Electron Forge resolving path to node module using absolute path rather than using relative path

[ec2-learn-instant]

I'm trying to create an app that include the get-windows npm package, but I cannot distribute my app because Electron Forge is using resolving the package to an absolute path rather than a relative path, so the app fails to find the package.

[error] (node:13140) UnhandledPromiseRejectionWarning: Error: D:\VMKV\electron-app\node_modules\get-windows\package.jsondoes not exist
at t.find (C:\Users\Quick App Studio\AppData\Local\Programs\my-electron-app\resources\app.asar.webpack\main\index.js:2:3391)
at p (C:\Users\Quick App Studio\AppData\Local\Programs\my-electron-app\resources\app.asar.webpack\main\index.js:2:1654721)
at m (C:\Users\Quick App Studio\AppData\Local\Programs\my-electron-app\resources\app.asar.webpack\main\index.js:2:1654862)
at Module.n (C:\Users\Quick App Studio\AppData\Local\Programs\my-electron-app\resources\app.asar.webpack\main\index.js:2:1649771)
at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
at async App. (C:\Users\Quick App Studio\AppData\Local\Programs\my-electron-app\resources\app.asar.webpack\main\index.js:2:13148557)

Also note, I am using the following versions:

Node: 20.16.0
Electron: ^30.0.2
electron-forge/cli: ^7.4.0
get-windows: ^9.2.0

Please let me know if there's any missing info.

[Nantris]

This seems like an electron-forge issue, not an issue with this package. Am I wrong?

[trinhxyz]

@Nantris - I ran into this issue as well, I'm pretty sure its caused by this code in macos.js:

// I'm pretty sure this code creates an absolute path 
const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));

const execFile = promisify(childProcess.execFile);
const binary = path.join(__dirname, '../main');

[Nantris]

Interesting!

Link to the relevant code for convenience:

get-windows/lib/macos.js

Lines 6 to 9 in 6e84e52

	const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
	const execFile = promisify(childProcess.execFile);
	const binary = path.join(__dirname, '../main');

[trinhxyz]

@Nantris - just for more context, I ran into this issue because the version of my Electron app packaged from GH Actions was complaining about a missing file in C:\Github\Runner\..., and locally packaged versions of my Electron app wouldn't run on other machines because of a similar error, ENOENT, and searching for a file in C:\Users\trinhxyz\....

[trinhxyz]

@sindresorhus - any thoughts on this?

[ec2-learn-instant]

@sindresorhus - How to solve this?

[ec2-learn-instant]

Hi @sindresorhus, after too many hours of spending my time, finally I solved this issue by using the process.resourcePath .

Here is my code for production as well as development for Electron Forge Webpack - windows.js file

import path from 'node:path';
import fs from 'node:fs';
import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
import { createRequire } from 'node:module';
import preGyp from '@mapbox/node-pre-gyp';

const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));

const getAddon = () => {
        const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
	const isProduction = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production';
	if (isProduction) {
		const packageJsonPath = path.join(process.resourcesPath, "app.asar\\.webpack\\main\\node_modules\\get-windows\\package.json");
		const bindingPath = preGyp.find(packageJsonPath);
		return (fs.existsSync(bindingPath)) ? require(bindingPath) : {
			getActiveWindow() { },
			getOpenWindows() { },
		}; 
         } else {
		const bindingPath = preGyp.find(path.resolve(path.join(__dirname, '../package.json')));
		return (fs.existsSync(bindingPath)) ? require(bindingPath) : {
			getActiveWindow() { },
			getOpenWindows() { },
		};
	}
};

export async function activeWindow() {
	return getAddon().getActiveWindow();
}

export function activeWindowSync() {
	return getAddon().getActiveWindow();
}

export function openWindows() {
	return getAddon().getOpenWindows();
}

export function openWindowsSync() {
	return getAddon().getOpenWindows();
}

@Nantris @trinhxyz @jyboudreau Please take a look.

[trinhxyz]

@ec2-learn-instant - this looks like an okay work around, but IMO this shouldn't be needed and the package should just work out of the box

[Nantris]

For what it's worth, we do not use electron-forge and it does just work out of the box (I tested on mac/win/linux + dev/prod for each)

Still, if this can be resolved for electron-forge I think it should be and I'm sure a well explained and tested PR would be accepted.

[sindresorhus]

Please open an issue on electron-forge instead. The problem is not with this package.