Unable to run or build Electron app with WSL #910

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claunia · 2026-01-29T16:51:47Z

claunia commented

2026-01-29 16:51:47 +00:00

Originally created by @peter-bozovic on GitHub (Sep 4, 2023).

Environment: Windows 11 with Ubuntu 22.04 on WSL 2
Dotnet Version: 7

Electron Version: 23.6.1

Target: linux

Steps to Reproduce:

Install/Use Ubuntu 22.04 on WSL
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04

Then within the Linux prompt:
2. Install dotnet 6 (for Electron cli) & dotnet 7 for the project
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y dotnet-sdk-6.0 && sudo apt-get install -y dotnet-sdk-7.0
4. Install Electron CLI
dotnet tool install ElectronNET.CLI -g
5. Add path for electronize (copy/paste depending on your user account name)
export PATH="$PATH:/home/{{username}}/.dotnet/tools"
6. Create project folder
mkdir ElectronBuild && cd ElectronBuild
7. Create Blazor Server Project
dotnet new blazorserver
8. Init the Electron config
electronize init

9.a Try to run the app
electronize start
The following error appears at the end:

node_modules missing in: /home/wsl/ElectronBuild/obj/Host/node_modules
Start npm install...
npm install
npm WARN deprecated tslint@6.1.3: TSLint has been deprecated in favor of ESLint. Please see https://github.com/palantir/tslint/issues/4534 for more information.
npm ERR! code 1
npm ERR! path \\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu-22.04\home\wsl\ElectronBuild\obj\Host\node_modules\electron
npm ERR! command failed
npm ERR! command C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe /d /s /c node install.js
npm ERR! '\\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu-22.04\home\wsl\ElectronBuild\obj\Host\node_modules\electron'
npm ERR! CMD.EXE a été démarré avec le chemin d’accès comme répertoire en
npm ERR! cours. Les chemins d’accès UNC ne sont pas prise en charge. Utilisation
npm ERR! du répertoire Windows par défaut.
npm ERR! node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1078
npm ERR!   throw err;
npm ERR!   ^
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Error: Cannot find module 'C:\Windows\install.js'
npm ERR!     at Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1075:15)
npm ERR!     at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:920:27)
npm ERR!     at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:81:12)
npm ERR!     at node:internal/main/run_main_module:23:47 {
npm ERR!   code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
npm ERR!   requireStack: []
npm ERR! }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Node.js v18.15.0

9.b Try to publish the app
electronize build /target linux
The following error appears at the end:

ElectronHostHook handling started...
Build Electron Desktop Application...
Executing electron magic in this directory: /home/wsl/ElectronBuild/bin/desktop
Create electron-builder configuration file...
node build-helper.js electron.manifest.json
bash: line 1: node: command not found


Package Electron App for Platform linux...
npx electron-builder --config=./bin/electron-builder.json --linux --x64 -c.electronVersion=23.2.0
'\\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu-22.04\home\wsl\ElectronBuild\obj\desktop\linux'
CMD.EXE a été démarré avec le chemin d’accès comme répertoire en
cours. Les chemins d’accès UNC ne sont pas prise en charge. Utilisation
du répertoire Windows par défaut.
  • electron-builder  version=23.0.3 os=10.0.22621
  ⨯ ENOENT: no such file or directory, open 'C:\Windows\bin\electron-builder.json'  failedTask=build stackTrace=Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, open 'C:\Windows\bin\electron-builder.json'
... done

For some reason, it's using the network path \\wsl.localhost\... as project location and also trying to look for stuff within C:\WINDOWS\... which is of course not accessible within WSL
I don't know if it's the Elecronize CLI issue or the electron builder issue or if there are workarounds on how to make it work ...

Originally created by @peter-bozovic on GitHub (Sep 4, 2023). * **Environment**: Windows 11 with Ubuntu 22.04 on WSL 2 * **Dotnet Version**: 7    * **Electron Version**: 23.6.1   * **Target**: linux   Steps to Reproduce: 1. Install/Use Ubuntu 22.04 on WSL `wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04` Then within the Linux prompt: 2. Install dotnet 6 (for Electron cli) & dotnet 7 for the project `sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y dotnet-sdk-6.0 && sudo apt-get install -y dotnet-sdk-7.0` 4. Install Electron CLI `dotnet tool install ElectronNET.CLI -g` 5. Add path for electronize (copy/paste depending on your user account name) `export PATH="$PATH:/home/{{username}}/.dotnet/tools"` 6. Create project folder `mkdir ElectronBuild && cd ElectronBuild` 7. Create Blazor Server Project `dotnet new blazorserver` 8. Init the Electron config `electronize init` 9.a Try to run the app `electronize start` The following error appears at the end: ``` node_modules missing in: /home/wsl/ElectronBuild/obj/Host/node_modules Start npm install... npm install npm WARN deprecated tslint@6.1.3: TSLint has been deprecated in favor of ESLint. Please see https://github.com/palantir/tslint/issues/4534 for more information. npm ERR! code 1 npm ERR! path \\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu-22.04\home\wsl\ElectronBuild\obj\Host\node_modules\electron npm ERR! command failed npm ERR! command C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe /d /s /c node install.js npm ERR! '\\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu-22.04\home\wsl\ElectronBuild\obj\Host\node_modules\electron' npm ERR! CMD.EXE a été démarré avec le chemin d’accès comme répertoire en npm ERR! cours. Les chemins d’accès UNC ne sont pas prise en charge. Utilisation npm ERR! du répertoire Windows par défaut. npm ERR! node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1078 npm ERR! throw err; npm ERR! ^ npm ERR! npm ERR! Error: Cannot find module 'C:\Windows\install.js' npm ERR! at Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1075:15) npm ERR! at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:920:27) npm ERR! at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:81:12) npm ERR! at node:internal/main/run_main_module:23:47 { npm ERR! code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND', npm ERR! requireStack: [] npm ERR! } npm ERR! npm ERR! Node.js v18.15.0 ``` 9.b Try to publish the app `electronize build /target linux` The following error appears at the end: ``` ElectronHostHook handling started... Build Electron Desktop Application... Executing electron magic in this directory: /home/wsl/ElectronBuild/bin/desktop Create electron-builder configuration file... node build-helper.js electron.manifest.json bash: line 1: node: command not found Package Electron App for Platform linux... npx electron-builder --config=./bin/electron-builder.json --linux --x64 -c.electronVersion=23.2.0 '\\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu-22.04\home\wsl\ElectronBuild\obj\desktop\linux' CMD.EXE a été démarré avec le chemin d’accès comme répertoire en cours. Les chemins d’accès UNC ne sont pas prise en charge. Utilisation du répertoire Windows par défaut. • electron-builder version=23.0.3 os=10.0.22621 ⨯ ENOENT: no such file or directory, open 'C:\Windows\bin\electron-builder.json' failedTask=build stackTrace=Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, open 'C:\Windows\bin\electron-builder.json' ... done ``` For some reason, it's using the network path `\\wsl.localhost\...` as project location and also trying to look for stuff within `C:\WINDOWS\...` which is of course not accessible within WSL I don't know if it's the Elecronize CLI issue or the electron builder issue or if there are workarounds on how to make it work ...

claunia added the bug label 2026-01-29 16:51:47 +00:00

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Reference: starred/Electron.NET#910