REVERT opcode in factory pattern when using a forked chain

When working with a forked chain, transactions that create a contract and call a function of the newly created contract are REVERTED.

Expected Behavior

Such transactions execute successfully on a non-forked ganache-cli instance or on the target chain (goerli or mainnet). They should behave the same on a forked ganache chain.

Current Behavior

Transaction REVERT’s with

Error: Returned error: VM Exception while processing transaction: revert
    at XMLHttpRequest._onHttpResponseEnd (/Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/xhr2-cookies/dist/xml-http-request.js:318:1)
    at XMLHttpRequest._setReadyState (/Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/xhr2-cookies/dist/xml-http-request.js:208:1)
    at XMLHttpRequestEventTarget.dispatchEvent (/Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/xhr2-cookies/dist/xml-http-request-event-target.js:34:1)
    at XMLHttpRequest.request.onreadystatechange (/Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/web3/~/web3-providers-http/src/index.js:96:1)
    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/packages/truffle-provider/wrapper.js:112:1
    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/web3-eth/~/web3-core-requestmanager/src/index.js:140:1
    at Object.ErrorResponse (/Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/truffle/build/webpack:/~/web3-eth/~/web3-core-helpers/src/errors.js:29:1)

Transaction details output from running ganache-cli fork in verbose mode:

eth_sendTransaction
   > {
   >   "jsonrpc": "2.0",
   >   "id": 9,
   >   "method": "eth_sendTransaction",
   >   "params": [
   >     {
   >       "from": "0x7afb67a48c6a3e5c15a36454a6e7602dbcdd3b5f",
   >       "gas": "0x6691b7",
   >       "to": "0x79073fc2117dd054fcedacad1e7018c9cbe3ec0b",
   >       "data": "0x08eb0d2c000000000000000000000000d468b86abb0c58f0b948b36a8769829abd66d8af",
   >       "gasPrice": "0x4a817c800"
   >     }
   >   ]
   > }
 <   {
 <     "id": 9,
 <     "jsonrpc": "2.0",
 <     "result": "0x4c7878844a77133d9fbaebfeabb59f7e2b952f0531dc3344ac51b78556536d3b",
 <     "error": {
 <       "message": "VM Exception while processing transaction: revert",
 <       "code": -32000,
 <       "data": {
 <         "0x4c7878844a77133d9fbaebfeabb59f7e2b952f0531dc3344ac51b78556536d3b": {
 <           "error": "revert",
 <           "program_counter": 297,
 <           "return": "0x"
 <         },
 <         "stack": "o: VM Exception while processing transaction: revert\n    at Function.o.fromResults (/Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:10:81931)\n    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:47:115772\n    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:47:96183\n    at p (/Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:47:95840)\n    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:47:95893\n    at t.default (/Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:52:475253)\n    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:47:96807\n    at w.n.emit (/Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:61:1211582)\n    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:61:1850380\n    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:61:1850403\n    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:61:500010\n    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:2:26262\n    at i (/Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:2:41317)\n    at /Users/Elena/colonyNetwork/node_modules/ganache-cli/build/ganache-core.node.cli.js:2:21785\n    at process._tickCallback (internal/process/next_tick.js:61:11)",
 <         "name": "o"
 <       }
 <     }
 <   }

Possible Solution

Although this issue bears resemblance to https://github.com/trufflesuite/ganache-cli/issues/646 , testing the failing transactions with passing the max gas (using { gas: '0x6691b7' }) doesn’t produce different results.

We have also tested whether this is a regression bug introduced in the recent --fork logic fixes. However the issue persists with all of the following ganache-cli versions going back to January this year: 6.4.4-beta.0 6.4.3 6.4.3-beta.0 6.4.2 6.4.0 6.3.0

Steps to Reproduce (for bugs)

To reproduce against a goerli fork run the following in a truffle console after forking the chain:

const colonyNetwork = await IColonyNetwork.at("0x79073fc2117dD054FCEdaCad1E7018C9CbE3ec0B")

await colonyNetwork.createColony("0xD468b86aBB0C58F0B948b36a8769829aBD66d8AF")
Error: Returned error: VM Exception while processing transaction: revert
    at XMLHttpRequest._onHttpResponseEnd 

The createColony call is one of the few factory methods we use to instantiate a new Colony in the network. The others are initialiseReputationMining and startNetCycle methods on IColonyNetwork which exhibit the same behaviour. You’ll need the IColonyNetwork build artefact from https://github.com/JoinColony/colonyNetwork/tree/develop/contracts

Context

We are currently blocked and unable to test key areas of functionality in the Colony Network on testnet and mainnet. Also it blocks any regression testing we can do on new functionality and fixes. Basically it blocks our go-live.

Your Environment

• Version used: 6.4.3
• Version of Truffle/Remix/Other tools used: Truffle v5.0.18 (core: 5.0.18) Solidity - 0.5.8 (solc-js) Node v10.12.0 Web3.js v1.0.0-beta.37
• Operating System and version (include distro if Linux): OSX
• Link to your project or repro gist: https://github.com/JoinColony/colonyNetwork
• Commit hash to use with above link for reproduction: latest

[area]

I’m testing with the current beta, and it looks like this is fixed - many thanks! Looking forward to the mainline release!

[niklasb]

I have personally also run into your second issue. I filed an issue for this at https://github.com/trufflesuite/ganache-core/issues/454 @davidmurdoch which includes a minimal reproducer.