fix(0.81, macos-init): improve init flow and drop chalk dependency (#2859)

## Summary
- Remove redundant dependency install (`generate-macos.js` was running
`npm i`/`yarn` a second time after `cli.ts` already installed
`react-native-macos`)
- Show actual npm/yarn errors on install failure instead of swallowing
them with `--silent`
- Validate peer dependencies before install and warn on version mismatch
- Fix finish message: remove nonexistent `yarn start:macos`, show
correct `pod install`, `npx react-native run-macos` and `npx
react-native start`
- Replace `chalk` with Node's built-in `node:util` `styleText`
(available since Node 20.12), add `engines.node` field
- Re-enable integration test CI without Verdaccio (fixes #2344) —
installs local package directly via `npm install <path>`

## Motivation
Users hitting `npx react-native-macos-init` frequently encounter silent
failures from peer dependency mismatches (e.g.
`react-native-macos@0.81.4` requires `react-native@0.81.6` exactly, but
`--version 0.81` installs the latest patch). The `--silent` flag hid the
actual error. The finish message referenced a nonexistent `yarn
start:macos` script.

Addresses the same root issue as #2785 and #2793 but with a broader fix.

Backport of #2858.

## Test plan
- [x] Created a new project with `npx @react-native-community/cli init
testapp --version 0.81.6`
- [x] Ran modified init — happy path: no peer dep warning, correct
finish message
- [x] Tested mismatch path (`react-native@0.81.5` vs required `0.81.6`)
— warning fires before install with clear message
- [x] TypeScript compiles cleanly
- [x] Re-enabled CI integration test (no longer depends on Verdaccio)

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: Saadnajmi

.github/workflows/microsoft-pr.yml

@@ -132,13 +132,11 @@ jobs:
     permissions: {}
     uses: ./.github/workflows/microsoft-build-rntester.yml
 
-  # https://github.com/microsoft/react-native-macos/issues/2344
-  # Disable these tests because verdaccio hangs
-  # test-react-native-macos-init:
-  #   name: "Test react-native-macos init"
-  #   permissions: {}
-  #   if: ${{ endsWith(github.base_ref, '-stable') }}
-  #   uses: ./.github/workflows/microsoft-test-react-native-macos-init.yml
+  test-react-native-macos-init:
+    name: "Test react-native-macos init"
+    permissions: {}
+    if: ${{ endsWith(github.base_ref, '-stable') }}
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/microsoft-test-react-native-macos-init.yml
 
   # https://github.com/microsoft/react-native-macos/issues/2344
   # Disable these tests because verdaccio hangs
@@ -158,7 +156,7 @@ jobs:
       - yarn-constraints
       - javascript-tests
       - build-rntester
-      # - test-react-native-macos-init
+      - test-react-native-macos-init
       # - react-native-test-app-integration
     steps:
       - name: All required jobs passed

.github/workflows/microsoft-test-react-native-macos-init.yml

@@ -32,53 +32,36 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: packages/react-native-macos-init
         run: yarn build
 
-      - name: Start Verdaccio server
+      - name: Determine React Native version
+        id: rn-version
         run: |
-          set -euo pipefail
-          nohup npx --yes verdaccio --config .ado/verdaccio/config.yaml >/dev/null 2>&1 &
-          echo $! > $RUNNER_TEMP/verdaccio.pid
-      - name: Wait for Verdaccio to be ready
-        run: node .ado/scripts/waitForVerdaccio.mjs http://localhost:4873
-
-      - name: Configure npm for Verdaccio
-        run: .ado/scripts/verdaccio.sh init
-
-      - name: Publish to Verdaccio
-        run: .ado/scripts/verdaccio.sh publish --branch origin/${{ github.base_ref }}
-
-      - name: Export versions
-        run: node .ado/scripts/export-versions.mjs
+          RN_VERSION=$(node -e "
+            const pkg = require('./packages/react-native/package.json');
+            console.log(pkg.peerDependencies['react-native']);
+          ")
+          echo "version=$RN_VERSION" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
       - name: Initialize new project
         run: |
           set -eox pipefail
-          npx --yes @react-native-community/cli init testcli --version $(cat .react_native_version) --skip-install
+          npx --yes @react-native-community/cli init testcli --version ${{ steps.rn-version.outputs.version }}
         working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}
 
