fix: resolve ERR_REQUIRE_ESM by using dynamic import for inquirer (#1278)

Inquirer v9+ is ESM-only, causing ERR_REQUIRE_ESM when loaded via
require() in CommonJS. Convert all require('inquirer') calls to
dynamic import('inquirer') across 8 CLI files.

Fixes #1197

tools/cli/commands/install.js

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 const chalk = require('chalk');
 const path = require('node:path');
-const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
 const { Installer } = require('../installers/lib/core/installer');
 const { UI } = require('../lib/ui');
 
@@ -72,6 +71,7 @@ module.exports = {
           console.log(chalk.dim('  • ElevenLabs AI (150+ premium voices)'));
           console.log(chalk.dim('  • Piper TTS (50+ free voices)\n'));
 
+          const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
           await inquirer.prompt([
             {
               type: 'input',

tools/cli/installers/lib/core/config-collector.js

@@ -2,10 +2,18 @@ const path = require('node:path');
 const fs = require('fs-extra');
 const yaml = require('yaml');
 const chalk = require('chalk');
-const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
 const { getProjectRoot, getModulePath } = require('../../../lib/project-root');
 const { CLIUtils } = require('../../../lib/cli-utils');
 
+// Lazy-load inquirer (ESM module) to avoid ERR_REQUIRE_ESM
+let _inquirer = null;
+async function getInquirer() {
+  if (!_inquirer) {
+    _inquirer = (await import('inquirer')).default;
+  }
+  return _inquirer;
+}
+
 class ConfigCollector {
   constructor() {
     this.collectedConfig = {};
@@ -175,6 +183,7 @@ class ConfigCollector {
    * @returns {boolean} True if new fields were prompted, false if all fields existed
    */
   async collectModuleConfigQuick(moduleName, projectDir, silentMode = true) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     this.currentProjectDir = projectDir;
 
     // Load existing config if not already loaded
@@ -493,6 +502,7 @@ class ConfigCollector {
    * @param {boolean} skipCompletion - Skip showing completion message (for early core collection)
    */
   async collectModuleConfig(moduleName, projectDir, skipLoadExisting = false, skipCompletion = false) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     this.currentProjectDir = projectDir;
     // Load existing config if needed and not already loaded
     if (!skipLoadExisting && !this.existingConfig) {

tools/cli/installers/lib/core/installer.js

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ const path = require('node:path');
 const fs = require('fs-extra');
 const chalk = require('chalk');
 const ora = require('ora');
-const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
 const { Detector } = require('./detector');
 const { Manifest } = require('./manifest');
 const { ModuleManager } = require('../modules/manager');
@@ -2140,7 +2139,7 @@ class Installer {
    * Private: Prompt for update action
    */
   async promptUpdateAction() {
-    const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
+    const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
     return await inquirer.prompt([
       {
         type: 'list',
@@ -2157,7 +2156,7 @@ class Installer {
    * @param {Object} _legacyV4 - Legacy V4 detection result (unused in simplified version)
    */
   async handleLegacyV4Migration(_projectDir, _legacyV4) {
-    const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
+    const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
 
     console.log('');
     console.log(chalk.yellow.bold('⚠️  Legacy BMAD v4 detected'));
@@ -2438,7 +2437,7 @@ class Installer {
 
     console.log(chalk.yellow(`\n⚠️  Found ${customModulesWithMissingSources.length} custom module(s) with missing sources:`));
 
-    const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
+    const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
     let keptCount = 0;
     let updatedCount = 0;
     let removedCount = 0;

tools/cli/installers/lib/ide/antigravity.js

@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class AntigravitySetup extends BaseIdeSetup {
 
             if (config.subagentChoices.install !== 'none') {
               // Ask for installation location
-              const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
+              const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
               const locationAnswer = await inquirer.prompt([
                 {
                   type: 'list',
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ class AntigravitySetup extends BaseIdeSetup {
         choices = await this.promptSubagentInstallation(config.subagents);
 
         if (choices.install !== 'none') {
-          const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
+          const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
           const locationAnswer = await inquirer.prompt([
             {
               type: 'list',
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ class AntigravitySetup extends BaseIdeSetup {
    * Prompt user for subagent installation preferences
    */
   async promptSubagentInstallation(subagentConfig) {
-    const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
+    const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
 
     // First ask if they want to install subagents
     const { install } = await inquirer.prompt([

tools/cli/installers/lib/ide/claude-code.js

@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class ClaudeCodeSetup extends BaseIdeSetup {
 
             if (config.subagentChoices.install !== 'none') {
               // Ask for installation location
-              const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
+              const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
               const locationAnswer = await inquirer.prompt([
                 {
                   type: 'list',
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ class ClaudeCodeSetup extends BaseIdeSetup {
         choices = await this.promptSubagentInstallation(config.subagents);
 
         if (choices.install !== 'none') {
-          const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
+          const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
           const locationAnswer = await inquirer.prompt([
             {
               type: 'list',
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ class ClaudeCodeSetup extends BaseIdeSetup {
    * Prompt user for subagent installation preferences
    */
   async promptSubagentInstallation(subagentConfig) {
-    const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
+    const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
 
