What is the best way to configure the pkg option scripts in electron-builder? - node.js

Question

I am using the pkg option in my package.json configuration for electron-builder. I have some preinstall scripts that I want to run upon installation. I have followed the electron-builder instructions in order to set where the scripts are, but npm can't seem to find the files correctly.
I have tried changing ownership of files and folders with chmod +x file command, but the error persits.
This is the bit of code about pkg scripts configuration:
"build": {
"mac": {
"target":[
"pkg"
]
},
"pkg":{
"scripts":"build/pkg-scripts"
}
}
The error message I get is:
Error: Exit code: 1. Command failed: pkgbuild --root /Users/user/myApp/myApp-out/electron-builder/mac --component-plist /Users/user/myApp/myApp/electron-builder/com.dessci.myApp.plist --install-location /Applications --scripts /Users/user/myApp/build/build/pkg-scripts /Users/user/mtdesktop/mtdesktop-out/electron-builder/com.dessci.myApp.pkg
pkgbuild: error: Cannot write package to "/Users/user/mtdesktop/mtdesktop-out/electron-builder/com.dessci.myApp.pkg". (The file “pkg-scripts” couldn’t be opened.)
pkgbuild: Reading components from /Users/user/mtdesktop/mtdesktop-out/electron-builder/com.dessci.myApp.plist
pkgbuild: Adding component at myApp.app
pkgbuild: error: Cannot write package to "/Users/user/mtdesktop/mtdesktop-out/electron-builder/com.dessci.myApp.pkg". (The file “pkg-scripts” couldn’t be opened.)
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/builder-util/src/util.ts:126:16
at ChildProcess.exithandler (child_process.js:306:5)
at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:193:13)
at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:999:16)
at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:266:5)
From previous event:
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js:111:16
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js:45:10
at FSReqCallback.args [as oncomplete] (fs.js:145:20)
From previous event:
at PkgTarget.buildComponentPackage (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/targets/pkg.ts:115:113)
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/targets/pkg.ts:57:12
at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
From previous event:
at PkgTarget.build (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/targets/pkg.ts:31:42)
at Function.buildAsyncTargets (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/platformPackager.ts:140:36)
at MacPackager.packageInDistributableFormat (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/platformPackager.ts:119:24)
at nonMasPromise.then.then (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/macPackager.ts:90:26)
at processImmediate (internal/timers.js:443:21)
From previous event:
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/macPackager.ts:90:10
at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
From previous event:
at MacPackager.pack (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/macPackager.ts:80:95)
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/packager.ts:430:24
at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
at xfs.stat (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/fs-extra-p/node_modules/fs-extra/lib/mkdirs/mkdirs.js:56:16)
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/graceful-fs/polyfills.js:285:20
at FSReqCallback.oncomplete (fs.js:159:5)
From previous event:
at Packager.doBuild (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/packager.ts:396:24)
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/packager.ts:366:57
at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js:111:16
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js:45:10
at FSReqCallback.args [as oncomplete] (fs.js:145:20)
From previous event:
at Packager._build (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/packager.ts:335:133)
at /Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/packager.ts:331:23
at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
at processImmediate (internal/timers.js:443:21)
From previous event:
at Packager.build (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/packager.ts:288:14)
at build (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/index.ts:59:28)
at build (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/electron-builder/src/builder.ts:227:10)
at then (/Users/user/mtdesktop/node_modules/electron-builder/src/cli/cli.ts:46:19)

Answer 1

You need to provide the relative path of pkg-scripts for scripts value.
package.json
"build": {
"appId": "com.audio.application",
"productName": "Audio-App",
"artifactName": "${productName}-Setup-${version}.${ext}",
"copyright": "Copyright © 2020 Audio Corp",
"mac": {
"category": "com.audio.application",
"target": [
"pkg"
],
"icon": "dist",
"identity": "identity",
"darkModeSupport": true,
"hardenedRuntime": true,
"gatekeeperAssess": false,
"artifactName": "${productName}.${ext}"
},
"pkg": {
"scripts": "../build/pkg-scripts",
"installLocation": "/Applications",
"background": {
"file": "build/icon/sound.png",
"alignment": "bottomleft"
},
"allowAnywhere": true,
"allowCurrentUserHome": true,
"allowRootDirectory": true,
"license": "build/license.html",
"welcome": "build/resources/welcome.txt",
"conclusion": "build/resources/conclusion.txt",
"isVersionChecked": true,
"isRelocatable": false,
"overwriteAction": "upgrade"
},
"directories": {
"buildResources": "release",
"output": "release"
}
},
folder structure of build directory -
(which at root level of project)
preinstall.sh -
(make sure you have run chmod +x on this file to make it executable)
#!/bin/sh
echo "Executing preinstaller script for custom installer"
# Deleting App components from Application folder.
echo "Deleting Audio-Configration Logs"
logsPath=~/Library/Logs/Audio-Configration
if [ -d "$logsPath" ]
then
rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/Audio-Configration
echo "***Deleted Audio-Configration Logs Successfully***"
fi
echo "Deleting Audio-Configration Application Support"
applicationSupportPath=~/Library/Application\ Support/Audio-Configration
if [ -d "$applicationSupportPath" ]
then
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Audio-Configration
echo "***Deleted Audio-Configration Application Support Successfully***"
fi
echo "Finished:preflight"
exit 0
Above pre-installation script is to make sure when user re-install the app, need to delete the previous Logs and application related content in Application Support directory

Answer 2

"scripts":"build/pkg-scripts"
You don't need this line as it is a default directory for storing scripts commands, in the case you have define it, you need to create a directory name in ../build/pkg-scripts/ in your app directory and only file name "preinstall" and "postinstall" are allowed in this directory, otherwise electron-builder will get error why running the release function.