Build not found error when trying to create an installer for my electron app

Question

I am trying to create a window installer for my electron app (so that it can be run on any windows computer as a standalone app) using electron-builder https://www.npmjs.com/package/electron-builder

When typing npm run dist on my computer, i run into the following error.

sh: 1: build: not found

npm ERR! Linux 3.4.0+
npm ERR! argv "/usr/local/bin/node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "run" "dist"
npm ERR! node v6.2.2
npm ERR! npm  v3.9.5
npm ERR! file sh
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! errno ENOENT
npm ERR! syscall spawn
npm ERR! <NAME>@0.0.0 dist: `build`
npm ERR! spawn ENOENT
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Failed at the <NAME>@0.0.0 dist script 'build'.
npm ERR! Make sure you have the latest version of node.js and npm installed.
npm ERR! If you do, this is most likely a problem with the <NAME>,
npm ERR! not with npm itself.
npm ERR! Tell the author that this fails on your system:
npm ERR!     build

Below is how my package.json file looks

{
  "name": "<NAME>",
  "version": "0.0.0",
  "description": "[...]",
  "main": "index.js",
  "build": {
    "appId": "test.321",
    "app-category-type": "your.app.category.type",
    "win": {
      "iconUrl": "http://cdn.sstatic.net/Sites/stackoverflow/img/apple-touch-icon.png"
    }
  },
  "scripts": {
    "start": "electron main.js",
    "postinstall": "install-app-deps",
    "pack": "build --dir",
    "dist": "build"
  },
  "author": "<NAME> <[email protected]>",
  "license": "ISC",
  "devDependencies": {
    "electron": "^1.3.3",
    "electron-installer-squirrel-windows": "^1.3.0",
    "electron-packager": "^7.5.1"
  }
}

I am using windows 10, and executing the command via bash

erhun erhun · Accepted Answer · 2020-08-06T21:59:03

I was following this blogpost to build it and I have same problem, I solved it to replace build with electron-builder command and also delete outdated category field name.

"scripts": {
    "postinstall": "install-app-deps",
    "start": "npm install && electron .",
    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1",
    "pack": "electron-builder --dir",
    "dist": "electron-builder"
  },

Build not found error when trying to create an installer for my electron app

2 Answers