Universal macOS build fails silently when run via pnpm in monorepo workspace (electron-builder 26.0.20)

[mickythompson]

When building universal macOS applications (x64 + ARM64) using electron-builder 26.0.20 in a pnpm monorepo workspace, the build fails silently during the universal binary merge step. The same version works perfectly when installed globally.

Environment:

• OS: macOS 26.1 Tahoe (Build 25B78) locally, macOS 15.6 Sequoia (Darwin 24.6.0) in CI
• electron-builder: 26.0.20
• electron: 38.4.0
• Node.js: v22.18.0 (local), v22.14.0 (CI)
• pnpm: 10.12.1
• Workspace: pnpm monorepo with node-linker=hoisted
• Architecture: ARM64 (Apple Silicon) locally, ARM64 (GitHub Actions) in CI

Observed Behavior

When building via pnpm scripts in a monorepo workspace, electron-builder 26.0.20 fails silently during the universal binary creation step:

  • packaging       platform=darwin arch=x64 electron=38.4.0 appOutDir=dist-electron/mac-universal-x64-temp
  • packaging       platform=darwin arch=arm64 electron=38.4.0 appOutDir=dist-electron/mac-universal-arm64-temp
  • packaging       platform=darwin arch=universal electron=38.4.0 appOutDir=dist-electron/mac-universal
(node:2458) [DEP0174] DeprecationWarning: Calling promisify on a function that returns a Promise is likely a mistake.
# Build exits here - no error message, no signing, no DMG

Result:

• ✅ mac-universal-x64-temp/ directory created
• ✅ mac-universal-arm64-temp/ directory created
• ❌ mac-universal/ directory NOT created
• ❌ No signing step occurs
• ❌ No DMG creation occurs
• ❌ No error message displayed - the process just exits with code 0 or shows only the deprecation warning

Expected Behavior

The build should complete successfully, creating a universal binary (x64 + ARM64), signing it, notarizing it, and creating DMG/ZIP files, as it does when using the global installation.

Reproduction

Project Structure:

monorepo/
├── .npmrc (node-linker=hoisted)
├── pnpm-workspace.yaml
├── apps/
│   └── desktop/
│       ├── package.json
│       └── electron-builder.config.cjs
└── pnpm-lock.yaml

Steps to reproduce:

1. Set up a pnpm monorepo with hoisted node modules
2. Install electron-builder 26.0.20 as a dev dependency
3. Configure electron-builder for universal macOS builds:

   mac: {
     target: [
       { target: 'dmg', arch: ['universal'] },
       { target: 'zip', arch: ['universal'] }
     ]
   }

4. Run via pnpm script: pnpm exec electron-builder --config electron-builder.config.cjs --mac

Result: Build fails silently at universal merge step

Workaround

The issue is resolved by using a globally installed electron-builder instead of the pnpm workspace version:

package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "release:mac": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production pnpm build && cross-env NODE_ENV=production $(which -a electron-builder | grep -v node_modules | head -1) --config electron-builder.config.cjs --mac"
  }
}

GitHub Actions:

- name: Install electron-builder globally
  run: npm install -g electron-builder@26.0.20

- name: Build
  run: pnpm release:mac  # Uses global installation via which command

Comparison: Working vs Non-Working

Environment	electron-builder	Execution Method	Result
pnpm workspace (local)	26.0.20 (hoisted)	Via node_modules/.bin/	❌ Fails silently
Global (local)	26.0.20 (global)	Via global path	✅ Works
GitHub Actions (pnpm)	26.0.20 (workspace)	Via pnpm script	❌ Fails silently
GitHub Actions (global)	26.0.20 (global)	Via global installation	✅ Works

Additional Context

• No error messages are emitted - the process simply stops after logging • packaging platform=darwin arch=universal
• The temp directories for both architectures are created successfully, suggesting the issue is specifically in the @electron/universal merge step
• Setting DEBUG=electron-builder shows the process stops after logging "packaging platform=darwin arch=universal" with no subsequent output or error
• The silent failure makes debugging extremely difficult - electron-builder should emit an error message when the universal binary creation fails
• Config has npmRebuild: false, so dependency collection is not involved
• Works perfectly in the same pnpm workspace when using global electron-builder

