nexe: Cannot get native modules to work with compiled app

This is a

Bug Report

If this is a bug report, What are the steps to reproduce?

Try to build an application with nexe that requires the native module zmq (and thereafter side-load it). Result: epic failures at runtime.

C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode>ObsNode.exe
nexe.js:3528
        throw e
        ^

Error: No such native module C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\build\zmq.node
    at NativeModule.require (node.js:971:13)
    at s (nexe.js:1:176)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at bindings (nexe.js:3521:44)
    at Object.__dirname.156.157.p.532.bindings (nexe.js:146691:30)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.156.157.p.531../lib (nexe.js:146684:18)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367

Notably, you can also see that the path tried above by the nexe internals was “./build/zmq.node” rather than something like “./node_modules/zmq/build/Release/zmq.node”… for some reason…?

Current config, from "package.json":

  "nexe": {
    "input": "app.js",
    "output": "ObsNode.exe",
    "temp": "tmp",
    "runtime": {
        "framework": "nodejs",
        "version": "4.8.3",
        "ignoreFlags": true
    },
    "browserify": {
      "excludes": [
        "bufferutil",
        "utf-8-validate",
        "memcpy"
      ]
    }
  }

Please also provide:

Platform(OS/Version): Windows 10
Host Node Version: 4.8.3
Target Node Version: 4.8.3
Nexe version: 1.1.2
Python Version: 2.7.11

Attempted Workarounds

Excluding it from browserify in the "nexe.browserify.excludes" array in the "package.json" file
- Build: success 👍
- Runtime: failure 👎

C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode>ObsNode.exe
node.js:971
      throw new Error(`No such native module ${id}`);
      ^

Error: No such native module zmq
    at NativeModule.require (node.js:971:13)
    at s (nexe.js:1:176)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.155.156.p.488../http-status-messages (nexe.js:135805:11)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.155.156.p.540.../config (nexe.js:149103:21)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.155.156.p.550.../common/constants (nexe.js:150220:11)

Changing the require('zmq') to global.require('zmq')
- Build: success 👍
- Runtime: failure 👎

C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode>ObsNode.exe
C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\node_modules\bindings\bindings.js:83
        throw e
        ^

Error: %1 is not a valid Win32 application.
\\?\C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\node_modules\zmq\build\Release\zmq.node
    at Error (native)
    at Object.Module._extensions..node (module.js:434:18)
    at Module.load (module.js:343:32)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:300:12)
    at Module.require (module.js:353:17)
    at require (internal/module.js:12:17)
    at bindings (C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\node_modules\bindings\bindings.js:76:44)
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\node_modules\zmq\lib\index.js:6:30)
    at Module._compile (module.js:409:26)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:416:10)

Changing the require('zmq') to global.require('zmq') AND excluding it from browserify in the "nexe.browserify.excludes" array in the "package.json" file
- Build: success 👍
- Runtime: failure 👎

C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode>ObsNode.exe
C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\node_modules\bindings\bindings.js:83
        throw e
        ^

Error: %1 is not a valid Win32 application.
\\?\C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\node_modules\zmq\build\Release\zmq.node
    at Error (native)
    at Object.Module._extensions..node (module.js:434:18)
    at Module.load (module.js:343:32)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:300:12)
    at Module.require (module.js:353:17)
    at require (internal/module.js:12:17)
    at bindings (C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\node_modules\bindings\bindings.js:76:44)
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\node_modules\zmq\lib\index.js:6:30)
    at Module._compile (module.js:409:26)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:416:10)

Changing the require('zmq') to a dynamic require per the README, e.g. var m = 'zmq'; if ( Math.random() > 1 ) { m = 'FAKE'; } var zmq = require(m);
- Build: success 👍
- Runtime: failure 👎

C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode>ObsNode.exe
node.js:971
      throw new Error(`No such native module ${id}`);
      ^

Error: No such native module zmq
    at NativeModule.require (node.js:971:13)
    at s (nexe.js:1:176)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.155.156.p.488../http-status-messages (nexe.js:135808:11)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.155.156.p.540.../config (nexe.js:149107:21)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.155.156.p.550.../common/constants (nexe.js:150224:11)

