asar target and prepackaged option support for it

[pauliusuza]

• electron-builder 11.2.3:

• OSX:

Builder crashes when trying to package app with --prepackaged command with the following error:

Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, 
open '/Users/pro/repository/desktop_app/dist/mac/Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/app-update.yml'
at /Users/pro/repository/desktop_app/node_modules/electron-builder/src/macPackager.ts:101:13

In my package.json:
{"dist": "npm run compile && build --prepackaged ./asar"}
where ./asar is the folder containing app.asar, core.asar and node_modules.asar files

What I want is to be able to point electron-builder into a folder containing app.asar and it would package the apps for distribution.

[develar]

@pauliusuza Crash fixed. But prepackaged is not for your use case. @wojtkowiak Could you please share your experience — how do you use already packed asar files?

[pauliusuza]

So I found a temporary workaround by packing app.asar through the electron-builder, and including the remaining .asar files through extraResources key:

"build": {
    "asar": true,
    "files": [
      "!**",
      "index.js",
      "package.json"
    ],
    "extraResources": [
      {
        "from": "asar",
        "to": ""
      }
    ]
}

However, it would be really great if electron builder would have a feature which would simply pack the whole folder and it's contents if it has app.asar file without running additional checks.

build --fromAsar ./path/to/folder/containing/app.asar_file/

Would you consider adding this feature?

[develar]

@pauliusuza It is already supported (#759)

without running additional checks

What error do you get?

[wojtkowiak]

I am not sure what this problem is actually about.
@pauliusuza if you are packing your app to asars yourself you just need to turn off asar packing in electron-builder, the rest should work. I am using electron-builder programmatically so I am just setting asar to false in build options. @develar is there a cli switch for that?

[pauliusuza]

@develar it's checking for package.json and index.js files, so if I simply point it to a folder with asar files the build step fails.

[develar]

@pauliusuza So — you have some folder where asar files are located (app.asar is required, no other electron files) and just want to pack it into .app or .dmg or any other electron-buidler target?

Just curious — why electron-builder is not suitable to produce required asar files?

[pauliusuza]

@develar yes. Mostly for flexibility - we want to separate the build process and packaging process. Asar files would be built in one CI process (which is complex and takes more time) and stored on a cdn, and packaging would run in another process on demand.

We have a use case where we need to be able to build 20-30 different apps on demand on CI re-using same .asar files, but only changing app name and branding.

[develar]

Asar files would be built in one CI process

Using electron-builder? Or using asar tool programmatically? I just want to understand to be sure that implemented solution will be the best solution (not workaround).

[pauliusuza]

Sure, thanks.

1. The first step of the process would be running asar tool programmatically (through gulp or npm script) and pack the required files into .asar archives, it would then store those .asar files into a CDN. This would run on CI on each commit.

2. Second step would be executed on demand. It would fetch the latest .asar files from CDN, store them into a folder, apply required customization / branding, and run electron builder to pack all of this into a distributable format.

[develar]

Got it. So:

1. New target asar will be added. electron-builder will just pack your app into app.asar.
2. --prepackaged will detect — is it fully prepackaged directory (has electron files) or not.

[pauliusuza]

@develar thanks, that sounds good

[pauliusuza]

So just a note for --prepackaged /dir
If app.asar already exists in the /dir, then it should check for existence of the package.json and index.js files inside the app.asar file, and not in the /dir folder itself.

[pauliusuza]

@develar I posted a 50$ bounty for this.

[develar]

Solution: just use electron-builder in a standard way. But your project directory must contain:

• app.asar and other files.

If electron-builder cannot find package.json in the project directory, app.asar will be used a source of project metadata.

Caveats:

• files, extraResources and extraFiles are not taken in account. All content in the project directory copied as is. Default exclusion rules are still applied (so, you don't need to worry.
• two-package.json structure is not supported. Because no dev package.json in the asar.app.
• if you build deb, you must specify homepage in the package.json Default discovery doesn't work because no git repository
• repository also cannot be detected automatically — required for publishing (if publish config doesn't contain all required information).
• electron-builder.yml is taken in account and can define some extra config here. If you use electron-builder.yml to package your app.asar — you must copy it to the project directory (alongside side your packaged app.asar).

Easy possible solution to provide additional data: using --em (to set standard package.json fields) or --em.build (to set config) e.g.

--em.repository="develar/repo

This comment in progress — I will update as soon functionality is pushed/updated.

[develar]

Issue closed — please try 12.3.0.

I posted a 50$ bounty for this.

If you want, you can donate. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=W6V79R2RGCCHL

[develar]

Asar target — if need, please open separate issue.

[pauliusuza]

Sorry, this does not work.

How can i specify project directory through options and point it to a subfolder containing asar files?
Project folder contains files which should not be packaged, and there is no way to exclude them.

[develar]

How can i specify project directory through options

current working directory or set explicitly using --project CLI.

[pauliusuza]

We are using electron-builder programmatically, not through CLI - is it possible to add a config parameter for the project directory?

[develar]

Set projectDir

electron-builder/packages/electron-builder/src/packagerApi.ts

Line 11 in 60e1406

projectDir?: string | null

to custom.

[pauliusuza]

Can't get this to work.

builder.build({
    appId: 'com.test.asar',
    projectDir: '/Users/pro/repository/test-project/temp/asar'
})

Error: Application entry file "index.js" in the "/Users/pro/repository/test-project/dist/mac/Test Project.app/Contents/Resources/app.asar" does not exist. Seems like a wrong configuration.

// index.js file exists:
$> asar list /Users/pro/repository/test-project/temp/asar/app.asar

/index.js
/package.json

Additional files in the asar folder were not copied to the Resources

[pauliusuza]

Running this in cli

build --project temp/asar

TypeError: Cannot read property 'directories' of undefined
at /Users/pro/repository/test-project/node_modules/electron-builder/src/packager.ts:122:68

[pauliusuza]

Would it not be simpler just to ignore the app folder packaging step if a specific flag is set, so we can include the .asar files via extraFiles / extraResources?

[develar]

@pauliusuza Is it possible to send me your directory with asar files to test?

[pauliusuza]

@develar I will send you an email shortly

[pauliusuza]

Thanks @develar for checking out the code. Leaving a comment here if someone has the same issue (this should be documented somewhere eventually)

Important bit is to specify the electronVersion and projectDir parameters.
Working example:

import * as builder from 'electron-builder';
let config = {
    appId: 'com.asar.test',
    directories: {
        buildResources: './build_resources'
    },
    electronVersion : '1.5.0'
}
builder.build({
    projectDir: './path/to/folder/with/asar/files',
    config: config
}).then(() => {
    console.log('done');
}).catch((error) => {
    console.log(error);
})

[yansenlei]

@pauliusuza Have you successfully build a separate app.asar?