[BUG] Browser doesnt get installed on Windows Server

[veighthedev]

Context:

• Playwright Version: "^1.2.1"
• Operating System: Windows Server
• Node version: v14.1.0.
• Browser: Firefox
• Extra: Installed via installed packed with electron-builder

Error
(intermediate value) is not iterable when starting browser instance

Describe the bug
When installing and running it locally everything works but once you try to run in on a Google Windows Server, it throws that error which basically says that no browser is intalled.

[aslushnikov]

@SentoxAIO how do I reproduce this? Can you lead me with a step-by-step description to reproduce this?

[veighthedev]

We're using playwright (playwright-firefox) in an electron app, when people use our app (packaged with electron-builder with playwright unpacked) on a windows server, playwright throws the "(intermediate value) is not iterable" error when starting the browser.

How to reproduce:

1. Open a Windows Server
2. Install playwright-firefox
3. Try to run it

[aslushnikov]

@SentoxAIO the essence of the problem seems to be in the playwright is packaged with electron-builder. Can you share more details on this?

[veighthedev]

There is not much more to say about it. Playwright is kept unpacked and the PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH is set to 0

Let me know what kind of details you are looking for.

[aslushnikov]

@SentoxAIO Well, if PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH is set to 0, then browsers won't get downloaded - that's expected. What's not working then?

Let me know what kind of details you are looking for.

I have no experience with electron-builder and I've never dealt with packaging playwright there. I'll appreciate detailed steps on what I should do to repro things!

[dgozman]

Referencing #2539 for more context.

[veighthedev]

@aslushnikov

I'll appreciate detailed steps on what I should do to repro things!

Its pretty easy to repro that. First you need an electron app which uses playwright-firefox (not as a window for the app, it should start a nightly session). Then you add this to your package.json:

"build": {
  "appId": "your.id",
   "win": {
	        "target": "nsis",
		"asar": true,
		"asarUnpack": [
			"node_modules/playwright-firefox/.local-browsers/**/*"
		]
	},
}

and then you just need to run npm run electron-builder.
To be honest I am not sure how to reproduce the error then since I never got it myself. But according to users it happened on Windows Servers but sometimes also locally.