports.PackageManager.serializePackage (C:\Users\JSmith\AppData\Local\atom\app-1.18.0\resources\app\src\package-manager.js:712:69)
    at PackageManager.module.exports.PackageManager.serialize (C:\Users\JSmith\AppData\Local\atom\app-1.18.0\resources\app\src\package-manager.js:705:20)
    at AtomEnvironment.module.exports.AtomEnvironment.serialize (C:\Users\JSmith\AppData\Local\atom\app-1.18.0\resources\app\src\atom-environment.js:880:44)
    at C:\Users\JSmith\AppData\Local\atom\app-1.18.0\resources\app\src\atom-environment.js:1194:33
    at AtomEnvironment.module.exports.AtomEnvironment.saveState (C:\Users\JSmith\AppData\Local\atom\app-1.18.0\resources\app\src\atom-environment.js:1190:20)
    at C:\Users\JSmith\AppData\Local\atom\app-1.18.0\resources\app\src\atom-environment.js:370:34module.exports.Package.serialize @ <embedded>:69654module.exports.PackageManager.serializePackage @ <embedded>:20604module.exports.PackageManager.serialize @ <embedded>:20597module.exports.AtomEnvironment.serialize @ <embedded>:1114(anonymous function) @ <embedded>:1428module.exports.AtomEnvironment.saveState @ <embedded>:1424(anonymous function) @ <embedded>:604

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open Atom in a folder with a Git repo.
2. Try to open the Git tab: Ctrl+Shift+9.
3. 😢

Expected behavior:

The Git tab should open.

Actual behavior:

An error occurred. See the description.

Reproduces how often:

💯It fails 100% of the time I try to open it.

Versions

λ atom --version

Atom    : 1.18.0
Electron: 1.3.15
Chrome  : 52.0.2743.82
Node    : 6.5.0

λ apm --version
apm  1.18.1
npm  3.10.10
node 6.9.5 ia32
python
git 2.10.0.windows.1
visual studio 2015

Package

github 0.3.3

OS

Key	Value
OS Name	Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
Version	10.0.15063 Build 15063

Additional Information

This worked for several days. It just stopped today but I'm on the same version of Atom.

I'm loving the feature. Especially the diff and individual file staging. It was easy to incorporate into my workflow.

[BinaryMuse]

Looks like GithubPackage#serialize calls this.controller.serialize unconditionally when serializing, but technically there's no guarantee that the controller property is set (as it's set via ref callback on the RootController). Not sure why we're serializing before we get an initial render, but definitely worth guarding against.

[BinaryMuse]

Also @absynce, thank you for the most excellent bug report! 🙇‍♀️

[johnwebbcole]

A workaround seems to be in #833 If you start with NODE_ENV="production" atom . I'm not getting these errors and the github panel appears.

[baldurh]

When I first opened Atom 1.18 the Git and GitHub tabs were open and I could log in and everything was fine. Then I closed both tabs and now I cannot open neither of them again because of this error. The workaround posted by @johnwebbcole worked for me. I’m running on a mac.

[DavideDaniel]

confirmed - I'm running on a mac -- I updated packages last night, manually deleted 1 package that was causing all other updates to not run, and following that tabs disappeared. Now when I need to see github tabs, I need to run with NODE_ENV=production atom .

[johnwebbcole]

I discovered that my windows system had a user ENV setting NODE_ENV=development. I deleted that using the control panel and I do not need to set now.

I don't know what set that user ENV.

[BinaryMuse]

Okay, these all seem to be NODE_ENV related, so this is a dup of #833