-      - name: Install dependencies in new project
+      - name: Install local react-native-macos
         working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}/testcli
         run: |
           set -eox pipefail
-          yarn install --mode=update-lockfile
-          yarn install
+          npm install ${{ github.workspace }}/packages/react-native
 
       - name: Apply macOS template
         working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}/testcli
         run: |
           set -eox pipefail
-          ${{ github.workspace }}/.ado/scripts/verdaccio.sh configure
-          node ${{ github.workspace }}/packages/react-native-macos-init/bin.js --verbose --version latest --overwrite --prerelease
+          node ${{ github.workspace }}/packages/react-native-macos-init/bin.js --verbose --overwrite --prerelease
           pod install --project-directory=macos
 
       - name: Build macOS app
         working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}/testcli
         run: |
           set -eox pipefail
           npx react-native build-macos
-
-      - name: Stop Verdaccio
-        if: always()
-        run: |
-          if [ -f "$RUNNER_TEMP/verdaccio.pid" ]; then
-            kill "$(cat $RUNNER_TEMP/verdaccio.pid)" || true
-          fi

packages/react-native-macos-init/package.json

@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@
     "prepublishOnly": "npm run build"
   },
   "bin": "./bin.js",
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=20.12.0"
+  },
   "dependencies": {
-    "chalk": "^3",
     "find-up": "^4.1.0",
     "npm-registry-fetch": "^14.0.0",
     "prompts": "^2.3.0",
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@rnx-kit/tsconfig": "^2.0.0",
-    "@types/chalk": "^2.2.0",
+    "@types/node": "^22.0.0",
     "@types/npm-registry-fetch": "^8.0.0",
     "@types/prompts": "^2.0.3",
     "@types/semver": "^7.1.0",

packages/react-native-macos-init/src/cli.ts

@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
  * @format
  */
 
-import chalk from 'chalk';
 import {execSync} from 'child_process';
 import * as findUp from 'find-up';
+import {styleText} from 'node:util';
 import * as fs from 'fs';
 import * as npmFetch from 'npm-registry-fetch';
 import prompts from 'prompts';
@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@ function getNpmRegistryUrl(): string {
 }
 
 function getReactNativeAppName() {
-  console.log(`Reading ${chalk.cyan('application name')} from package.json…`);
+  console.log(
+    `Reading ${styleText('cyan', 'application name')} from package.json…`,
+  );
   const cwd = process.cwd();
   const pkgJsonPath = findUp.sync('package.json', {cwd});
   if (!pkgJsonPath) {
@@ -73,7 +75,9 @@ function getReactNativeAppName() {
   if (!name) {
     const appJsonPath = findUp.sync('app.json', {cwd});
     if (appJsonPath) {
-      console.log(`Reading ${chalk.cyan('application name')} from app.json…`);
+      console.log(
+        `Reading ${styleText('cyan', 'application name')} from app.json…`,
+      );
       name = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(appJsonPath, 'utf8')).name;
     }
   }
@@ -84,7 +88,9 @@ function getReactNativeAppName() {
 }
 
 function getPackageVersion(packageName: string, exitOnError: boolean = true) {
-  console.log(`Reading ${chalk.cyan(packageName)} version from node_modules…`);
+  console.log(
+    `Reading ${styleText('cyan', packageName)} version from node_modules…`,
+  );
 
   try {
     const pkgJsonPath = require.resolve(`${packageName}/package.json`, {
@@ -112,8 +118,8 @@ function getReactNativeMacOSVersion() {
 }
 
 function errorOutOnUnsupportedVersionOfReactNative(rnVersion: string): never {
-  const version = chalk.cyan(rnVersion);
-  const supportedVersions = chalk.cyan('>=0.60');
+  const version = styleText('cyan', rnVersion);
+  const supportedVersions = styleText('cyan', '>=0.60');
   printError(
     `Unsupported version of ${RNPKG}: ${version}\n${MACOSPKG} supports ${RNPKG} versions ${supportedVersions}`,
   );
@@ -208,16 +214,52 @@ function isProjectUsingYarn(cwd: string) {
  * Outputs decorated version of the package for the CLI
  */
 function printPkg(name: string, version?: string) {
-  return `${chalk.yellow(name)}${
-    version ? `${chalk.grey('@')}${chalk.cyan(version)}` : ''
+  return `${styleText('yellow', name)}${
+    version ? `${styleText('gray', '@')}${styleText('cyan', version)}` : ''
   }`;
 }
 
