"Could not find ffmpeg executable" using 'app.asar.unpacked'

[HaveAGitGat]

I'm trying to run this once packaged on Windows (electron packager). The folder containing ffmpeg.exe successfully unpacks. I then use:

const ffmpegPath = require('@ffmpeg-installer/ffmpeg').path.replace('app.asar', 'app.asar.unpacked');

but I get the error

"Could not find ffmpeg executable"

tried ..,"resources\app.asar\node_modules\@ffmpeg-installer\win32-ia32\ffmpeg.exe"

So it seems to be trying to find the file before it allows the path to be modified to include "app.asar.unpacked".

[HaveAGitGat]

Interestingly, the above works fine on linux. I've used the following as a solution on windows:

var ffmpegPath = (path.join(__dirname, '\\node_modules\\@ffmpeg-installer\\win32-x64\\ffmpeg.exe' )).replace('app.asar', 'app.asar.unpacked')

[kribblo]

Hmm. Yeah, the code is trying to verify that the file exists, actually only because of a requested fallback to NPM 2 by some user: https://github.com/kribblo/node-ffmpeg-installer/blob/master/index.js

Not sure why it would work on one platform and not the other though, seems, as you put it, interesting. :) Maybe the easiest way to fix it for everyone is to also check for the electron paths, seems a common enough use case. As in, adding more else ifs.

[whyboris]

I'm on version "@ffmpeg-installer/ffmpeg": "1.0.18",

I'm using the same command:
const ffmpegPath = require('@ffmpeg-installer/ffmpeg').path.replace('app.asar', 'app.asar.unpacked');

It seems to work with my Electron (Windows and Mac definitely, Linux haven't checked recently):
https://github.com/whyboris/Video-Hub-App/blob/master/main-extract.ts#L26

🤷‍♂

[MetaiR]

I had the same problem with my electron which is built by electronforge, I manage to make it work by use this config for my asar in the package.json
"asar": { "unpack": "*.{node,dll,exe}" }

hope it helps those in need