How to pack the application as RPM/deb format under the ARM64 environment

• Version: 20.34.0

• Target: aarch64

The company I worked is running a project developing a client program based on Electron. The customer requires us to deploy the client on computers having ARM64 architecture. Now we package the client on an aarch64-based server running openSUSE. So far, there are no problems when packaging the client into an AppImage. However, we found out that the customer’s computer only accepts programs installed as rpm/deb format due to unknown security reasons. We added rpm and deb in the linux section in the electron-builder configuration, attempting to package the client into an rpm/deb package on the same aarch64-based computer. The packaging procedure failed as follows:

  • downloading               path=/home/test/.cache/electron-builder/fpm/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86 url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86.7z
  • downloading               parts=1 size=4.6 MB url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86.7z
  • downloaded                duration=28.855s url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86.7z

 ERROR  `electron-builder` says...

Error: Exit code: 1. Command failed: /home/test/.cache/electron-builder/fpm/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/fpm -s dir -t rpm --architecture arm64 --name cocall --force --after-install /tmp/t-VCbTzj/0-after-install --after-remove /tmp/t-VCbTzj/1-after-remove --description desc --version 5.1.15 --package /home/test/project/output/client-5.1.15.arm64.rpm ..........................
/home/test/.cache/electron-builder/fpm/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/lib/ruby/bin/ruby: line 6: /home/test/.cache/electron-builder/fpm/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/lib/ruby/bin.real/ruby: cannot execute binary file: Exec format error
/home/test/.cache/electron-builder/fpm/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/lib/ruby/bin/ruby: line 6: /home/test/.cache/electron-builder/fpm/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/lib/ruby/bin.real/ruby: Success

/home/test/.cache/electron-builder/fpm/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/lib/ruby/bin/ruby: line 6: /home/test/.cache/electron-builder/fpm/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/lib/ruby/bin.real/ruby: cannot execute binary file: Exec format error
/home/test/.cache/electron-builder/fpm/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/lib/ruby/bin/ruby: line 6: /home/test/.cache/electron-builder/fpm/fpm-1.9.3-2.3.1-linux-x86/lib/ruby/bin.real/ruby: Success

Obviously, electron-builder downloaded the package fpm compiled into the wrong format. I could not find the ARM64 version of the fpm package in the release page of https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/ . So what should I do to build our project into an rpm/deb package under the ARM64 condition? Can we get the source of the fpm project then manually compile it for the electron-builder’s use?

NOTE: The project contains some native code which cannot be re-written in JS. So compiling the application on the computer that uses the architecture required is the most convenient way. Cross-compiling is more difficult.

[BSoD-Ultimate]

I’ve found a solution which can partially solve this problem.

electron-builder checks a system variable naming USE_SYSTEM_FPM when attempting to acquire the fpm tool, which is used to generate rpm and deb package. When this environment variable is set to true, electron-builder will attempt to launch fpm provided by the system. for example, fpm may locate in /usr/bin/fpm. the code relates to this mechanism lies here: https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/blob/master/packages/app-builder-lib/src/targets/tools.ts

You can get fpm using other ways the Linux system provides. You have to install packages which make ruby and gem command usable. Since I use openSUSE as the building environment, YaST is written in Ruby, and it’s an essential module in openSUSE. I could install fpm simply running the command gem install fpm. After the installation, a soft link might have to be created to help electron-builder find fpm. In my environment, I created the link by running the following command

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/fpm/fpm.ruby2.5 /usr/bin/fpm

Then, before the packaging procedure, just set the environment variable by running

export USE_SYSTEM_FPM="true"

and the packaging procedure runs with no error.

I could only say the problem is partially but not fully solved. fpm could not generate a usable deb package which can be successfully installed in Debian when packaging under openSUSE environment. see this issue: https://github.com/jordansissel/fpm/issues/737

However, if you use Debian, it’s all fine.

[mmaietta]

I think easiest way to resolve this would be someone to contribute to the electron-builder-binaries repo an arm64 ruby binary. Electron builder would then download and use an arch-specific bin. Develar could then perform a release of it and I can promptly update electron-builder