Electron-builder: Symbol not found

[phhoef]

• Version:
  "electron-builder": "^20.38.4"

• Target:
  macOS & Windows x64

I am writing a small app that utilises serialport as dependency (which itself has native dependencies).
When starting the app in dev mode (npm-run-all --parallel bundle serve) everything is working fine. I am using electron-rebuild as postinstall script to compile the native dependencies for the used Electron (4.0.0) version.
When building the app for production issuing yarn build && electron-builder build --publish never, I cannot start the app bundle with the following error in the macOS log:

Dyld Error Message:
  Symbol not found: __ZN2v816FunctionTemplate3NewEPNS_7IsolateEPFvRKNS_20FunctionCallbackInfoINS_5ValueEEEENS_5LocalIS4_EENSA_INS_9SignatureEEEiNS_19ConstructorBehaviorE
  Referenced from: /var/folders/*/.com.my.app.a9yuVC
  Expected in: flat namespace

After I have tried building the app, I am no longer able to start the app in dev mode with the shown command.
This error is shown when starting the app in dev mode:

dyld: lazy symbol binding failed: Symbol not found: __ZN2v816FunctionTemplate3NewEPNS_7IsolateEPFvRKNS_20FunctionCallbackInfoINS_5ValueEEEENS_5LocalIS4_EENSA_INS_9SignatureEEEiNS_19ConstructorBehaviorE
  Referenced from: /Client/node_modules/@serialport/bindings/build/Release/bindings.node
  Expected in: flat namespace

dyld: Symbol not found: __ZN2v816FunctionTemplate3NewEPNS_7IsolateEPFvRKNS_20FunctionCallbackInfoINS_5ValueEEEENS_5LocalIS4_EENSA_INS_9SignatureEEEiNS_19ConstructorBehaviorE
  Referenced from: /Client/node_modules/@serialport/bindings/build/Release/bindings.node
  Expected in: flat namespace

I have to run $(npm bin)/electron-builder install-app-deps first, only after that I can start the app in dev mode again.
Running ($npm bin)/electron-rebuild does not work for some reason.

It seems, that this is an issue with the packaging.
I am quite new to all the electron, nodejs stuff so I do not think this is a bug. Probably my configuration is wrong.
Could anyone please help me out?

---

EDIT:
I've created a small test application to reproduce the issue.
Maybe it's helpful. https://github.com/phhoef/serialport-test

[benoist]

I'm seeing the same issue.

I have the "postinstall": "electron-builder install-app-deps", added to my package.json

After running yarn I see

$ electron-builder install-app-deps
  • electron-builder version=20.38.4
  • loaded configuration file=package.json ("build" field)
  • rebuilding native production dependencies platform=darwin arch=x64
  • rebuilding native dependency name=fsevents
  • rebuilding native dependency name=keytar
✨  Done in 8.07s.

Then when I start I get this message:

$ webpack-dev-server --hot --host 0.0.0.0 --config=./webpack.dev.config.js --mode development
ℹ ｢wds｣: Project is running at http://0.0.0.0:8080/
ℹ ｢wds｣: webpack output is served from /
ℹ ｢wds｣: Content not from webpack is served from ..redacted../dist
ℹ ｢wds｣: 404s will fallback to /index.html
dyld: lazy symbol binding failed: Symbol not found: __ZN2v816FunctionTemplate3NewEPNS_7IsolateEPFvRKNS_20FunctionCallbackInfoINS_5ValueEEEENS_5LocalIS4_EENSA_INS_9SignatureEEEiNS_19ConstructorBehaviorE
  Referenced from: ..redacted../node_modules/keytar/build/Release/keytar.node
  Expected in: flat namespace

dyld: Symbol not found: __ZN2v816FunctionTemplate3NewEPNS_7IsolateEPFvRKNS_20FunctionCallbackInfoINS_5ValueEEEENS_5LocalIS4_EENSA_INS_9SignatureEEEiNS_19ConstructorBehaviorE
  Referenced from: ..redacted../node_modules/keytar/build/Release/keytar.node
  Expected in: flat namespace

✨  Done in 1.57s.

When I run $(npm bin)/electron-builder install-app-deps I see:

  • electron-builder version=20.38.4
  • loaded configuration file=package.json ("build" field)
  • rebuilding native production dependencies platform=darwin arch=x64

And after that the app starts normally.

When I try to release the app, it runs the install-app-deps again as it did with the postinstall
And this causes the same crash in the release version.

    "electron": "^4.0.1",
    "electron-builder": "^20.38.4",

[benoist]

I noticed something else as well
After yarn install this is the contents of the keytar build folder

After $(npm bin)/electron-builder install-app-deps
This is the result of the build folder

[rvanmil]

Same issue here using the keytar (4.3.0) dependency.

[gniezen]

This may be due to an issue where the ABI for both Electron v3 and v4 is 64, but the builds are not compatible: lgeiger/node-abi#55

[phhoef]

@gniezen, thanks for your help.
Honestly, I do not completely understand the cause as I am quite new to Electron/Node.js.

I looked over your linked ticket, but didn't see a solution.
I executed $(npm bin)/electron --abi in the project root. The result is 64.

iMac:Client ph$ $(npm bin)/electron --abi
64

As far as I know, serialport does not have prebuilt binaries for Electron 4 (but for 3).
The issue is, that due to mixing up the version numbers, Electron is using the wrong prebuilt binaries, right?

Is there anything I can do about?
I also do not understand, why it is working when running electron-builder install-app-deps. This command re-compiles the native binaries for the right Electron version?
But why is it not possible to add this command to my package script?

[gniezen]

@phhoef Have you tried downgrading your serialport to 6.2.2? v7 doesn't seem to work on macOS and Linux in any case: https://github.com/node-serialport/node-serialport/issues/1770

Yes, it's also my understanding that due to them using the same ABI, Electron v4 tries to use the prebuilt binaries made for Electron v3. The only solutions I see at this stage:

• Downgrade serialport to v6
• Force all native dependencies to build from source (you may be able to do this using buildDependenciesFromSource=true in your electron-builder config)
• Use Electron v3

[phhoef]

I just saw, that there is a new version of [email protected].
I changed the package.json and run yarn install.
Now, the problem seems to be fixed. I don't know if it's really the new version or anything related to the prebuilt binaries.
Anyhow, when executing the script yarn package I am able to open the App.

[benoist]

@phhoef I still have the problem we keytar...

[gniezen]

@benoist I downgraded keytar to v4.2.1 as a workaround.