     // First ask if they want to install subagents
     const { install } = await inquirer.prompt([

tools/cli/installers/lib/ide/codex.js

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class CodexSetup extends BaseIdeSetup {
    * @returns {Object} Collected configuration
    */
   async collectConfiguration(options = {}) {
-    const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
+    const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
 
     let confirmed = false;
     let installLocation = 'global';

tools/cli/installers/lib/ide/github-copilot.js

@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 const path = require('node:path');
 const { BaseIdeSetup } = require('./_base-ide');
 const chalk = require('chalk');
-const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
 const { AgentCommandGenerator } = require('./shared/agent-command-generator');
 
 /**
@@ -22,6 +21,7 @@ class GitHubCopilotSetup extends BaseIdeSetup {
    * @returns {Object} Collected configuration
    */
   async collectConfiguration(options = {}) {
+    const { default: inquirer } = await import('inquirer');
     const config = {};
 
     console.log('\n' + chalk.blue('  🔧 VS Code Settings Configuration'));

tools/cli/lib/ui.js

@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
 const chalk = require('chalk');
-const inquirer = require('inquirer').default || require('inquirer');
 const path = require('node:path');
 const os = require('node:os');
 const fs = require('fs-extra');
 const { CLIUtils } = require('./cli-utils');
 const { CustomHandler } = require('../installers/lib/custom/handler');
 
+// Lazy-load inquirer (ESM module) to avoid ERR_REQUIRE_ESM
+let _inquirer = null;
+async function getInquirer() {
+  if (!_inquirer) {
+    _inquirer = (await import('inquirer')).default;
+  }
+  return _inquirer;
+}
+
 /**
  * UI utilities for the installer
  */
@@ -15,6 +23,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {Object} Installation configuration
    */
   async promptInstall() {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     CLIUtils.displayLogo();
 
     // Display version-specific start message from install-messages.yaml
@@ -450,6 +459,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {Object} Tool configuration
    */
   async promptToolSelection(projectDir, selectedModules) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     // Check for existing configured IDEs - use findBmadDir to detect custom folder names
     const { Detector } = require('../installers/lib/core/detector');
     const { Installer } = require('../installers/lib/core/installer');
@@ -582,6 +592,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {Object} Update configuration
    */
   async promptUpdate() {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     const answers = await inquirer.prompt([
       {
         type: 'confirm',
@@ -606,6 +617,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {Array} Selected modules
    */
   async promptModules(modules) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     const choices = modules.map((mod) => ({
       name: `${mod.name} - ${mod.description}`,
       value: mod.id,
@@ -637,6 +649,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {boolean} User confirmation
    */
   async confirm(message, defaultValue = false) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     const { confirmed } = await inquirer.prompt([
       {
         type: 'confirm',
@@ -743,6 +756,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {Array} Module choices for inquirer
    */
   async getModuleChoices(installedModuleIds, customContentConfig = null) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     const moduleChoices = [];
     const isNewInstallation = installedModuleIds.size === 0;
 
@@ -823,6 +837,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {Array} Selected module IDs
    */
   async selectModules(moduleChoices, defaultSelections = []) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     const moduleAnswer = await inquirer.prompt([
       {
         type: 'checkbox',
@@ -843,6 +858,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {Object} Directory answer from inquirer
    */
   async promptForDirectory() {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     return await inquirer.prompt([
       {
         type: 'input',
@@ -899,6 +915,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {boolean} Whether user confirmed
    */
   async confirmDirectory(directory) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     const dirExists = await fs.pathExists(directory);
 
     if (dirExists) {
@@ -1085,6 +1102,7 @@ class UI {
    * - GitHub Issue: paulpreibisch/AgentVibes#36
    */
   async promptAgentVibes(projectDir) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     CLIUtils.displaySection('🎤 Voice Features', 'Enable TTS for multi-agent conversations');
 
     // Check if AgentVibes is already installed
@@ -1235,6 +1253,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {Object} Custom content configuration
    */
   async promptCustomContentSource() {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     const customContentConfig = { hasCustomContent: true, sources: [] };
 
     // Keep asking for more sources until user is done
@@ -1372,6 +1391,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {Object} Result with selected custom modules and custom content config
    */
   async handleCustomModulesInModifyFlow(directory, selectedModules) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     // Get existing installation to find custom modules
     const { existingInstall } = await this.getExistingInstallation(directory);
 
@@ -1566,6 +1586,7 @@ class UI {
    * @returns {Promise<boolean>} True if user wants to proceed, false if they cancel
    */
   async showOldAlphaVersionWarning(installedVersion, currentVersion, bmadFolderName) {
+    const inquirer = await getInquirer();
     const versionInfo = this.checkAlphaVersionAge(installedVersion, currentVersion);
 
     // Also warn if version is unknown or can't be parsed (legacy/unsupported)