nodejs - using electron with ffi - node.js

i have nodejs x86 on windows 10 x64 and i installed electron with npm using this npm i -g electron and have a .dll file for driving external device.
i am using electron to develop desktop application.
i searched for finding a way for calling dll functions from js and i found ffi package. in first place i installed node x64 but i faced this error
App threw an error during load
Error: %1 is not a valid Win32 application.
then i searched it and i found this issue on github.
i uninstall my nodejs and replaced it with x86 version and this error still remain on my project. it seems that when i install ffi with npm npm i ffi, npm downloads source files and compile it with host architecture(x64) then ffi compile it self with my visual studio 2015 on x64 mode.
i even try to install ffi with npm i ffi --arch=ia32 but it did not work.
i donot have dll source files so i cannot rebuild it for any specific architecture.
How can i use electron 32bit version with ffi 32bit?
Is there any way to download ffi prebuild version and attaching it to project?
I want to use any version of electron (x64 and x86) and using my same 32bit dll.

The error typically happens when trying to load a 64-bit DLL from a 32-bit application.
In most cases, electron-rebuild should solve this issue for you, by rebuilding modules for the correct environment.

Related

How to get node-sqlite3 working on Mac M1?

I'm using Rosetta 2 with Homebrew and have sqlite3 installed.
I added these to my ~/.zshrc so that the node compiler can find the brew installs:
export PATH="/usr/local/opt/sqlite/bin:$PATH"
export LDFLAGS="-L/usr/local/opt/sqlite/lib"
export CPPFLAGS="-I/usr/local/opt/sqlite/include"
I'm using installing using npm install sqlite3, building from source with --build-from-source flag, I'm also specifying the homebrew version of sqlite with --sqlite=/usr/local/opt/sqlite/
node-gyp goes to its fallback build node-pre-gyp install --fallback-to-build
After installation, I'm rebuilding it's native dependencies with electron-builder and install-app-deps
It even rebuilds to the platform and arch I'm looking for, darwin and x64. Which is promising.
• electron-builder version=23.0.3
• loaded parent configuration preset=react-cra
• rebuilding native dependencies dependencies=sqlite3#5.0.8 platform=darwin arch=x64
However, when run the app with npm run dev which runs concurrently " cross-env BROWSER=none npm start" "wait-on http://localhost:3000 && electron ."
It still is trying to find the arm64 version of it:
Error: Cannot find module '[..]/node_modules/sqlite3/lib/binding/napi-v6-darwin-unknown-arm64/node_sqlite3.node'
Even though I can confirm, it did build the x64 version because I have one located at:
/napi-v6-darwin-unknown-x64/node_sqlite3.node
Any help to get this working would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
After 4 days of digging, I have finally gotten it to work!!!
For anyone that might stumble on this:
The reason why sqlite3 won't behave is threefold:
When node sqlite3 is installed using npm install sqlite3, it fetches all dependencies and installs it. It then fetches the precompiled binary binding file for the target arch and platform. In my case we would want napi-v6-darwin-unknown-arm64 for ARM64 and darwin for Apple M1. There is no precompiled binary available yet for this Apple ARM64 and even if there is, the next paragraph will detail why it still won't work.
The problem is that it determines the the system's platform and architecture using the binary compiling package node-pre-gyp and this very savior of a Github issue details how node-pre-gyp is not handling ARM architecture detection properly and basically mixing everything up. Because it's not detecting properly, even if we build our own binding with --build-from-source when installing, it still won't work because it is compiling the wrong binding file for the wrong architecture. To make matters worse, if we don't use --build-from-source, it just simply fetches the Intel precompiled binding file. napi-v6-darwin-unknown-x64
Now for some reason, during runtime, it now detects the architecture properly and tries to look for the ARM64 version of the binding file, it won't find it and will throw the feared error 'module not found' for napi-v6-darwin-unknown-arm64. It obviously won't find it and even if it does, it will throw wrong architecture error because we have the Intel version on board napi-v6-darwin-unknown-x64.
So finally after digging at this for 4 days, here's how I got it working:
Uninstall sqlite3: npm uninstall sqlite3
Install a fresh sqlite3, build it from source, specify the target arch and use fallback build with node-pre-gyp just to be safe: npm install sqlite3 --build-from-source --target_arch=arm64 --fallback-to-build
Now the correct binding file is compiled for the correct platform and architecture, on runtime it will find it and will run!

