Can't make NG_PERSISTENT_BUILD_CACHE work

[QuentinFarizon]

🐞 Bug report

Command (mark with an x)

• new
• build
• serve
• test
• e2e
• generate
• add
• update
• lint
• extract-i18n
• run
• config
• help
• version
• doc

Description

I am trying to use the new NG_PERSISTENT_BUILD_CACHE=1 variable, but I don't see any improvements at all, so I'm looking to understand why it doesn't work.

I have debugged in Angular code to verify that NG_BUILD_CACHE is set (it is) and that NG_PERSISTENT_BUILD_CACHE is available in process.env (it is).

By debugging, I saw that this cache is supposed to be in node_modules/.cache/angular-webpack
Yet after a build I see nothing there.

What am I missing ?

🌍 Your Environment

Angular CLI: 12.1.0
Node: 14.17.0
Package Manager: npm 7.20.0
OS: linux x64

Angular: 12.1.0
... animations, cdk, cli, common, compiler, compiler-cli, core
... forms, language-service, material, platform-browser
... platform-browser-dynamic, router

Package                         Version
---------------------------------------------------------
@angular-devkit/architect       0.1201.0
@angular-devkit/build-angular   12.1.0
@angular-devkit/core            12.1.0
@angular-devkit/schematics      12.1.0
@angular/fire                   6.1.5
@schematics/angular             12.1.0
rxjs                            7.0.0-beta.10
typescript                      4.2.4

[alan-agius4]

Indeed the cache is saved in node_modules/.cache/angular-webpack

Does this behaviour effect all builders in your case, or just a specific one?

Without a reproduction it would be hard to investigate this issue.

[QuentinFarizon]

After verifying, it works with serve, but not with build.

I am using Ionic, so I see that behaviour by running ionic cordova build android (doesn't work) vs ionic cordova run android -l (works)

[QuentinFarizon]

I have reproduced with an blank Ionic project.

ionic start myApp blank --type angular
cd myApp
NG_PERSISTENT_BUILD_CACHE=1 ionic cordova build android
ls node_modules/.cache  -> nothing