Nativescript Error: Executing webpack failed with exit code 1 - nativescript

Question

I've done a fresh install of Nativescript on a new iMac (running Big Sur) following the instructions carefully (from https://docs.nativescript.org/environment-setup.html#macos-ios).
It was working fine after the install yesterday, but today I cannot run apps in ios simulator (or in an Android virtual device).
The ns doctor command in terminal gives me this initially:
No issues were detected.
✔ Your ANDROID_HOME environment variable is set and points to correct directory.
✔ Your adb from the Android SDK is correctly installed.
✔ The Android SDK is installed.
✔ A compatible Android SDK for compilation is found.
✔ Javac is installed and is configured properly.
✔ The Java Development Kit (JDK) is installed and is configured properly.
✔ Xcode is installed and is configured properly.
✔ xcodeproj is installed and is configured properly.
✔ CocoaPods are installed.
✔ CocoaPods update is not required.
✔ CocoaPods are configured properly.
✔ Your current CocoaPods version is newer than 1.0.0.
✔ Python installed and configured correctly.
✔ The Python 'six' package is found.
✔ Xcode version 12.5.1 satisfies minimum required version 10.
✔ Getting NativeScript components versions information...
✔ Component nativescript has 8.0.2 version and is up to date.
However, when I create a new app (ns create) and then try to run in (ns run ios), I get this error: Executing webpack failed with exit code 1.
The error messages start with this: TypeError: Cannot read property 'resolved' of undefined.
The same thing is also happening when I try to run it on Android.
After trying to run it on both ios and Android, ns doctor adds these lines:
✔ Component #nativescript/core has 8.0.8 version and is up to date.
✔ Component #nativescript/ios has 8.0.0 version and is up to date.
✔ Component #nativescript/android has 8.0.0 version and is up to date.
So it seems like the platforms are being added properly.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
The full error message is:
Searching for devices...
Preparing project...
webpack is watching the files...
/Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/lib/FileSystemInfo.js:817
if (entry.resolved !== undefined) return entry.resolved;
^
TypeError: Cannot read property 'resolved' of undefined
at getResolvedTimestamp (/Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/lib/FileSystemInfo.js:817:12)
at /Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/lib/FileSystemInfo.js:1167:21
at /Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/lib/util/AsyncQueue.js:352:5
at Hook.eval [as callAsync] (eval at create (/Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/node_modules/tapable/lib/HookCodeFactory.js:33:10), <anonymous>:6:1)
at Hook.CALL_ASYNC_DELEGATE [as _callAsync] (/Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/node_modules/tapable/lib/Hook.js:18:14)
at AsyncQueue._handleResult (/Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/lib/util/AsyncQueue.js:322:21)
at /Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/lib/util/AsyncQueue.js:305:11
at /Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/lib/FileSystemInfo.js:3098:21
at /Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/lib/FileSystemInfo.js:3010:22
at /Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/neo-async/async.js:2830:7
at done (/Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/neo-async/async.js:2925:13)
at /Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/lib/FileSystemInfo.js:2994:23
at Array.<anonymous> (/Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/webpack/lib/util/fs.js:311:21)
at runCallbacks (/Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/enhanced-resolve/lib/CachedInputFileSystem.js:27:15)
at /Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/enhanced-resolve/lib/CachedInputFileSystem.js:200:4
at callback (/Users/student/Desktop/testApp/node_modules/graceful-fs/polyfills.js:299:20)
Executing webpack failed with exit code 1.

Answer 1

Thank you for reporting this, we have confirmed a breaking change in the latest webpack release:
https://github.com/webpack/webpack/releases/tag/v5.51.1
You can switch your package.json to use the rc as follows to resolve this right now:
"devDependencies": {
...
"#nativescript/webpack": "rc"
},
Then ns clean and you should be able to run your app now.
We also published another beta tag pinning webpack to 5.50.0 so doing ns clean without making any other dependency change in your own package.json should also work now.