Package libffi was not found in the pkg-config search path

[binarykitchen]

It's me again on MacOS. Can't install sharp again. Here the whole output

error /Users/michael-heuberger/code/videomail.io/node_modules/sharp: Command failed.
Exit code: 1
Command: (node install/libvips && node install/dll-copy && prebuild-install) || (node-gyp rebuild && node install/dll-copy)
Arguments:
Directory: /Users/michael-heuberger/code/videomail.io/node_modules/sharp
Output:
info sharp Detected globally-installed libvips v8.7.4
info sharp Building from source via node-gyp
gyp info it worked if it ends with ok
gyp info using node-gyp@3.8.0
gyp info using node@8.12.0 | darwin | x64
gyp info spawn /usr/bin/python
gyp info spawn args [ '/Users/michael-heuberger/.nvm/versions/node/v8.12.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/gyp/gyp_main.py',
gyp info spawn args   'binding.gyp',
gyp info spawn args   '-f',
gyp info spawn args   'make',
gyp info spawn args   '-I',
gyp info spawn args   '/Users/michael-heuberger/code/videomail.io/node_modules/sharp/build/config.gypi',
gyp info spawn args   '-I',
gyp info spawn args   '/Users/michael-heuberger/.nvm/versions/node/v8.12.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/addon.gypi',
gyp info spawn args   '-I',
gyp info spawn args   '/Users/michael-heuberger/.node-gyp/8.12.0/include/node/common.gypi',
gyp info spawn args   '-Dlibrary=shared_library',
gyp info spawn args   '-Dvisibility=default',
gyp info spawn args   '-Dnode_root_dir=/Users/michael-heuberger/.node-gyp/8.12.0',
gyp info spawn args   '-Dnode_gyp_dir=/Users/michael-heuberger/.nvm/versions/node/v8.12.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp',
gyp info spawn args   '-Dnode_lib_file=/Users/michael-heuberger/.node-gyp/8.12.0/<(target_arch)/node.lib',
gyp info spawn args   '-Dmodule_root_dir=/Users/michael-heuberger/code/videomail.io/node_modules/sharp',
gyp info spawn args   '-Dnode_engine=v8',
gyp info spawn args   '--depth=.',
gyp info spawn args   '--no-parallel',
gyp info spawn args   '--generator-output',
gyp info spawn args   'build',
gyp info spawn args   '-Goutput_dir=.' ]
Package libffi was not found in the pkg-config search path.
Perhaps you should add the directory containing `libffi.pc'
to the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable
Package 'libffi', required by 'gobject-2.0', not found
gyp: Call to 'PKG_CONFIG_PATH="/usr/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/os/mac/pkgconfig/10.13:/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/lib/pkgconfig" pkg-config --cflags-only-I vips-cpp vips glib-2.0 | sed s\/-I//g' returned exit status 0 while in binding.gyp. while trying to load binding.gyp
gyp ERR! configure error
gyp ERR! stack Error: `gyp` failed with exit code: 1
gyp ERR! stack     at ChildProcess.onCpExit (/Users/michael-heuberger/.nvm/versions/node/v8.12.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/lib/configure.js:345:16)
gyp ERR! stack     at emitTwo (events.js:126:13)
gyp ERR! stack     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:214:7)
gyp ERR! stack     at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:198:12)
gyp ERR! System Darwin 17.7.0
gyp ERR! command "/Users/michael-heuberger/.nvm/versions/node/v8.12.0/bin/node" "/Users/michael-heuberger/.nvm/versions/node/v8.12.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/bin/node-gyp.js" "rebuild"

Any clues?

[lovell]

Hello, it looks like you're using a globally-installed version of vips installed by homebrew.

Has brew update && brew upgrade been run to eliminate any problems/inconsistencies with the dependencies it manages?

[binarykitchen]

Nope, brew update && brew upgrade doesn't make a difference. Still seeing the same error.

Any clues, tips, how to fix this?

[lovell]

If you want to use a homebrew-managed version of vips then brew reinstall vips.

If you'd prefer to use sharp-managed version of vips then brew uninstall vips.

[binarykitchen]

ok that worked, uninstalling vips via brew. confusing. can you add a warning about this to improve DX?

[lovell]

At install-time, sharp logs the decisions it's making - here's the salient part of the log from your initial comment:

info sharp Detected globally-installed libvips v8.7.4
info sharp Building from source via node-gyp

Errors from node-gyp after this in the install log usually relate to an invalid/corrupt installation of libvips and/or its dependencies, which is what you were seeing. By removing the globally-installed libvips you allowed sharp to make a different decision and download and use its own libvips.

Mac-specific installations are at https://sharp.pixelplumbing.com/en/stable/install/#mac-os

[lovell]

Coincidentally I just ran into this same error on an OS X machine:

Package libffi was not found in the pkg-config search path.
Perhaps you should add the directory containing `libffi.pc'
to the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable

and was able to fix it by following the instructions in the error message:

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${PKG_CONFIG_PATH}:/usr/local/opt/libffi/lib/pkgconfig"

so this was a brew/libffi/pkgconfig problem unrelated to either sharp or libvips.

[binarykitchen]

Ah good to know. Report this problem to either brew, libffi or pkgconfig somewhere?

[axelpale]

Had this issue today. Resolved it with brew uninstall vips.

Development: Why does sharp need the globally managed vips? Could sharp always download its own libvips? Is it just a matter of download time optimization?

[zhuweiyou]

Coincidentally I just ran into this same error on an OS X machine:

Package libffi was not found in the pkg-config search path.
Perhaps you should add the directory containing `libffi.pc'
to the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable

and was able to fix it by following the instructions in the error message:

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${PKG_CONFIG_PATH}:/usr/local/opt/libffi/lib/pkgconfig"

so this was a brew/libffi/pkgconfig problem unrelated to either sharp or libvips.

Thank you !

[nether-cat]

Coincidentally I just ran into this same error on an OS X machine:

Package libffi was not found in the pkg-config search path.
Perhaps you should add the directory containing `libffi.pc'
to the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable

and was able to fix it by following the instructions in the error message:

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${PKG_CONFIG_PATH}:/usr/local/opt/libffi/lib/pkgconfig"

so this was a brew/libffi/pkgconfig problem unrelated to either sharp or libvips.

Been running into similar issues since using macOS back in 2015 – probably once per year – whenever I try to install sharp in a fresh project. I've always managed to find help here... Thank you! ❤️

[joelfrederico]

FYI, from what I've seen, all of the backends I can test (Qt5Agg, macosx, TkAgg, WxAgg) currently have the same behavior (with the exception of WebAgg and nbAgg):

• Backend uses Python icon
• Backend does not turn off Python icon when all windows are closed
  • Unclear if this is because backends don't stop running when windows are closed
• Icon is the Python rocketship

WebAgg does not show an icon at all. nbAgg is specifically for embedding in Jupyter notebook/lab, so showing an icon doesn't make sense.