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bug: SQLite FTS5 module not available on Windows (Node.js built-in SQLite) #64

@morel1999

Description

@morel1999

Environment

  • OS: Windows 11
  • Node.js: v22.x (built-in SQLite)
  • skilld: v1.5.5
  • Shell: bash (Git Bash )

Steps to reproduce

  1. Install skilld on a Windows machine: npm install -D skilld
  2. Run: npx skilld add vite
  3. Skilld correctly resolves the package, fetches docs (40+ files), then fails during index build

Error

(node:20684) ExperimentalWarning: SQLite is an experimental feature and might change at any time
Error: no such module: fts5 at Worker. (file:///...node_modules/skilld/dist/_chunks/pool2.mjs:36:16)
at Worker.emit (node:events:518:28)
■ Canceled [35s]

Root cause

Node.js's experimental built-in SQLite (available since Node 22.5) does not compile FTS5 (Full-Text Search) on Windows.
FTS5 is an optional SQLite extension that must be compiled in — the Windows Node.js binaries ship without it.

This is not an issue on Linux (Ubuntu/WSL) where SQLite typically includes FTS5.

Suggested fix

  • Detect FTS5 availability at startup and warn the user gracefully instead of crashing
  • Or fall back to a non-FTS5 search strategy on Windows
  • Or document WSL as a requirement on Windows in the README

Workaround

Run from WSL (Ubuntu) where FTS5 is available.

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