Compile node module with node-gyp for a specific NODE_MODULE_VERSION

I am trying to use an npm package fsuipc in an electron app. However, when I start the app I get the following error
The module 'node_modules\fsuipc\build\Release\fsuipc.node'
was compiled against a different Node.js version using
NODE_MODULE_VERSION 93. This version of Node.js requires
NODE_MODULE_VERSION 98.
I am trying to recompile it for version 98. I have 0 experience with node-gyp or similar, I just want it to work :(. I have tried doing node-gyp build --target=v16.13.1 but it still compiles to this mysterious version 93 which I can't seem to change. Any help is appreciated.
After two days of research and endless trial and error I have found a solution.
This may have been an error in the electron boiler plate that I was using but the bottom line is that I had to manually build the native package. From here I learned that I was compiling it using my current node.js version installed but because I was using electron it required building the module with electron headers. The steps I followed were these:
cd release/app && npm install fsuipc Native dependencies have to be installed in release/app.
cd node_modules/fsuipc && npm install Move to the package dir and install its required dependencies for building.
node-gyp rebuild --target=15.3.5 --arch=x64 --dist-url=https://electronjs.org/headers This was the key. The target has to be the VALID and FULL version name that you are using from this website (if you are using electron). From trial and error I solved some problems by specifying that I was building for x64. And in order for it to compile using electron specify the headers url (same for all electron versions).
cd ../../ && npm install By calling install in the release/app directory the modules are linked with the "normal" node_modules
Then just run!

node printer.node is not a valid win32 application

I have developed a node API for my angular application, My node application uses node-printer package for printing pdf files generated by node, when i tried to run my application using nodemon i am getting an error
node printer.node is not a valid win32 application
The same application is working on the other machine without any error. both the machines are of X64 bit architecture.
also i have also tried to install node js 32 bit then too i am getting same error.
This worked for me, installing printer as such:
npm install printer --build-from-source
After so many attempts i have deleted node_modules folder from an application and fire an npm install command to add all modules again that resolves the problem.
Hi there let me go through what's happened on my site here in 2022.
So if you're going to use npm install printer for your Electron application, you're using a native module as deemed by electron.
Since Electron has a different application binary interface (ABI) from a given Node.js binary that you used to install your printer . Therefore, we need to rebuild the native module (in this case printer) for Electron.
For more detail check this out.
First, install electron-rebuild for your project. npm i electron-rebuild.
Second, install a native module using e.g. npm i printer
Third, after installed native module, execute ./node_modules/.bin/electron-rebuild to rebuild the native module.

What is node-gyp?

What is node-gyp and why does it use my system files to build Node.js packages?
If I build a Node project that uses node-gyp internally then I just tar that project and move it to a different system, untar it and try to use it, will that work?
node-gyp is a tool which compiles Node.js Addons. Node.js Addons are native Node.js Modules, written in C or C++, which therefore need to be compiled on your machine. After they are compiled with tools like node-gyp, their functionality can be accessed via require(), just as any other Node.js Module.
If you do what you suggested the module won't work, you will need to compile it/build it with node-gyp on the system you moved the program to.
node-gyp: https://github.com/nodejs/node-gyp
Node.js Addons: https://nodejs.org/api/addons.html

