fix(cli): fall back to node:sqlite when better-sqlite3 constructor throws at runtime (#8826)

bin/cli/sqlite.mjs

@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ async function openSqliteDatabase(dbPath, options = {}) {
   try {
     return new loaded.Database(dbPath, options);
   } catch (error) {
-    throw createSqliteNativeError(error);
+    return openWithSyncDriverFallback(dbPath, options, error);
   }
 }
 

changelog.d/fixes/8826-fix.plan.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- fix(cli): fall back to node:sqlite when better-sqlite3 constructor throws at runtime (#8826)

tests/unit/cli-sqlite-construction-fallback-8826.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { register } from "node:module";
+import Module from "node:module";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+
+// #8826: better-sqlite3 v12 loads its native addon lazily -- import("better-sqlite3")
+// SUCCEEDS and only new Database() throws "Could not locate the bindings file" when
+// there is no .node binding for the runtime ABI (e.g. CachyOS + Node v26 via AUR).
+// openSqliteDatabase() only fell back when the *import* failed; the construction-time
+// failure was translated into "Run: omniroute runtime repair" guidance and aborted.
+
+const FIXTURE_DIR = new URL("fixtures/", import.meta.url).pathname;
+const hookPath = path.join(FIXTURE_DIR, "8826-mock-better-sqlite3.mjs");
+
+// Register the ESM hook to return a module whose Database constructor throws
+register(hookPath, import.meta.url);
+
+// Patch Module._load so CJS createRequire("better-sqlite3") in driverFactory.ts
+// also gets a constructor that throws the bindings error.
+const originalLoad = Module._load;
+Module._load = function patchedLoad(request, parent, isMain) {
+  if (request === "better-sqlite3") {
+    function FakeBetterSqlite() {
+      throw new Error(
+        "Could not locate the bindings file. Tried:\n" +
+        " -> /fake/path/better_sqlite3.node"
+      );
+    }
+    return FakeBetterSqlite;
+  }
+  // @ts-expect-error Module._load is a CJS internal
+  return originalLoad.call(this, request, parent, isMain);
+};
+
+const { openOmniRouteDb } = await import("../../bin/cli/sqlite.mjs");
+
+test("#8826: openOmniRouteDb() falls back to node:sqlite when better-sqlite3 native binding is missing (construction-time failure)", async (t) => {
+  const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "omniroute-8826-"));
+  t.after(() => {
+    try { fs.rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true }); } catch {}
+    Module._load = originalLoad;
+  });
+
+  const origDataDir = process.env.DATA_DIR;
+  process.env.DATA_DIR = tmpDir;
+  t.after(() => {
+    if (origDataDir) {
+      process.env.DATA_DIR = origDataDir;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env.DATA_DIR;
+    }
+  });
+
+  const result = await openOmniRouteDb();
+
+  assert.ok(result.db, "openOmniRouteDb() should return a working db adapter");
+  assert.equal(
+    result.db.driver,
+    "node:sqlite",
+    "should fall back to node:sqlite when better-sqlite3 constructor throws (#8826)"
+  );
+});

tests/unit/fixtures/8826-mock-better-sqlite3.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+export async function resolve(specifier, context, nextResolve) {
+  if (specifier === "better-sqlite3") {
+    const moduleSource = [
+      "class Database {",
+      "  constructor(dbPath, options) {",
+      '    throw new Error("Could not locate the bindings file. Tried: /fake/path/better_sqlite3.node");',
+      "  }",
+      "}",
+      "export default Database;",
+    ].join("\n");
+
+    return {
+      url:
+        "data:text/javascript," +
+        encodeURIComponent(moduleSource) +
+        "#mock-better-sqlite3-8826",
+      shortCircuit: true,
+    };
+  }
+  return nextResolve(specifier, context);
+}