Electron-builder: electron-updater raising EACCES in spawned process when executing "quitAndInstall"

[TAGC]

• electron-builder version: 17.10.0

• electron-updater version: 1.16.0

• Target: Windows 7 64-bit

I've downloaded electron-updater-generic-example and have been using it to get familiar with electron-updater. I've followed the instructions as listed except for some changes to package.json:

{
  "name": "electron-updater-generic-example",
  "version": "0.2.4",
  "main": "main.js",
  "description": "electron-updater generic example project",
  "author": "Matt Haggard",
  "devDependencies": { // Updated dev dependencies to latest versions
    "electron": "^1.7.1",
    "electron-builder": "^17.10.0",
    "http-server": "^0.10.0"
  },
  "dependencies": { // Updated dependencies to latest versions
    "electron-log": "^2.2.6",
    "electron-updater": "^1.16.0"
  },
  "build": {
    "publish": [
      {
        "provider": "generic",
        "url": "http://127.0.0.1:36366/" // Changed port
      }
    ],
    "files": [ // Explicitly specified files
      "node_modules",
      "main.js",
      "package.json",
      "version.html"
    ],
    "appId": "com.github.iffy.electronupdatergenericexample",
    "mac": {
      "category": "your.app.category.type",
      "target": [
        "zip",
        "dmg"
      ]
    },
    "nsis": {
      "perMachine": true
    },
    "directories": {
      "output": "wwwroot" // Made releases directly output into wwwroot for simplicity
    }
  }
}

In an example run, I built v0.2.3 of this application and installed it manually without issue. Running it I got these logs:

[2017-05-24 09:40:18:0267] [info] App starting...
[2017-05-24 09:40:18:0519] [info] Checking for update
[2017-05-24 09:40:18:0520] [info] Checking for update...
[2017-05-24 09:40:19:0717] [info] Update for version 0.2.3 is not available (latest version: 0.2.3, downgrade is disallowed.

I then bumped the version to 0.2.4 and rebuilt the app, with the 0.2.4 setup installer appearing under wwwroot/.

After closing and relaunching the installed version (v0.2.3) of the app, I see these logs:

2017-05-24 09:42:01:0993] [info] App starting...
[2017-05-24 09:42:02:0265] [info] Checking for update
[2017-05-24 09:42:02:0266] [info] Checking for update...
[2017-05-24 09:42:03:0473] [info] Found version 0.2.4 (url: http://127.0.0.1:36366/electron-updater-generic-example Setup 0.2.4.exe)
[2017-05-24 09:42:03:0474] [info] Update available.
[2017-05-24 09:42:03:0474] [info] Downloading update from http://127.0.0.1:36366/electron-updater-generic-example Setup 0.2.4.exe
[2017-05-24 09:42:04:0247] [info] Download progress...
[2017-05-24 09:42:04:0249] [info] New version 0.2.4 has been downloaded to C:\Users\<me>\AppData\Local\Temp\up-GeIIBQ\electron-updater-generic-example Setup 0.2.4.exe
[2017-05-24 09:42:04:0249] [info] Update downloaded; will install in 5 seconds
[2017-05-24 09:42:13:0894] [error] Error: Error: spawn EACCES
    at exports._errnoException (util.js:1050:11)
    at ChildProcess.spawn (internal/child_process.js:319:11)
    at exports.spawn (child_process.js:390:9)
    at NsisUpdater.install (C:\Program Files\electron-updater-generic-example\resources\app.asar\node_modules\electron-updater\src\NsisUpdater.ts:116:7)
    at NsisUpdater.quitAndInstall (C:\Program Files\electron-updater-generic-example\resources\app.asar\node_modules\electron-updater\src\NsisUpdater.ts:86:14)
    at Timeout._onTimeout (C:\Program Files\electron-updater-generic-example\resources\app.asar\main.js:122:17)
    at ontimeout (timers.js:386:14)
    at tryOnTimeout (timers.js:250:5)
    at Timer.listOnTimeout (timers.js:214:5)
[2017-05-24 09:42:13:0894] [info] Error in auto-updater.
[2017-05-24 09:42:13:0898] [info] Auto install update on quit

Nothing happens after the application closes. When I relaunch the application, it's still on v0.2.3 and attempts to repeat the download and installation.

EACCES suggests a permission error, but I'm not sure why this would happen considering that there's nothing special I'm trying to do.

[TAGC]

This issue does not occur if perMachine is set to false instead of true.

[Ronolibert]

Where is your app when you open it? For example, when the application is in the downloads folder then it does not have write access therefore the autoupdate does not work.

[TAGC]

For a per-machine install, it's installed under C:\Program Files\electron-updater-generic-example. You need elevated permissions to write to that location, sure, but does electron-updater not handle that?

[sallar]

@TAGC does this happen when it wants to check for updates or when you click on Download?

[TAGC]

No idea anymore I'm afraid, this issue is one and a half years old and I don't remember anything about it.

[damianobarbati]

Happening to me now.