Related Issues

• #8881 - Similar symptoms with pnpm hoisted mode, fixed in PR #8885 (v26.0.9)
  • However, that fix does not resolve this specific issue in v26.0.20

Logs

Successful build (global electron-builder):

  • packaging       platform=darwin arch=universal electron=38.4.0 appOutDir=dist-electron/mac-universal
  • signing         file=dist-electron/mac-universal/CPAI-D.app platform=darwin type=distribution
  • notarization successful
  • building        target=DMG arch=universal file=dist-electron/app-v1.0.0-darwin-universal.dmg

Failed build (pnpm workspace electron-builder):

  • packaging       platform=darwin arch=universal electron=38.4.0 appOutDir=dist-electron/mac-universal
(node:2458) [DEP0174] DeprecationWarning: Calling promisify on a function that returns a Promise is likely a mistake.
# Exits here

Request

1. Fix the silent failure - at minimum, electron-builder should emit a proper error message when the universal binary merge fails
2. Investigate pnpm workspace compatibility - determine why the merge step fails in pnpm workspaces but works with global installation
3. Document the workaround - if this cannot be fixed, document that universal builds in pnpm workspaces may require global installation

[mmaietta]

Thank you for the very detailed write-up! I really appreciate it!

Re: each of your requests:

1. If it's hanging during electron/universal, then that's very difficult to log anything from if nothing is being logged on its own from the package.
2. Can you please try v26.2.0 and see if that resolves the issue?
   There's a chance this is fixed in feat: support corepack packageManager and add related unit tests #9309, as I can't repro the universal build hanging issue with my local test project. It will be released in the upcoming 26.3.0

yarn run v1.22.19
$ electron-builder --config electron-builder-config.ts --publish never
  • electron-builder  version=26.2.0 os=25.1.0
  • loaded configuration  file=/Users/runner/Development/electron-builder-test/electron-builder-config.ts
  • writing effective config  file=dist/builder-effective-config.yaml
  • executing @electron/rebuild  electronVersion=23.3.10 arch=x64 buildFromSource=false appDir=./
  • installing native dependencies  arch=x64
  • preparing       moduleName=realm arch=x64
  • finished        moduleName=realm arch=x64
  • completed installing native dependencies
  • packaging       platform=darwin arch=x64 electron=23.3.10 appOutDir=dist/mac-universal-x64-temp
  • downloading non-proprietary FFMPEG  file=ffmpeg-v23.3.10-darwin-x64.zip
  • copying non-proprietary FFMPEG  lib=/Users/runner/Library/Caches/electron-builder/ffmpeg/ffmpeg-v23.3.10-darwin-x64.zip/libffmpeg.dylib target=dist/mac-universal-x64-temp/Electron.app/Contents/Frameworks/Electron Framework.framework/Versions/A/Libraries/libffmpeg.dylib
  • default Electron icon is used  reason=application icon is not set
  • executing @electron/rebuild  electronVersion=23.3.10 arch=arm64 buildFromSource=false appDir=./
  • installing native dependencies  arch=arm64
  • preparing       moduleName=realm arch=arm64
  • finished        moduleName=realm arch=arm64
  • completed installing native dependencies
  • packaging       platform=darwin arch=arm64 electron=23.3.10 appOutDir=dist/mac-universal-arm64-temp
  • downloading non-proprietary FFMPEG  file=ffmpeg-v23.3.10-darwin-arm64.zip
  • copying non-proprietary FFMPEG  lib=/Users/runner/Library/Caches/electron-builder/ffmpeg/ffmpeg-v23.3.10-darwin-arm64.zip/libffmpeg.dylib target=dist/mac-universal-arm64-temp/Electron.app/Contents/Frameworks/Electron Framework.framework/Versions/A/Libraries/libffmpeg.dylib
  • packaging       platform=darwin arch=universal electron=23.3.10 appOutDir=dist/mac-universal
  • skipped macOS code signing  reason=identity explicitly is set to null
  • arm64 requires signing, but identity is set to null and signing is being skipped
  • building        target=DMG arch=universal file=dist/electron-quick-start-typescript-1.0.5-universal.dmg
  • building block map  blockMapFile=dist/electron-quick-start-typescript-1.0.5-universal.dmg.blockmap
✨  Done in 28.14s.