Copying the “zmq.node” addon file into the same directory as the output “ObsNode.exe”
- Build: success 👍
- Runtime: failure 👎

C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode>ObsNode.exe
nexe.js:3528
        throw e
        ^

Error: No such native module C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\build\zmq.node
    at NativeModule.require (node.js:971:13)
    at s (nexe.js:1:176)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at bindings (nexe.js:3521:44)
    at Object.__dirname.156.157.p.532.bindings (nexe.js:146691:30)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.156.157.p.531../lib (nexe.js:146684:18)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367

Copying the “zmq.node” addon file into a new “build” directory with the same directory as the output “ObsNode.exe”
- Build: success 👍
- Runtime: failure 👎

C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode>ObsNode.exe
nexe.js:3528
        throw e
        ^

Error: No such native module C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\build\zmq.node
    at NativeModule.require (node.js:971:13)
    at s (nexe.js:1:176)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at bindings (nexe.js:3521:44)
    at Object.__dirname.156.157.p.532.bindings (nexe.js:146691:30)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.156.157.p.531../lib (nexe.js:146684:18)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367

Copying the whole “zmq” directory into the same directory as the output “ObsNode.exe”
- Build: success 👍
- Runtime: failure 👎

C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode>ObsNode.exe
nexe.js:3528
        throw e
        ^

Error: No such native module C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\build\zmq.node
    at NativeModule.require (node.js:971:13)
    at s (nexe.js:1:176)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at bindings (nexe.js:3521:44)
    at Object.__dirname.156.157.p.532.bindings (nexe.js:146691:30)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.156.157.p.531../lib (nexe.js:146684:18)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367

Naming the output file “node.exe” instead of a custom name (“ObsNode.exe”)
- Build: success 👍
- Runtime: failure 👎

C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode>node.exe
nexe.js:3528
        throw e
        ^

Error: No such native module C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode\build\zmq.node
    at NativeModule.require (node.js:971:13)
    at s (nexe.js:1:176)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at bindings (nexe.js:3521:44)
    at Object.__dirname.156.157.p.532.bindings (nexe.js:146691:30)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367
    at Object.__dirname.156.157.p.531../lib (nexe.js:146684:18)
    at s (nexe.js:1:316)
    at nexe.js:1:367

Downgrading to build with nexe@0.4.2:
- Build: failure 👎
- Runtime: N/A

C:\git\Observer\Node\ObsNode>nexe
----> input => 'app.js'
----> output => 'ObsNode.exe'
----> temp => 'tmp'
----> browserify => '[object Object]'
----> runtime.framework => 'nodejs'
----> runtime.version => '4.8.3'
----> runtime.ignoreFlags => 'true'
----> framework => nodejs
----> bundle app.js
path.js:8
    throw new TypeError('Path must be a string. Received ' +
    ^

TypeError: Path must be a string. Received { http: false }
    at assertPath (path.js:8:11)
    at Object.win32.resolve (path.js:130:5)
    at C:\git\Observer\dependencies\node.js\x64\node_modules\nexe\node_modules\resolve\lib\async.js:151:37
    at FSReqWrap.readFileAfterClose [as oncomplete] (fs.js:380:3)

Conclusion

So, suffice to say, I’m currently at a total loss on how to supposedly get side-loaded native modules working with a nexe-compiled application.

Please help! Thanks in advance.

About this issue

Original URL
State: open
Created 7 years ago
Comments: 23 (23 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

@JamesMGreene Let me know if we can close this. We can add a new issue (or PR 😉 ) for the feature request

calebboyd on Jul 17, 2017

Yeah that is a logical evolution of this. like you observed its slightly more complicated with something like zmq because of the external dll dependency – but perhaps that can be derived from the binding.gyp file…

calebboyd on Jul 17, 2017

@JamesMGreene I think i’ll work on getting the beta released without built in bundling, and provide a suggested configuration, prior to having it baked in

calebboyd on Jul 5, 2017