nwjs-node-packager

A tool to build distributable packages of an NW.js application.

Running on Linux, it targets Linux, Windows and OSX platforms.

It uses few standard commands and unzip command line. Main actions are full javascript

It can optionally replace the js file with a V8 snapshot to avoid directly reading the source code.

CLI Usage

$ npm start -- --params ./my-builder-params.js

$ npx nwjs_node_packager --params ./my-builder-params.js

If no file for --params is given, the default configuration from params.example.js will be used.

Parameters

const COMMON = {
    // The directory containing your NW.js script
    // has to be built if using Webpack for example
    source_dir: '../../../my-nwjs-script/dist',
    // the directory where NW.js binaries will be donwloaded and decompressed
    // this directory can be kept to avoid new downloads
    working_dir: './wrk_nwjs',
    // the directory where final packages will be available
    output_dir: './dist',
    // the NW.js version your script uses
    nwjs_version: '0.45.4',
    // the base url for NW.js redistributables
    nwjs_url: 'http://dl.nwjs.io',
    // clean working_dir to force NW.js binaries download
    force_nwjs_download: false,
    // nwjs locales to be distributed ! Note mandatory en*
    nwjs_locales: ['fr', 'en-GB', 'en-US', 'en*'],
    // replaces the app script with a binary V8 snapshot
    protect_script: true,
    // the html file loading the app script
    // only if protect_script
    built_html: 'index.html',
    // the app script name
    // the following string will be searched for replacement
    // <script type="text/javascript" src="${params.built_script}"></script>
    // only if protect_script
    built_script: 'app.js',
};

const PLATFORMS = [
    // array for cross-packaging
    // Windows
    {
        os: 'win',
        arch: 'x64', // can be ia32
        // creates an NSIS installer
        installer: {
            type: ['exe', 'msi'], // each targeted windows installer
            app_name: 'Application_Name', // your application name - if not set, uses the app package.json
            app_version: '0.0.0', // application version
            description: 'Application description for the installer',
            licence: 'MIT',
            win_ico_filename: 'my_image.ico', // must be in source_dir
            user_install: true, // local installation - no need of admin rights for installer
            language: 'French',

            // check running (exe)
            detect_running: true, // detect running window & abort
            main_window_title: 'MyApp', // window name to be detected
            already_running_message: 'MyApp is running. Please close it and retry !', // displayed message if aborting
            
            // msi required
            wixl_relative_path: true, // needed setting since debian 12 & wixl 0.101
            upgradeCode: 'My-Upgrade-Code',
            manufacturer: 'My-manufacturer-Id',
            msi_language: 1036 // 1033 english, 1036 french
        },
        external_files: [
            {
                source_filepath: '/path/to/a/file/doc.pdf',
                target_filepath: 'sub1/sub2/my_doc.pdf' // directories will be created in package
            },
            {
                source_filepath: '/path/to/a/second/file/other_doc.pdf' // file we be copied in package's root
            },
        ],
    },
    // Linux
    {
        os: 'linux',
        arch: 'x64'
    },
    // MacOs
    {
        os: 'osx',
        arch: 'x64',
        installer: { // needs sudo
            app_name: 'Application_Name', // your application name - if not set, uses the app package.json
            app_version: '0.0.0', // application version
            osx_ico_filename: 'app.icns'
        },
        protect: { // Caution : only use one of these entries ssh || bin_path
            ssh: 'user@ip', // ssh address to an osx platform
            // OR
            bin_path: '~/temp/toto.bin', // path to bin file
        },
        external_files: [
            {
                source_filepath: '/path/to/a/file/doc.pdf',
                target_filepath: 'sub1/sub2/my_doc.pdf' // directories will be created in package
            }
        ],
    }
];

If your application uses Webpack, it has to be built separately.

The application will download needed NW.js engines

If no app_name given for installer, it uses the name key of the package.json of the deployed app (in source_dir)

Windows Installer requirements

• default installer exe needs nsis linux package
• msi installer needs wixl linux package
• msi : Since debian 12, with wixl 0.101, the File source paths in generated .wixl file need to be relative. The parameter wixl_relative_path allow this.
• protect : Since nwjs 0.69.0, the sdk file nwjc needs wine 9.0 to run. So be carefull as debian 12 provides wine 8.4 but one can use up-to-date winehq debian packages - see https://wiki.winehq.org/Debian

OSX specific

• OSX installer producing dmg file needs sudo
• protect : uses ssh if both entries are present

Credits

based on https://github.com/Gisto/nwjs-shell-builder

License

MIT