(create-vite) Creating a project using Marko doesn't work

[fgclue]

Describe the bug

If you run npm create vite@latest and select Marko, it fails saying that the folder already exists:

✖ Project path already exists '/home/lost/playground/other/framework-test/marko_'

Error: Project path already exists '/home/lost/playground/other/framework-test/marko_'
    at assertAllGood (/home/lost/.npm/_npx/9847185164d43527/node_modules/@marko/create/dist/index.js:113:11)
    at async create (/home/lost/.npm/_npx/9847185164d43527/node_modules/@marko/create/dist/index.js:51:3)
    at async run (/home/lost/.npm/_npx/9847185164d43527/node_modules/@marko/create/dist/cli.js:151:9)

The result is an empty folder. I assume vite is creating a folder before running the Marko Run tool.

Steps to reproduce

1. Run npm create vite@latest.
2. Select Marko
3. Select Marko Run
4. Continue through the options until the last one and select the Default Starter App template.

System Info

System:
    OS: Linux 6.17 Arch Linux
    CPU: (12) x64 AMD Ryzen 5 5600G with Radeon Graphics
    Memory: 24.60 GB / 30.72 GB
    Container: Yes
    Shell: 5.3.8 - /bin/bash
  Binaries:
    Node: 23.9.0 - /run/user/1000/fnm_multishells/176235_1767149654966/bin/node
    Yarn: 1.22.22 - /usr/bin/yarn
    npm: 11.3.0 - /run/user/1000/fnm_multishells/176235_1767149654966/bin/npm
    Deno: 2.1.1 - /home/lost/.deno/bin/deno
  Browsers:
    Chromium: 143.0.7499.109
    Firefox: 146.0
    Firefox Developer Edition: 146.0

Used Package Manager

npm

Logs

No response

Validations

• Follow our Code of Conduct
• Read the Contributing Guidelines.
• Read the docs.
• Check that there isn't already an issue that reports the same bug to avoid creating a duplicate.
• Make sure this is a Vite issue and not a framework-specific issue. For example, if it's a Vue SFC related bug, it should likely be reported to vuejs/core instead.
• Check that this is a concrete bug. For Q&A open a GitHub Discussion or join our Discord Chat Server.
• The provided reproduction is a minimal reproducible example of the bug.

[fgclue]

The problem is, in fact, caused by the folder being created before running the intermediate script in packages/create-vite/src/index.ts:

  let immediate = argImmediate // line 602
  if (immediate === undefined) {
    if (interactive) {
      const immediateResult = await prompts.confirm({
        message: `Install with ${pkgManager} and start now?`,
      })
      if (prompts.isCancel(immediateResult)) return cancel()
      immediate = immediateResult
    } else {
      immediate = false
    }
  }

  const root = path.join(cwd, targetDir) // <-- creates folder before actually running intermediate script
  fs.mkdirSync(root, { recursive: true })

  // [...] frame work selection

  if (immediate) { // <-- runs the intermediate script
    install(root, pkgManager)
    start(root, pkgManager)
  } else {
    let doneMessage = ''
    const cdProjectName = path.relative(cwd, root)
    doneMessage += `Done. Now run:\n`
    if (root !== cwd) {
      doneMessage += `\n  cd ${
        cdProjectName.includes(' ') ? `"${cdProjectName}"` : cdProjectName
      }`
    }
    doneMessage += `\n  ${getInstallCommand(pkgManager).join(' ')}`
    doneMessage += `\n  ${getRunCommand(pkgManager, 'dev').join(' ')}`
    prompts.outro(doneMessage)
  }
} // line 707

Maybe the script could delete the folder before running the command for Marko?

[bluwy]

I'd prefer not creating the empty folder by default always when executing the external CLIs. Likely shouldn't break the existing CLIs I think. Could try to do that and double check things still work.

Also, maybe it's also worth opening an issue in Marko to support scaffolding the template in an empty folder.

[lucas-gomes-santana]

Hello, I reviewed your issue and followed the steps you mentioned, and I confirm that this bug in Vite, where it fails to create a Marko setup claiming that a folder with the same name already exists, is real.

The folder is created too early, before installing the project dependencies. During installation, it throws an error, claiming that a folder with the same name already exists.

My OS System Info:

  System:
    OS: Linux 6.14 Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS 24.04.3 LTS (Noble Numbat)
    CPU: (8) x64 Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-10310U CPU @ 1.70GHz
    Memory: 10.07 GB / 15.23 GB
    Container: Yes
    Shell: 5.9 - /usr/bin/zsh
  Binaries:
    Node: 22.21.1 - /home/lucas/.nvm/versions/node/v22.21.1/bin/node
    npm: 10.9.4 - /home/lucas/.nvm/versions/node/v22.21.1/bin/npm
    pnpm: 10.20.0 - /home/lucas/.nvm/versions/node/v22.21.1/bin/pnpm
  Browsers:
    Chrome: 143.0.7499.169
    Firefox: 146.0.1
    Firefox Developer Edition: 146.0.1

[lucas-gomes-santana]

I have submited a PR to solve this bug. Waiting the project maintainers approve.