Failed to locate makeable Electron application

[nikita-fuchs]

Pre-flight checklist

• I have read the contribution documentation for this project.
• I agree to follow the code of conduct that this project uses.
• I have searched the issue tracker for a bug that matches the one I want to file, without success.

Electron Forge version

5.2.4

Electron version

30.0.1

Operating system

Win 11 Pro, Version 24H2, Build 26100.2033

Last known working Electron Forge version

5.2.4

Expected behavior

Running npm run make -- --platform win32 on a project (that has been successfully build previously already on OSX and windows) would actually make it build.

Actual behavior

npm run make -- --platform win32

> myapp@14.0.1 make
> electron-forge make --platform win32

√ Checking your system
× Resolving Forge Config

Electron forge was terminated:
Failed to locate makeable Electron application

Steps to reproduce

The forge config is present, of course:

Mode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                 -------------         ------ ----
d-----        23.10.2024     18:21                app
d-----        14.11.2024     16:27                node_modules
d-----        13.11.2024     17:42                out_backup
d-----        18.10.2024     16:07                e2e
d-----        18.10.2024     16:07                src
------        18.10.2024     16:07            953 angular.webpack.js
------        18.10.2024     16:07         517882 README.zip
------        18.10.2024     16:07           5223 CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
------        18.10.2024     16:07           1053 LICENSE.md
------        23.10.2024     16:28            326 nodemon.json
------        18.10.2024     16:07          55790 CHANGELOG.md
------        18.10.2024     16:07            305 jest.config.js
------        18.10.2024     16:07           1214 HOW_TO.md
------        18.10.2024     16:07            442 tsconfig.serve.json
------        18.10.2024     16:07           9594 README.md
------        18.10.2024     16:07           5393 angular.json
------        14.11.2024     16:28           1459 forge.config.js
------        14.11.2024     16:27        1338945 package-lock.json
------        14.11.2024     16:27           4244 package.json
------        18.10.2024     16:07             29 _config.yml
------        23.10.2024     18:27            916 tsconfig.json
------        18.10.2024     16:07            571 electron-builder.json

Is this package.json from the original OSX codebase enough to tell if the Error is maybe just wrong/misleading and I'm just missing some windows dependencies maybe, or should a minimal repro be prepared?

"dependencies": {
    "@angular/common": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/compiler": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/core": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/forms": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/language-service": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/platform-browser": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/platform-browser-dynamic": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/router": "17.3.6",
    "dymojs": "1.2.0",
    "electron-squirrel-startup": "1.0.1",
    "electron-updater": "6.3.9",
    "remote": "0.2.6",
    "rxjs": "7.8.1",
    "simple-xml-to-json": "1.2.3",
    "tslib": "2.6.2",
    "xml-js": "1.6.11",
    "zone.js": "0.14.4"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@angular-builders/custom-webpack": "17.0.2",
    "@angular-builders/jest": "17.0.3",
    "@angular-devkit/build-angular": "17.3.6",
    "@angular-eslint/builder": "17.3.0",
    "@angular-eslint/eslint-plugin": "17.3.0",
    "@angular-eslint/eslint-plugin-template": "17.3.0",
    "@angular-eslint/schematics": "17.3.0",
    "@angular-eslint/template-parser": "17.3.0",
    "@angular/cli": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/compiler-cli": "17.3.6",
    "@electron-forge/cli": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/maker-deb": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/maker-rpm": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/maker-squirrel": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/maker-zip": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/plugin-auto-unpack-natives": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/plugin-fuses": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/publisher-github": "7.5.0",
    "@electron/fuses": "1.8.0",
    "@ngx-translate/core": "15.0.0",
    "@ngx-translate/http-loader": "8.0.0",
    "@playwright/test": "1.43.1",
    "@types/jest": "29.5.12",
    "@types/node": "20.12.7",
    "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "7.7.1",
    "@typescript-eslint/parser": "7.7.1",
    "concurrently": "9.0.1",
    "conventional-changelog-cli": "4.1.0",
    "electron": "30.0.1",
    "electron-debug": "3.2.0",
    "electron-prebuilt-compile": "8.2.0",
    "electron-reloader": "1.2.3",
    "eslint": "8.57.0",
    "eslint-plugin-import": "2.29.1",
    "eslint-plugin-jsdoc": "48.2.3",
    "eslint-plugin-prefer-arrow": "1.2.3",
    "jest": "29.7.0",
    "node-polyfill-webpack-plugin": "2.0.1",
    "nodemon": "3.1.7",
    "npm-run-all": "4.1.5",
    "playwright": "1.43.1",
    "ts-node": "10.9.2",
    "typescript": "5.4.5",
    "wait-on": "7.2.0",
    "webdriver-manager": "12.1.9"
  },

Additional information

I was able to run the make command with this package.json and would like to find out if I would have to maintain two different dependencies based on the OS I'm building on, or can I stay on my original package.json from OSX and just add - which ever - necessary things so it works on both OS ?
Working on windows:

