Arch Linux User Repository

If you have troubles, read this message!

Please go to the relevant section of this comment in order to make both your and my life easier :)

1. Errors when starting the app like: the chat area is all blue
2. (Obsolete) I get an error when upgrading packages

Now, to the resolutions!

1. The app opens but I got a blue screen and nothing more / The app refuses to start / ...

The package depends on Node.js native stuff which are compiled at build time, which makes it break on Electron updates.

With a PKGBUILD between 2020-11-15 till 2021-09-08, you should always have gad a correct matching between Electron and Franz versions.

After 2021-09-08, while the Electron packages follows just the official Arch package dependency, as it is based on not-rolling versions (AKA following a specific Electron branch) breakages are unlikely.

If you would like to help me on this, whenever you have problems starting it, do the following:

1. Open Franz
2. Franz is broken: maybe for a recent update?
3. Reinstall Franz from AUR; this will make it rebuild the native blobs
4. Re-open Franz
5. Franz should work fine; if so, it was a Node.js/Electron/else update problem

If the above steps help you, report the package as outdated here and write in the comment something like:

Electron update broke Franz

If you have some other issues, you should open the developer tools and give me its output, in addition to what is your environment, so I can figure out if it is a packaging issue (my job to fix) or an upstream/code issue (their job to fix); in the second case, I will open a bug request and mention it in a comment, so that you can track it.

2. (Obsolete) I cannot upgrade Electron

The following resolution is not valid since 2021-09-08, it is kept for historic purposes

This is intended; since the PKGBUILD for Franz 5.5.0-4, the package marks as dependency a version-locked Electron package in order to avoid issues with binary modules over upgrades.

In such scenario, you should, assuming _electron="electron" in the PKGBUILD (meaning the Electron used is bundled in the package electron):

1. Mark this package as out of date
2. Do you regular updates with: pacman -Syu --ignore electron

If you want however to upgrade the Electron package, do

1. Upgrade the electron package with pacman -S --assume-installed electron=FRANZ.REQUIRED.VERSION electron
2. Rebuild Franz if needed

Hope this was a good explanation, might get updates if I missed something :)

Be warned: the new version includes a hidden Monero mining script which cuts my battery life in half and I couldn't find a way to disable it. See: https://github.com/meetfranz/franz/issues/24#issuecomment-340948369

I get the same error (node-gyp rebuild). Not sure what you mean by local node vs global. I have node installed via pacman, which is global. The only local type of node install I can think of is one that uses nvm, which I'm not using.

I think you get this error because you're using a local node installation instead of the global one.

i get this error: To ensure your native dependencies are always matched electron version, simply add script `"postinstall": "electron-builder install-app-deps" to your `package.json` Installing app dependencies for linux:x64 to /tmp/yaourt-tmp-chris/aur-franz/src/franz-5.0.0-beta.11/build Error: npm exited with code 1 Output: > @paulcbetts/spellchecker@4.0.6 install /tmp/yaourt-tmp-chris/aur-franz/src/franz-5.0.0-beta.11/build/node_modules/@paulcbetts/spellchecker > node-gyp rebuild Error output: sh: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (en_US.UTF-8) sh: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (en_US.UTF-8) /bin/sh: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (en_US.UTF-8) gyp: Call to 'node -e "require('nan')"' returned exit status 0 while in binding.gyp. while trying to load binding.gyp gyp ERR! configure error gyp ERR! stack Error: `gyp` failed with exit code: 1 gyp ERR! stack at ChildProcess.onCpExit (/home/chris/.nvm/versions/node/v8.2.1/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/lib/configure.js:336:16) gyp ERR! stack at emitTwo (events.js:125:13) gyp ERR! stack at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:213:7) gyp ERR! stack at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:200:12) gyp ERR! System Linux 4.13.10-1-ARCH

npm is missing as build dependency

@Cpt_PL: Yes looks like after all the time of no communication they try to come back. I will have an eye on the linux version and update the package when it is released. Edit: Acoording to their github they will release linux support with the 5.0.0-beta.12 (https://github.com/meetfranz/franz/issues/3#issuecomment-339760168, https://github.com/meetfranz/franz/milestone/2).

Not sure if you know, but Franz 5 is in active development and they're making progress on Linux development for it - https://github.com/meetfranz/franz/issues/3 (last updated 3 hours ago as of posting this comment)

Is anyone able to bring back the app window upon clicking the tray icon? For me it simply doesn't open anymore, forcing me to quit the program and re-run it. Any clues?

Most part of this app is propritetary (closed source). Please specify it.

Current status from Franz: * Twitter/Facebook/Email went silent 3 months ago * No reaction whatsoever since then * Also no updates/bugfixes So I guess the project is dead and I can only recommend to switch to other solutions like rambox. I will leave this in the AUR though for people who still want to use it. If ever an update appears again I will add it here.