@solana/spl-token createMint() is broken with custom program error: 0xc / Invalid instruction after version 0.34

Question

Note there's a similar question at solana token program 0xc Invalid Instruction - but the 'answer' is to simply downgrade metaplex. I (and probably many other people on Solana) would like to use fixes in current version of metaplex

I'm using createMint() from @solana/spl-token 0.3.4 and it works fine:

import { createMint } from "@solana/spl-token";
const mintAccountPublicKey = await createMint(
  connection,
  payer,
  mintAuthority,
  null, 
  decimals
);

Again, this works fine and creates a mint.

When I upgrade @solana/spl-token to 0.3.5 (or upgrade Metaplex which upgrades spl-token) createMint() breaks:

ERRROR failed to send transaction: Transaction simulation failed: Error processing Instruction 1: custom program error: 0xc

I know from error.rs that 0xc is Invalid instruction.

Update: I have filed the bug with spl. Also note this question was originally tagged with metaplex - the issue only relates to metaplex because metaplex updates spl-token to 0.3.5 or newer. I have removed the metaplex tag as metaplex is not at fault, and edited the question accordingly.

Answer 1

Answering my own question to help others. Thanks to joncinque for solving this.

You need to regularly update your local validator, which includes a newer version of the Solana and the spl-token on-chain programs, to match your @solana/web3.js and @solana/spl-token updates.

Ledger location: test-ledger
Log: test-ledger/validator.log
⠤ Initializing...
Identity: HATCjKKDuCS547rmVH1t31zpiJShXnffRqLwR8fAYwZC
Genesis Hash: 82Qc3cFQUTDCYfLZEDGynywx2EhXzeHat4G1bWQV6pg7
Version: 1.9.30

1.9.30 is too old. You can see the current version of Solana used in production with the command solana validators:

Stake By Version:
1.15.3  -    0 current validators ( 0.00%)   1 delinquent validators ( 0.00%)
1.15.2  -    0 current validators ( 0.00%)   1 delinquent validators ( 0.01%)
1.15.1  -    0 current validators ( 0.00%)   1 delinquent validators ( 0.02%)
1.15.0  -    1 current validators ( 0.02%)
1.14.15 -  435 current validators (10.35%)  29 delinquent validators ( 0.30%)
1.14.13 -    4 current validators ( 0.05%)   4 delinquent validators ( 0.00%)
1.14.11 -    1 current validators ( 0.00%)
1.14.10 -    1 current validators ( 0.01%)
1.14.5  -    0 current validators ( 0.00%)   5 delinquent validators ( 0.09%)
1.13.7  -    1 current validators ( 0.13%)
1.13.6  - 1199 current validators (32.70%)  34 delinquent validators ( 0.26%)
1.13.5  -  723 current validators (54.54%)  20 delinquent validators ( 0.04%)
1.13.4  -   10 current validators ( 0.53%)   1 delinquent validators ( 0.02%)
1.13.3  -   12 current validators ( 0.36%)
1.13.1  -    0 current validators ( 0.00%)   1 delinquent validators ( 0.00%)
1.9.12  -    0 current validators ( 0.00%)   1 delinquent validators ( 0.00%)
1.8.14  -    0 current validators ( 0.00%)   1 delinquent validators ( 0.00%)
unknown -    1 current validators ( 0.00%) 614 delinquent validators ( 0.56%)

After upgrading:

Ledger location: test-ledger
Log: test-ledger/validator.log
⠁ Initializing...
Waiting for fees to stabilize 1...
Identity: 6uDKZaJJyYdJ2m12DJZAoqfhoshfSXCgRxxz8DswNgwZ
Genesis Hash: 8borh5LdxMdB126h4pX1sisEMANqAeeueEkiSDvJcBRx
Version: 1.15.2

And re-running the test above, 1.15.2 solves the problem.