Error: spawn /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin ENOENT

[Krinkle]

As of Firefox 121 (released Dec 2023), Mozilla no longer includes a firefox-bin inside the bundle for macOS.

The good news is that the replacement, firefox has been around for 10+ years. So it is safe to change this.

Prior art:

• Switch macOS from firefox-bin to firefox karma-runner/karma-firefox-launcher#330
• Cannot start Firefox (or FirefoxHeadless) 121 on macOS Sonoma 14.2.1 (23C71) karma-runner/karma-firefox-launcher#328

The problem originates in the browser-launcher dependency, but I'm reporting it here because that package no longer has a source or issue tracker since https://github.com/substack account was deleted.

pass.js:

console.log('TAP version 13');
console.log('ok 1 Foo bar');
console.log('ok 2 Baz > this thing');
console.log('ok 3 Baz > another thing');
console.log('ok 4 Quux');
console.log('1..4');

package.json:

{
  "private": true,
  "scripts": {},
  "devDependencies": {
    "testling": "^1.7.7"
  }
}

$ cat pass.js | npx testling
node:events:485
      throw er; // Unhandled 'error' event
      ^

Error: spawn /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin ENOENT
    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:286:19)
    at onErrorNT (node:internal/child_process:484:16)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:90:21)
Emitted 'error' event on ChildProcess instance at:
    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:292:12)
    at onErrorNT (node:internal/child_process:484:16)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:90:21) {
  errno: -2,
  code: 'ENOENT',
  syscall: 'spawn /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin',
  path: '/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin',
  spawnargs: [
    '--no-remote',
    '-CreateProfile',
    'browser-launcher-f7bc84eec54f4 /Users/krinkle/.config/browser-launcher/firefox-browser-launcher-f7bc84eec54f4'
  ]
}

Node.js v23.6.0

[ljharb]

Thanks; even though the repo's gone, I can reconstruct it and update the npm package if @bcomnes wouldn't mind adding me as an npm owner?

[bcomnes]

Sure no problem. Which one? I’m out right now but will set a reminder for when I’m back to my keys.

[ljharb]

@bcomnes awesome! browser-launcher. I'll restore the repo this weekend and publish an update.

[Krinkle]

@ljharb In case you don't have an up-to-date clone, there's a partial Git history at https://github.com/bcomnes/browser-launcher that may be salvageable. It doesn't cover 2.0.0-4.0.0 but may be worth using as a start to preserve various commit messages and author attribution of merged PRs until that point. I imagine you'll get the rest from npm release tarballs?

[bcomnes]

Incredible, I found the old full source tree on my laptop.

[bcomnes]

I have no clue what GitHub did but they re-attached my fork to some random other repo. I'm going rename the forked version and create a new one and push up the tree.

[bcomnes]

Ok I just performed the following:

• Renamed my old fork to https://github.com/bcomnes/browser-launcher-original-fork because forks suck for anything other than sending PRs (automations randomly turn off, generally things just don't work as well)
• Created a new repo https://github.com/bcomnes/browser-launcher which I pushed the source tree from my laptop into. I believe I had the whole tree.
• Invited @ljharb to the repo and npm package. Let me know if you want me to transfer the repo, I don't intend to continue working on this package.
• Let me know if you need anything else, and just make sure to do a major release and announce change of ownership.

[ljharb]

Thanks, if you'd mind bouncing it into tape-testing (this org) that'd be great.

I can certainly publish a v5 if you want, but a change of owner doesn't usually warrant a major release - is that necessary?

(note https://majors.nullvoxpopuli.com/q?minors=false&old=false&packages=browser-launcher - most users are on v1 and v3, so being able to publish bugfixes to them is pretty important)

[bcomnes]

Can't transfer directly, so I just sent it to you directly, and you can put it in.

I mean do what makes sense, but I think a major would be an appropriate way to communicate that the package is under new management.

[ljharb]

Thanks!