Block styles missing when using symlink and separate core block assets

[lukasbesch]

I noticed core block styles were missing, but only on production/staging.
It could be temporarily fixed by setting the should_load_separate_core_block_assets filter to false or by deleting the transient wp_core_block_css_files. This is what I found out:

The theme was a custom block theme, but even after switching to Twenty Twenty Three the problem remained.

I am deploying my sites using Trellis: there is a release directory for every release, and current symlink that will be updated once the deployment succeeded.

After deploying, I also pushed my database and search/replaced URL/Domain. The path to WordPress stays the same (/srv/www/examplesite/current), with one difference:
Locally, current is an actual directory.
On the remote server, it is a symlink pointing to the release (e.g. /srv/www/examplesite/releases/20230828160120).

That seems to break something in the function register_core_block_style_handles.

After deleting the transient wp_core_block_css_files, it works again.
The transient is deleted during WordPress upgrades.
Example before deleting:

$ wp transient get wp_core_block_css_files
array (
  0 => '/srv/www/examplesite/current/web/wp/wp-includes/blocks/archives/editor-rtl.css',
  ...

Example after deleting/regenerated version:

$ wp transient get wp_core_block_css_files
array (
  0 => '/srv/www/examplesite/releases/20230828160120/web/wp/wp-includes/blocks/archives/editor-rtl.css',
  ...

I know this is very much an edge case, and you're probably supposed to delete the transients anyway after migrating a database. But still, I wanted to report it.

[lukasbesch]

This problem happens after every deployment, as the release path changes every time. Maybe there should be a check if the base path is still valid. Right now, the transient has no expiration date and will only be regenerated on upgrades.

[petitphp]

Hi @lukasbesch

Thanks for the ticket and the detailed description. The issue with the wp_core_block_css_files transient breaking if the path changed is already tracked in #59111 where a patch is being tested.

I'm going to close this issue as duplicate. Feel free to continue the discussion in #59111.

Thanks again for reporting this issue !