[mickythompson]

Update: v26.2.0 still fails with universal builds

Tested with electron-builder@26.2.0 - same behavior as 26.0.20:

• packaging platform=darwin arch=universal electron=38.4.0 appOutDir=dist-electron/mac-universal
(node:24786) [DEP0174] DeprecationWarning: Calling promisify on a function that returns a Promise is likely a mistake.
The file dist-electron/*.dmg does not exist.

The build creates both arch-specific temp directories (mac-universal-x64-temp, mac-universal-arm64-temp) but fails silently during the universal merge step. Process exits cleanly without error.

Environment:

• macOS 26.1 (25B78)
• Node.js v22.18.0
• pnpm 10.15.1 (hoisted node-linker)
• electron-builder 26.2.0
• electron 38.4.0

Still reproducible in pnpm workspace with local installation. Awaiting 26.3.0 with PR #9309 fixes.

[mmaietta]

Update: 23.6.0 has been deployed.

[mickythompson]

I can confirm this issue persists in electron-builder 26.3.0 when running from the monorepo root with pnpm workspaces.

Test Environment:

• electron-builder: 26.3.0
• electron-builder-squirrel-windows: 26.3.0
• pnpm: 10.15.1
• Electron: 38.4.0
• macOS: 26.1 (25B78)
• Target: Universal binary (x64 + ARM64)
• Tested with both pnpm isolated and hoisted node_modules configurations

Symptoms with 26.3.0:

• ✅ Successfully creates mac-universal-x64-temp and mac-universal-arm64-temp directories
• ✅ App bundles appear complete in both temp directories
• ❌ Build stops after packaging individual architectures
• ❌ No mac-universal final directory created
• ❌ No DMG or ZIP artifacts generated
• ❌ Process exits cleanly with code 0 (silent failure)
• Deprecation warning: (node:42784) [DEP0174] DeprecationWarning: Calling promisify on a function that returns a Promise
• Many warnings: could not resolve package packageName=undefined fromDir=...

What We Tested:

Attempted to isolate the cause by testing both pnpm configurations:

1. Default isolated mode (.pnpm/<package>@<version>/node_modules/<package>/)
2. Hoisted mode (node-linker=hoisted)

Result: The issue occurs with both configurations, confirming this is not related to pnpm's hoisting behavior.

Confirmed Workaround:

Running electron-builder directly from the workspace directory instead of the monorepo root works successfully:

# ❌ Fails silently from root
cd /monorepo/root
pnpm --filter=desktop packaged

# ✅ Works from workspace
cd apps/desktop
electron-builder --config electron-builder.config.cjs --mac

This successfully creates all expected artifacts (DMG, ZIP, blockmap files, latest-mac.yml).

Technical Analysis:

The failure appears specific to:

1. Working directory context: When electron-builder is invoked from the monorepo root, something breaks in the build pipeline

2. Path resolution in @electron/universal: The @electron/universal package (v2.0.3, dependency of app-builder-lib) requires absolute paths for its x64AppPath, arm64AppPath, and outAppPath parameters. If electron-builder is constructing these paths relative to the current working directory, they may be incorrect when running from the monorepo root.

3. Silent failure: No error is thrown, making it impossible to diagnose without manually checking for missing output files

The packageName=undefined warnings appear to be a separate (possibly cosmetic) issue in app-builder-lib's node module collector, as they occur even when the packages exist at the expected paths.

