defualt ignore files config could not exclude node_modules in packing progress

[gweesin]

• Electron-Builder Version: latest

• Node Version: latest

• Electron Version: latest
• Electron Type (current, beta, nightly): current

• Target: my demo project

I found my app.asar is too large, so I extracted it and found that it included fully node_modules

The problem config:

// @see - https://www.electron.build/configuration/configuration
{
    "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/master/packages/app-builder-lib/scheme.json",
    "appId": "com.my.demo",
    "asar": true,
    "productName": "demo",
    "directories": {
        "output": "release/${version}"
    },
    "copyright": "Copyright © 2024 ${author}",
    "files": [
        "dist",
        "dist-electron"
    ],
    "extraFiles": [
        {
            from: "../my-custom-path",
            to: "resources/backend"
        }
    ],
    "mac": {
        "target": [
            "dmg"
        ],
        "artifactName": "${productName}-Mac-${version}-Installer.${ext}"
    },
    "win": {
        "publisherName": "demo",
        "target": [
            {
                "target": "nsis",
                "arch": [
                    "x64"
                ]
            }
        ],
        "artifactName": "${productName}-Windows-${version}-Setup.${ext}"
    },
    "nsis": {
        "oneClick": false,
        "perMachine": false,
        "allowToChangeInstallationDirectory": true,
        "deleteAppDataOnUninstall": false
    },
    "linux": {
        "target": [
            "AppImage"
        ],
        "artifactName": "${productName}-Linux-${version}.${ext}"
    }
}

expected:

Add node_modules excluding by handle:

// @see - https://www.electron.build/configuration/configuration
{
    "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/master/packages/app-builder-lib/scheme.json",
    "appId": "com.my.demo",
    "asar": true,
    "productName": "demo",
    "directories": {
        "output": "release/${version}"
    },
    "copyright": "Copyright © 2024 ${author}",
    "files": [
        "dist",
        "dist-electron",
        "!node_modules" // hope have this configuration by default
    ],
    "extraFiles": [
        {
            from: "../my-custom-path",
            to: "resources/backend"
        }
    ],
    "mac": {
        "target": [
            "dmg"
        ],
        "artifactName": "${productName}-Mac-${version}-Installer.${ext}"
    },
    "win": {
        "publisherName": "demo",
        "target": [
            {
                "target": "nsis",
                "arch": [
                    "x64"
                ]
            }
        ],
        "artifactName": "${productName}-Windows-${version}-Setup.${ext}"
    },
    "nsis": {
        "oneClick": false,
        "perMachine": false,
        "allowToChangeInstallationDirectory": true,
        "deleteAppDataOnUninstall": false
    },
    "linux": {
        "target": [
            "AppImage"
        ],
        "artifactName": "${productName}-Linux-${version}.${ext}"
    }
}

[beyondkmp]

The asar file needs to include node_modules, but it will only include the dependencies listed in your project's package.json and their dependencies. If you directly filter out all of node_modules, the code may not run unless you've bundled all the dependency code into the dist folder.

[gweesin]

Could I consider that all projects need to be bundled? Otherwise the app will contain the electron package in node_modules, it's about 256MB and it's duplicated and not used.

[xyloflake]

Could I consider that all projects need to be bundled? Otherwise the app will contain the electron package in node_modules, it's about 256MB and it's duplicated and not used.

If you want the size to be reduced, I'd recommend removing the unnecessary locales for electron.

Here's how I patched electron-builder to only include the English locale unless specified otherwise. This resulted in a 38MB unpackaged app size decrease.

staniel359/muffon#173

[xyloflake]

Otherwise the app will contain the electron package in node_modules, it's about 256MB and it's duplicated and not used.

Electron package in node modules is NOT a duplicate. It provides bindings to call the electron application through js. If you remove them, you won't be able to call the ABI methods through JS like you do. For example creating a new BrowserWindow.

The other electron package you're referring to provides the ABI through which the node js electron package can call methods that have been defined in the ABI.

[mmaietta]

If you want the size to be reduced, I'd recommend removing the unnecessary locales for electron.

This should already be supported via electronLanguages string array 🙂
https://www.electron.build/configuration/configuration

[gweesin]

I have tried ignore node_modules directly, nothing happened.
and try to configure electronLanguages, then the package bundle size reduce.

[iongion]

I am trying to exclude the entire node_modules directory and can't find any way - I am indeed bundling all dependencies myself

  files: [
    // What to copy
    "build",
    "LICENSE",
    // What to exclude
    "!**/node_modules/*/@(CHANGELOG.md|README.md|README|readme.md|readme)",
    "!**/node_modules/*/{CHANGELOG.md,README.md,README,readme.md,readme}",
    "!**/node_modules/*/{test,__tests__,tests,powered-test,example,examples}",
    "!**/node_modules/*.d.ts",
    "!**/node_modules/.bin",
    "!**/*.{iml,o,hprof,orig,pyc,pyo,rbc,swp,csproj,sln,xproj}",
    "!.editorconfig",
    "!**/._*",
    "!**/{.DS_Store,.git,.hg,.svn,CVS,RCS,SCCS,.gitignore,.gitattributes}",
    "!**/{__pycache__,thumbs.db,.flowconfig,.idea,.vs,.nyc_output}",
    "!**/{appveyor.yml,.travis.yml,circle.yml}",
    "!**/{npm-debug.log,yarn.lock,.yarn-integrity,.yarn-metadata.json}",
    "!**/node_modules/*",
    "!**/node_modules/**/*",
    "!node_modules/*",
    "!node_modules/**/*"
  ],

Even after this, my asar file contains things like babel transpiler.

Is there no way to completely avoid node_modules from being bundled in the asar ?

[mmaietta]

This was my config when I was bundling all dependencies as part of the app files and was successfully able to exclude node_modules. Does it happen to work for you?

    files: [
        "out",
        "!node_modules",
        "!**/*.node",
        "!**/*.map"
    ],