NPM - Can't install socket.IO

I am trying to install socket.io on windows with npm for use on a nodeJS server.
First, when I typed "npm install socket.IO" i had an error in the log saying something about python and node-gyp. I installed python 2.7.3 and set the environment variables.
Now I got a new error, which has something to do with visual studio (what the hell does VS have to do with npm ? Is it about the compiler? ).
The error is the same as here npm install for some packages (sqlite3, socket.io) fail with error MSB8020 on Windows 7
But when I use the option in the answer instead of the error it tells me something about a possible data loss (c4267) but doesn't log any error.
Then when I start my app, it tells me cannot find module socket.io still
What could this come from ?
Oh and also when i do npm config get root it tells me "undefined" could it have anything to do with it ?
Should I install the modules globally or locally ?
At least one of the packages in Socket.IO's dependency tree is a C/C++ addons which needs to be compiled on your system as it's installed. And, since it's a dependency, if it doesn't succeed in installing, neither will Socket.IO.
To enable cross-system compilation, Node.js uses node-gyp as its build system. You'll need to have it installed as a global package:
npm install -g node-gyp
As well as have its dependencies installed. Abridged version:
Python 2
C/C++ Compiler / Build Tools
For Windows, Microsoft Visual Studio 2013 (C++ or Windows Desktop) (Express edition)
For 64-bit, may need Windows 7 64-bit SDK
Then, you should be able to install Socket.IO as a local package so you can require it:
npm install socket.io
I had a similar problem on Mac.
What resolved my problem is installing a slightly older version of Socket.io.
I did:
npm install socket.io#"~0.8.1"
which would install the latest version between 0.8.0 to 0.8.9, but not 0.9.0 or above.
Socket.io then installed perfectly.
Make sure you have all the required software to run node-gyp:
https://github.com/TooTallNate/node-gyp
You can configure version of Visual Studio used by gyp via an environment variable so you can avoid having to set the --msvs_version=2012 property.
Examples:
set GYP_MSVS_VERSION=2012 for Visual Studio 2012
set GYP_MSVS_VERSION=2013e (the 'e' stands for 'express edition')
For the full list see
- https://github.com/joyent/node/blob/v0.10.29/tools/gyp/pylib/gyp/MSVSVersion.py#L209-294
This is still painful for Windows users of NodeJS as it assumes you have a copy of Visual Studio installed and many end users will never have this. So I'm lobbying Joyent to the encourage them to include web sockets as part of CORE node and also to possible ship a GNU gcc compiler as part of NodeJS install so we can permanently fix this problem.
Feel free to add your vote at:
https://github.com/joyent/node/issues/8005#issuecomment-50545326
The problem causing the compile failure is that the ws module installed by the engine.io module required by socket.io pulls in a backlevel version of nan. See https://github.com/BrowserSync/grunt-browser-sync/issues/95 for details. To work around the problem after the build failure:
cd to node_modules/socket.io/node_modules/engine.io/node_modules/ws
edit package.json to change the release of nan from 1.4.x to 1.6.0
issue command node-gyp rebuild
You should now be able to use socket.io
Another approach is to use Docker for Windows and spin up a NodeJS environment. While developing you can mount your Node code as a Docker volume and so continue to update your code from Windows but execute it and install it's dependencies inside a Linux VM. When you deploy you might prefer to use a Dockerfile that COPY's your Node code into your Docker image and so bakes it into the release image you deploy.
This approach might be required if you don't want to risk changing the socket.io version of your code or its dependencies.
It also may be a valuable solution if you planned to deploy to a corporate Intranet or public/private Cloud.
Docker can also be very handy for testing deployment under different versions of Node without disturbing the development environment of your Windows computer (e.g. for testing a NodeJS lib).
Official NodeJS Docker images
An explanation of how to use these images
this problem makes me very troubled..
I tried many solutions.
I installed .NET Framework 2.0 SDK.
I installed Python 2.7.x
I installed VS 2012 Express
I set some paths
I executed npm install xxx with the argument --msvs_version=2010(or 2012/2013..)...
But all failed.
finally, I uninstalled Python & .NET Framework 2.0 SDK & VS 2012, clear those paths,enable Windows Update, install all essential updates, restart my computer
then execute commands below:
npm install node-gyp -g
npm install socket.io -g
npm install browser-sync -g
there is no errors in installation logs.
Note : this solution may not work for you, but for me

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