 /**
  * Prints decorated version of console.error to the CLI
  */
 function printError(message: string, ...optionalParams: any[]) {
-  console.error(chalk.red(chalk.bold(message)), ...optionalParams);
+  console.error(styleText(['red', 'bold'], message), ...optionalParams);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Checks if the resolved react-native-macos version's peer dependency on
+ * react-native is compatible with the installed version. Warns if not.
+ */
+async function validatePeerDependencies(
+  macosVersion: string,
+  installedRNVersion: string,
+): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const npmResponse = await npmFetch.json(`${MACOSPKG}/${macosVersion}`, {
+      registry: getNpmRegistryUrl(),
+    });
+    const peerDeps = (npmResponse as any).peerDependencies;
+    if (peerDeps && peerDeps[RNPKG]) {
+      const requiredRN = peerDeps[RNPKG];
+      if (!semver.satisfies(installedRNVersion, requiredRN)) {
+        console.warn(
+          styleText(
+            'yellow',
+            `\n${styleText('bold', 'Warning:')} ${printPkg(
+              MACOSPKG,
+              macosVersion,
+            )} requires ${printPkg(RNPKG, requiredRN)}, ` +
+              `but you have ${printPkg(
+                RNPKG,
+                installedRNVersion,
+              )} installed.\n`,
+          ),
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // Non-fatal — if we can't check, proceed anyway
+  }
 }
 
 (async () => {
@@ -243,29 +285,38 @@ function printError(message: string, ...optionalParams: any[]) {
 
     if (!argv.version) {
       console.log(
-        `Latest matching version of ${chalk.green(MACOSPKG)} for ${printPkg(
-          RNPKG,
-          reactNativeVersion,
-        )} is ${printPkg(MACOSPKG, reactNativeMacOSResolvedVersion)}.`,
+        `Latest matching version of ${styleText(
+          'green',
+          MACOSPKG,
+        )} for ${printPkg(RNPKG, reactNativeVersion)} is ${printPkg(
+          MACOSPKG,
+          reactNativeMacOSResolvedVersion,
+        )}.`,
       );
 
       if (semver.prerelease(reactNativeMacOSResolvedVersion)) {
         console.warn(
           `
-${printPkg(MACOSPKG, reactNativeMacOSResolvedVersion)} is a ${chalk.bgYellow(
+${printPkg(MACOSPKG, reactNativeMacOSResolvedVersion)} is a ${styleText(
+            'bgYellow',
             'pre-release',
           )} version.
 The latest supported version is ${printPkg(
             MACOSPKG,
             reactNativeMacOSLatestVersion,
           )}.
-You can either downgrade your version of ${chalk.yellow(RNPKG)} to ${chalk.cyan(
+You can either downgrade your version of ${styleText(
+            'yellow',
+            RNPKG,
+          )} to ${styleText(
+            'cyan',
             getMatchingReactNativeSemVerForReactNativeMacOSVersion(
               reactNativeMacOSLatestVersion,
             ),
-          )}, or continue with a ${chalk.bgYellow(
+          )}, or continue with a ${styleText(
+            'bgYellow',
             'pre-release',
-          )} version of ${chalk.yellow(MACOSPKG)}.
+          )} version of ${styleText('yellow', MACOSPKG)}.
 `,
         );
 
@@ -288,6 +339,11 @@ You can either downgrade your version of ${chalk.yellow(RNPKG)} to ${chalk.cyan(
       }
     }
 