"dependencies": {
    "@angular-builders/common": "2.0.0",
    "@angular-devkit/architect": "0.1802.11",
    "@angular-devkit/core": "18.2.11",
    "@angular/common": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/compiler": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/core": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/forms": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/language-service": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/platform-browser": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/platform-browser-dynamic": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/router": "17.3.6",
    "@babel/code-frame": "7.26.2",
    "@babel/helper-environment-visitor": "7.24.7",
    "@babel/helper-module-imports": "7.25.9",
    "@babel/helper-plugin-utils": "7.25.9",
    "@babel/traverse": "7.25.9",
    "@babel/types": "7.26.0",
    "@develar/schema-utils": "2.6.5",
    "@electron/notarize": "2.5.0",
    "@electron/osx-sign": "1.3.1",
    "@istanbuljs/load-nyc-config": "1.1.0",
    "@jridgewell/gen-mapping": "0.3.5",
    "@jridgewell/resolve-uri": "3.1.2",
    "@jridgewell/set-array": "1.2.1",
    "@jridgewell/sourcemap-codec": "1.5.0",
    "@jridgewell/trace-mapping": "0.3.25",
    "@nx/nx-win32-x64-msvc": "18.3.5",
    "@xmldom/xmldom": "0.9.5",
    "ajv": "8.17.1",
    "ajv-keywords": "5.1.0",
    "ansi-regex": "6.1.0",
    "ansi-styles": "6.2.1",
    "app-builder-lib": "25.1.8",
    "camelcase": "8.0.0",
    "caniuse-lite": "1.0.30001680",
    "chalk": "5.3.0",
    "ci-info": "4.1.0",
    "cliui": "8.0.1",
    "compare-version": "0.1.2",
    "data-uri-to-buffer": "6.0.2",
    "debug": "4.3.7",
    "dymojs": "1.2.0",
    "electron-builder": "25.1.8",
    "electron-squirrel-startup": "1.0.1",
    "electron-updater": "6.3.9",
    "emoji-regex": "10.4.0",
    "err-code": "3.0.1",
    "escalade": "3.2.0",
    "fast-deep-equal": "3.1.3",
    "fast-uri": "3.0.3",
    "fetch-blob": "3.1.4",
    "formdata-polyfill": "4.0.10",
    "fraction.js": "5.1.1",
    "fs-extra": "11.2.0",
    "get-caller-file": "2.0.5",
    "get-east-asian-width": "1.3.0",
    "graceful-fs": "4.2.11",
    "is-ci": "3.0.1",
    "isbinaryfile": "5.0.4",
    "json-schema-traverse": "1.0.0",
    "jsonfile": "6.1.0",
    "lazy-val": "1.0.5",
    "listr2": "8.2.5",
    "minimist": "1.2.8",
    "ms": "2.1.3",
    "node-domexception": "2.0.1",
    "node-fetch": "3.3.2",
    "nx": "20.1.0",
    "plist": "3.1.0",
    "promise-retry": "2.0.1",
    "remote": "0.2.6",
    "require-directory": "2.1.1",
    "require-from-string": "2.0.2",
    "retry": "0.13.1",
    "rxjs": "7.8.1",
    "semver": "7.6.3",
    "simple-update-notifier": "2.0.0",
    "simple-xml-to-json": "1.2.3",
    "string-width": "7.2.0",
    "strip-ansi": "7.1.0",
    "tslib": "2.6.2",
    "universalify": "2.0.1",
    "web-streams-polyfill": "4.0.0",
    "wrap-ansi": "9.0.0",
    "xml-js": "1.6.11",
    "y18n": "5.0.8",
    "yargs": "17.7.2",
    "yargs-parser": "21.1.1",
    "zone.js": "0.14.4"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@angular-builders/custom-webpack": "17.0.2",
    "@angular-builders/jest": "17.0.3",
    "@angular-devkit/build-angular": "17.3.6",
    "@angular-eslint/builder": "17.3.0",
    "@angular-eslint/eslint-plugin": "17.3.0",
    "@angular-eslint/eslint-plugin-template": "17.3.0",
    "@angular-eslint/schematics": "17.3.0",
    "@angular-eslint/template-parser": "17.3.0",
    "@angular/cli": "17.3.6",
    "@angular/compiler-cli": "17.3.6",
    "@electron-forge/cli": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/maker-deb": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/maker-rpm": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/maker-squirrel": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/maker-zip": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/plugin-auto-unpack-natives": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/plugin-fuses": "7.5.0",
    "@electron-forge/publisher-github": "7.5.0",
    "@electron/fuses": "1.8.0",
    "@ngx-translate/core": "15.0.0",
    "@ngx-translate/http-loader": "8.0.0",
    "@playwright/test": "1.43.1",
    "@types/jest": "29.5.12",
    "@types/node": "20.12.7",
    "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "7.7.1",
    "@typescript-eslint/parser": "7.7.1",
    "concurrently": "9.0.1",
    "conventional-changelog-cli": "4.1.0",
    "electron": "30.0.1",
    "electron-debug": "3.2.0",
    "electron-reloader": "1.2.3",
    "eslint": "8.57.0",
    "eslint-plugin-import": "2.29.1",
    "eslint-plugin-jsdoc": "48.2.3",
    "eslint-plugin-prefer-arrow": "1.2.3",
    "jest": "29.7.0",
    "node-polyfill-webpack-plugin": "2.0.1",
    "nodemon": "3.1.7",
    "npm-run-all": "4.1.5",
    "playwright": "1.43.1",
    "ts-node": "10.9.2",
    "typescript": "5.4.5",
    "wait-on": "7.2.0",
    "webdriver-manager": "12.1.9"
  },

[nikita-fuchs]

Solved: In the codebase, where I got this working on windows, I found the following package: "@nx/nx-win32-x64-msvc": "18.3.5" adding that solved the issue - but why?

[erickzhao]

Electron Forge in production shouldn't have a dependency on any nx code. Does your repo use NX or Lerna? Do you have a minimal reproduction available?

[nikita-fuchs]

I have no clue what is going on, but copy-pasting the exact code to a new folder in order to create the repro, I removed that nx/win dep, and it installed and built just fine. I kind of have the feeling that something about the filesystem is wrong when working in Parallels, as not only tons of reading and writing operations fail with an error, also code changes don't seem to be actually written to disc or something: I run my app, and changes are just not being applied. Welcome to Microsoft land, I guess. Thanks for your help, I will reopen, if this issue appears again and I can reproduce it.