Impact:

This makes electron-builder effectively incompatible with pnpm monorepo workflows unless users work around it by:

• Running builds from individual workspace directories, OR
• Using the global install workaround mentioned in the original report

The silent failure is particularly problematic as it can cause CI/CD pipelines to pass while producing no artifacts.

[mmaietta]

Thank you for the detailed analysis

Additional console logging:

• In terms of console progress, when running electron/universal, you can use DEBUG=electron-universal to access that upstream dep's logs. https://github.com/electron/universal/blob/53c72d8c47db9658ae0dc15e71cce306d8ecfa55/src/debug.ts#L3C25-L3C43
• That can help determine if/where your build is stalling. There's no "verbose" config property via the package's API, only through that DEBUG env var

Node 14 engine req:

• Re: DeprecationWarning: Calling promisify on a function that returns a Promise is likely a mistake. I'll need to think through this here as promisify(exec) is valid for node 14 (which this package still has as its engine), but for Node.js ≥ v15, they changed the implementation of child_process.exec() (and some other functions like fs) so that exec() returns a Promise when no callback is supplied.
  I'll find a workaround to simplify here.

I'm still unable to reproduce your issue with my env setup though. Would you be willing to put together a minimum repro repo? (or gist or git patch that can inflate a project)

[mmaietta]

The promisify warning logged is resolved in #9374

[mickythompson]

Hi @mmaietta - thanks so much for your patience and help debugging this! We've identified the root cause, and apologies for not catching this sooner.

Root Cause

The universal build failure is caused by pnpm overrides forcing glob@>=12.0.0, which creates an incompatibility with @electron/asar.

The Problem

1. glob@12.x changed from callbacks to native Promises
2. @electron/asar still attempts to promisify() the glob function at crawlfs.ts:34
3. Node.js throws DEP0174 deprecation warning when promisifying a function that already returns Promises
4. This causes the ASAR merge to fail silently during universal binary creation

Stack Trace

(node:37696) [DEP0174] DeprecationWarning: Calling promisify on a function that returns a Promise is likely a mistake.
    at glob_ (node:internal/util:458:12)
    at crawl (node_modules/@electron/asar/src/crawlfs.ts:34:25)
    at Object.createPackageWithOptions (node_modules/@electron/asar/src/asar.ts:63:54)
    at mergeASARs (node_modules/@electron/universal/src/asar-utils.ts:216:16)
    at makeUniversalApp (node_modules/@electron/universal/src/index.ts:275:7)

Reproduction

We confirmed this by:

1. Testing with override - Added to package.json:

   {
     "pnpm": {
       "overrides": {
         "glob": ">=12.0.0"
       }
     }
   }

   Result: Universal build fails silently ❌

2. Testing without override - Removed the override from production repo
   Result: Universal build succeeds ✅

Solution

Short-term workaround: Remove the glob override from package.json

Long-term fix: Upgrade @electron/asar dependency from 3.4.1 to 4.0.1+

This issue was already fixed in @electron/asar v4.0.0 (tracked in issue #337). The v4.0.0 release:

• Removed the problematic promisify wrapper
• Updated glob dependency to modern versions
• Requires Node.js >=22.12.0 and is ESM-only

Currently, electron-builder uses @electron/asar@3.4.1, which has glob@^7.1.6 as a dependency. When pnpm overrides force glob@>=12.0.0, it breaks the old promisify logic in the 3.x version.

Why This Was Hard to Reproduce

• Most repos use the default glob version (< 12.x) which works fine
• Only repos with explicit glob overrides (usually added for security vulnerability fixes) experience this issue
• The failure is completely silent - no error thrown, just a deprecation warning that's easy to miss

Hope this helps! Let me know if you need any additional information.

[mmaietta]

Glad to hear that you were able to resolve the issue. May this GH issue be closed then?

Separately, I do have @electron package updates on my radar. The Node 22.12 requirement is a breaking change, though.

[mickythompson]

I have closed this issue, @mmaietta, as the problem is now resolved. Thanks again for your help and guidance.