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Aleksandr Kossarev
Aleksandr Kossarev

Posted on • Originally published at gist.github.com

How I Fixed "pthread_create: Invalid argument" in Node.js (ROCm + Bleeding Edge Linux)

#problemsolving

Every. Single. Time. 🤦‍♂️

My Setup (aka "The Perfect Storm")

Before we dive in, here's what I was working with:

  • 🖥️ Linux 6.14 (yes, bleeding edge)
  • 🧠 Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (hybrid P/E cores)
  • 🎮 AMD RadeonPro W7900 with ROCm 7.0.2
  • 📦 Node.js 22.21.0
  • 🔧 glibc 2.39

Sounds like a developer's dream setup, right? Well...

The Debugging Journey

Phase 1: All the Standard Stuff (That Didn't Work)

I tried everything you'd find on Stack Overflow:

  • ❌ Clearing npm cache
  • ❌ Rebuilding Node.js from source
  • ❌ Adjusting ulimit settings
  • ❌ Playing with UV_THREADPOOL_SIZE
  • ❌ Different Node.js versions

Nothing. The error kept coming back like a boomerang.

Phase 2: Getting Serious

At this point, I started questioning everything. Is it the hybrid CPU? The kernel version? Thread pool size?

# Testing CPU affinity
$ taskset -c 0-11 node -v
node[10234]: pthread_create: Invalid argument  # Nope

# Testing thread pool
$ UV_THREADPOOL_SIZE=1 node -v
node[10256]: pthread_create: Invalid argument  # Nope

# Testing glibc rseq
$ GLIBC_TUNABLES=glibc.pthread.rseq=0 node -v
node[10312]: pthread_create: Invalid argument  # Still nope
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Phase 3: The Breakthrough 💡

Finally, I pulled out the big guns: LD_DEBUG

$ LD_DEBUG=libs node -e "console.log('test')" 2>&1 | grep -i pthread
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And there it was:

/opt/rocm-7.0.2/lib/libamdhip64.so.7: error: symbol lookup error:
  undefined symbol: pthread_setaffinity_np (fatal)
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EUREKA! 🎉

The culprit wasn't Node.js at all. It was ROCm's LD_PRELOAD polluting the environment!

$ env | grep LD_PRELOAD
LD_PRELOAD=/opt/rocm-7.0.2/lib/libMIOpen.so
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The Solution: Wrapper Scripts

Here's the clever part: I needed Node.js to work WITHOUT breaking ROCm for my GPU workloads.

Solution: Environment isolation through wrapper scripts.

Step 1: Create the wrappers

File: ~/.local/bin/node

#!/bin/bash
# Isolate Node.js from ROCm's LD_PRELOAD
unset LD_PRELOAD
exec /usr/bin/node "$@"
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File: ~/.local/bin/npm

#!/bin/bash
# Isolate npm from ROCm's LD_PRELOAD
unset LD_PRELOAD
exec /usr/bin/npm "$@"
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Step 2: Make them executable 

chmod +x ~/.local/bin/node ~/.local/bin/npm
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Step 3: Fix your PATH (CRITICAL!)

Edit ~/.bashrc and make sure ~/.local/bin comes FIRST:

# WRONG (wrapper won't be used):
export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local/bin"

# RIGHT (wrapper will be used):
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
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Apply changes:

source ~/.bashrc
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Step 4: Verify 

$ which node
/home/user/.local/bin/node  # ✅ Our wrapper!

$ node -v
v22.21.0  # ✅ NO ERROR! 🎉

$ npm -v
10.9.4  # ✅ Clean!
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Why This Works

The wrapper creates a clean environment for Node.js while keeping ROCm functional for other applications:

  • ✅ Node.js runs without LD_PRELOAD pollution
  • ✅ ROCm still works for GPU applications
  • ✅ Transparent to all programs (terminal, IDE, scripts)
  • ✅ Easy to maintain and rollback

The Technical Deep-Dive

Want to know why this happens? It's a "perfect storm":

  1. ROCm's LD_PRELOAD forces its libraries to load first
  2. These libraries have undefined symbols (pthread_setaffinity_np)
  3. Node.js 22 tries to create threads with these broken symbols in scope
  4. Result: pthread_create() returns EINVAL (errno 22)

The kicker? The program still works because:

  • Main threads are already created
  • The error happens in additional worker threads
  • Node.js libuv handles the error gracefully

But it's still annoying as hell to see on every run. 😅

Lessons Learned

  1. Bleeding edge = cutting yourself - Latest kernel + glibc + Node.js = unexpected interactions
  2. LD_PRELOAD is dangerous - It affects every dynamically linked program
  3. Deep tracing saves the day - LD_DEBUG found the issue in one shot
  4. Constraints breed creativity - "Don't touch ROCm" → wrapper pattern
  5. PATH order matters - First match wins!

Full Documentation

I've documented the entire diagnostic process, alternative solutions considered, and technical details in a comprehensive PSP (Problem-Solution Pattern):

📄 Complete PSP on GitHub Gist

Conclusion

If you're seeing pthread_create: Invalid argument with Node.js and you have AMD GPU with ROCm installed, check for LD_PRELOAD pollution. The wrapper script solution is clean, maintainable, and doesn't break your GPU workflows.

Have you encountered similar issues with environment variable pollution? Let me know in the comments! 👇

Stats:

  • ⏱️ Time to debug: 2.5 hours
  • 🧪 Hypotheses tested: 8+
  • 🎯 Tools used: LD_DEBUG, strace, lscpu, ulimit
  • 💪 Complexity: 5/5
  • 🏅 Satisfaction: ∞

debugging #linux #nodejs #amd #problemsolving

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