+    await validatePeerDependencies(
+      reactNativeMacOSResolvedVersion,
+      reactNativeVersion,
+    );
+
     const pkgLatest = printPkg(MACOSPKG, version);
 
     if (reactNativeMacOSResolvedVersion !== reactNativeMacOSVersion) {
@@ -298,15 +354,44 @@ You can either downgrade your version of ${chalk.yellow(RNPKG)} to ${chalk.cyan(
       );
 
       const pkgmgr = isProjectUsingYarn(process.cwd())
-        ? `yarn add${verbose ? '' : ' --silent'}`
-        : `npm install --save${verbose ? '' : ' --silent'}`;
+        ? 'yarn add'
+        : 'npm install --save';
       const execOptions = verbose ? {stdio: 'inherit' as const} : {};
-      execSync(`${pkgmgr} "${MACOSPKG}@${version}"`, execOptions);
 
-      console.log(`${pkgLatest} ${chalk.green('successfully installed!')}`);
+      try {
+        execSync(`${pkgmgr} "${MACOSPKG}@${version}"`, execOptions);
+      } catch (e: any) {
+        // When not verbose, execSync captures output in the error object
+        if (!verbose) {
+          if (e.stderr) {
+            console.error(e.stderr.toString());
+          }
+          if (e.stdout) {
+            console.log(e.stdout.toString());
+          }
+        }
+        printError(
+          `Failed to install ${printPkg(MACOSPKG, version)}.\n` +
+            `This can happen if there is a peer dependency mismatch between ` +
+            `${RNPKG} and ${MACOSPKG}.\n` +
+            `Check that your installed version of ${styleText(
+              'yellow',
+              RNPKG,
+            )} is compatible ` +
+            `with ${printPkg(MACOSPKG, version)}.`,
+        );
+        process.exit(EXITCODE_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
+      }
+
+      console.log(
+        `${pkgLatest} ${styleText('green', 'successfully installed!')}`,
+      );
     } else {
       console.log(
-        `${chalk.green('Latest version')} of ${pkgLatest} already installed.`,
+        `${styleText(
+          'green',
+          'Latest version',
+        )} of ${pkgLatest} already installed.`,
       );
     }
 

packages/react-native/local-cli/generate-macos.js

@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 const {
   copyProjectTemplateAndReplace,
-  installDependencies,
   printFinishMessage,
 } = require('./generator-macos');
 const fs = require('fs');
@@ -21,8 +20,6 @@ function generateMacOS (projectDir, name, options) {
     fs.mkdirSync(projectDir);
   }
 
-  installDependencies(options);
-
   copyProjectTemplateAndReplace(
     path.join(__dirname, 'generator-macos', 'templates'),
     projectDir,

packages/react-native/local-cli/generator-common/index.js

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 // @ts-check
 
 // @noflow
-const chalk = require('chalk');
 const fs = require('fs');
+const { styleText } = require('node:util');
 const path = require('path');
 
 // Copied from `copyAndReplace` in react-native-community/cli as it's deleted in newer versions
@@ -330,11 +330,11 @@ function alwaysOverwriteContentChangedCallback(
   contentChanged
 ) {
   if (contentChanged === 'new') {
-    console.log(`${chalk.bold('new')} ${relativeDestPath}`);
+    console.log(`${styleText('bold','new')} ${relativeDestPath}`);
     return 'overwrite';
   }
   if (contentChanged === 'changed') {
-    console.log(`${chalk.bold('changed')} ${relativeDestPath} ${chalk.yellow('[overwriting]')}`);
+    console.log(`${styleText('bold','changed')} ${relativeDestPath} ${styleText('yellow','[overwriting]')}`);
     return 'overwrite';
   }
   if (contentChanged === 'identical') {
@@ -351,12 +351,12 @@ function upgradeFileContentChangedCallback(
   contentChanged
 ) {
   if (contentChanged === 'new') {
-    console.log(`${chalk.bold('new')} ${relativeDestPath}`);
+    console.log(`${styleText('bold','new')} ${relativeDestPath}`);
     return 'overwrite';
   }
   if (contentChanged === 'changed') {
     console.log(
-      `${chalk.bold(relativeDestPath)} ` +
+      `${styleText('bold',relativeDestPath)} ` +
       `has changed in the new version.\nDo you want to keep your ${relativeDestPath} or replace it with the ` +
       'latest version?\nIf you ever made any changes ' +
       'to this file, you\'ll probably want to keep it.\n' +