Error: spawn openssl ENOENT

[xeroxstar]

The module do not work on my end, not sure what does it mean but i get this error.

events.js:174
throw er; // Unhandled 'error' event
^

Error: spawn openssl ENOENT
    at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:240:19)
    at onErrorNT (internal/child_process.js:415:16)
    at process._tickCallback (internal/process/next_tick.js:63:19)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:757:11)
    at startup (internal/bootstrap/node.js:283:19)
    at bootstrapNodeJSCore (internal/bootstrap/node.js:622:3)
Emitted 'error' event at:
    at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:246:12)
    at onErrorNT (internal/child_process.js:415:16)
    [... lines matching original stack trace ...]
    at bootstrapNodeJSCore (internal/bootstrap/node.js:622:3)

[codevibess]

Hi Vadim,

I have tasted openssl-nodejs, and I don`t find any problems in the workflow.
Can you give me more information about what command you want to run what was pasted and what the type of param (just a simple string or raw data) .
It can help me to simulate the situation and find out what was wrong.

Regards,
Andrii

[xeroxstar]

After playing with it, i successfully installed it. Thank you.

[Angramme]

Hi, what did you do to fix the error. I get the exact same one as you did. Do you have to install openssl cli for openssl-nodejs to work? or is it built in?

[tshiamor-adft]

@xeroxstar any details on how this was fixed? facing the same problem on windows. just tried running a minimal example from the readme provided.

[codevibess]

Hi @Angramme @tshiamor-adft , just make sure, that command what you try to invoke is correct (try in a terminal window)
If it doesn't solve your problem, please give me more information about the command that you trying to run. As I said above When I tested it I don`t find any problems in the workflow.

Sincerely,
Andrii

[tshiamor-adft]

Hi @codevibess , thanks for the reply. I first tried the examples in the readme, i.e

openssl('openssl req -config csr.cnf -x509 -sha256 -nodes -days 365 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout key.key -out certificate.crt')

and got the same error as above, then figured there might be some changes on how some parameters are passed such as the "rsa:2048".

So on terminal this command is confirmed working however it fails when using the library

then the same command i tried:

response when running :

[codevibess]

@tshiamor-adft I tested all commands from a readme in Windows 10, macOS, Centos with different node versions, but I don't get the same error.

If about your peace of code:

I have noticed a bug/non covered use case in my code that can cause this behavior.
As I said in the README file:

When you used a command which generates additional output in file format this package will create a folder openssl/ in the directory where the command was invoked. All output files will appear in this folder (openssl).

But it creates a folder only when you use the Buffer parameter.

For example:
Code:

const openssl = require("openssl-nodejs")

openssl('openssl genpkey -out privkey.pem -algorithm RSA -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:2018 -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_pubexp:3', (output) => console.log(output.toString()));

Output:

OpenSSL process ends with code 1
Can't open output file openssl/privkey.pem

Why?
Because the library trying to write a file in a non-existing directory (openssl. This directory will be automatically created only with Buffer parameter use case).

Workaround:
Try to escape from this directory using a relative path. For your use case it will look like this:

const openssl = require("openssl-nodejs")

openssl('openssl genpkey -out ../privkey.pem -algorithm RSA -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:2018 -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_pubexp:3', (output) => console.log(output.toString()));

As you see I add a ../ to output private key. (for non-buffer command invocation which generates output to files use directory escaping).

About unhandled exception:
As soon as I find the root cause of it it will be fixed.

Summary
I will cover it in README or change the behavior of a package as soon as possible.
But before that, I need to analyze the impact of possible changes and decide which way is better.

But anyway for anyone who is faced with the same problem it can be a temporal workaround.

@tshiamor-adft Please try code written above.

[tshiamor-adft]

thanks again @codevibess ,I tried the minimal code on a few windows computers, not sure if im missing something because I still get the same error even when running the updated command i.e:

const openssl = require("openssl-nodejs")

openssl('openssl genpkey -out ../privkey.pem -algorithm RSA -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:2018 -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_pubexp:3', (output) => console.log(output.toString()));

[tshiamor-adft]

its fine now, i suppose its more of an installation issue, likely that the terminal window did not have its system variables updated, with the openssl.exe path. got fixed when i ran the code from a different terminal.

[Moises-dev08]

thanks again @codevibess ,I tried the minimal code on a few windows computers, not sure if im missing something because I still get the same error even when running the updated command i.e:

const openssl = require("openssl-nodejs")

openssl('openssl genpkey -out ../privkey.pem -algorithm RSA -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:2018 -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_pubexp:3', (output) => console.log(output.toString()));

Hi, where did you paste this code? Thanks

[ksw25]

How to specify where to read the file from?
No matter what I do, the path for the file always starts on openssl/ directory.

Example:
openssl('openssl x509 -noout -text -in ../certs/ca-g3.pem', (output) => console.log(output.toString()));

Error:

    "errorType": "Error",
    "errorMessage": "spawn openssl ENOENT",
    "code": "ENOENT",
    "errno": "ENOENT",
    "syscall": "spawn openssl",
    "path": "openssl",
    "spawnargs": [
        "x509",
        "-noout",
        "-text",
        "-in",
        "openssl/../certs/ca-g3.pem"
    ],
    "stack": [
        "Error: spawn openssl ENOENT",
        "    at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:268:19)",
        "    at onErrorNT (internal/child_process.js:470:16)",
        "    at processTicksAndRejections (internal/process/task_queues.js:84:21)"
    ]
}

[Coldplayer1995]

Why is this closed if that has not been fixed? I am having the same difficulties to run this.