{"record":{"id":"115b31371c970b9d","repo":"Zackriya-Solutions/meetily","slug":"failed-to-spawn-ffmpeg-process","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Failed to spawn ffmpeg process: {}","messagePattern":"Failed to spawn ffmpeg process: (.+?)","errorType":"exception","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"frontend/src-tauri/src/audio/decoder.rs","lineNumber":348,"sourceCode":"        ])\n        .stdin(Stdio::null())\n        .stdout(Stdio::piped())\n        .stderr(Stdio::piped());\n\n    // Hide console window on Windows\n    #[cfg(target_os = \"windows\")]\n    {\n        use std::os::windows::process::CommandExt;\n        const CREATE_NO_WINDOW: u32 = 0x08000000;\n        command.creation_flags(CREATE_NO_WINDOW);\n    }\n\n    debug!(\"FFmpeg conversion command: {:?}\", command);\n\n    #[allow(clippy::zombie_processes)]\n    let child = command\n        .spawn()\n        .map_err(|e| anyhow!(\"Failed to spawn ffmpeg process: {}\", e))?;\n\n    let output = child\n        .wait_with_output()\n        .map_err(|e| anyhow!(\"Failed to wait for ffmpeg process: {}\", e))?;\n\n    let stderr_text = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);\n    debug!(\"FFmpeg stderr: {}\", stderr_text);\n\n    if !output.status.success() {\n        error!(\n            \"FFmpeg conversion failed (exit code: {}): {}\",\n            output.status, stderr_text\n        );\n        return Err(anyhow!(\n            \"FFmpeg conversion failed with exit code: {}. \\\n             The file may be corrupted or in an unsupported format.\",\n            output.status\n        ));","sourceCodeStart":330,"sourceCodeEnd":366,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/0281737d87d26352fb0adc78c8c0975f691b23d1/frontend/src-tauri/src/audio/decoder.rs#L330-L366","documentation":"spawn() failed for the already-resolved ffmpeg path — the binary was located but the OS refused to execute it. This is distinct from 'FFmpeg not found': typical causes are a non-executable file or macOS Gatekeeper quarantine (com.apple.quarantine) on a downloaded binary, antivirus/EDR blocking on Windows, an exec-format mismatch (x86_64 binary on arm64 or vice versa), or the file vanishing between discovery (the cached FFMPEG_PATH) and spawn.","triggerScenarios":"Runtime-downloaded ffmpeg gets quarantined or lands without the executable bit; Windows Defender blocks the freshly written exe; an ARM Mac cached an x86_64 download; the cached path points at a deleted file in a portable deployment.","commonSituations":"First import right after the app auto-downloaded ffmpeg; corporate machines with aggressive EDR; switching Rosetta/native modes; moving an app bundle after first run.","solutions":["macOS downloaded binary: remove the quarantine attribute (`xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/ffmpeg`) and mark it executable (`chmod +x`).","Confirm the binary matches the CPU arch (`file $(which ffmpeg)`); re-download the correct build.","On Windows, add an antivirus/Defender exclusion for the ffmpeg binary if it is being blocked.","If the binary was deleted after discovery, restart the app so find_ffmpeg_path re-runs and re-caches a valid path."],"exampleFix":"// before\nlet child = command.spawn()\n    .map_err(|e| anyhow!(\"Failed to spawn ffmpeg process: {}\", e))?;\n\n// after — name the actionable causes\nlet child = command.spawn().map_err(|e| match e.kind() {\n    std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied => anyhow!(\n        \"ffmpeg found at {:?} but cannot be executed — run `chmod +x` and `xattr -d com.apple.quarantine` on it\",\n        ffmpeg_path\n    ),\n    std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound =>\n        anyhow!(\"ffmpeg disappeared after discovery — restart the app to re-detect it\"),\n    _ => anyhow!(\"Failed to spawn ffmpeg process: {}\", e),\n})?;","handlingStrategy":"try-catch","validationCode":"// Rust — re-validate the cached binary before use\nif let Some(p) = find_ffmpeg_path() {\n    if !p.is_file() {\n        // clear the cached path, re-run discovery or re-trigger the auto-download\n    }\n}","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"match command.spawn() {\n    Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied => {\n        // instruct: chmod +x / xattr -d com.apple.quarantine / AV exclusion, then retry\n    }\n    Err(e) => return Err(anyhow!(\"Failed to spawn ffmpeg process: {}\", e)),\n    Ok(child) => child,\n}","preventionTips":["After auto-downloading ffmpeg, strip quarantine attributes and set the executable bit before caching the path.","Re-check the cached path's existence at use time.","Verify the downloaded binary's architecture matches the host."],"tags":["ffmpeg","process-spawn","permissions","gatekeeper"],"backgroundTag":"process-spawn-permission-denied","analyzedSha":"0281737d87d26352fb0adc78c8c0975f691b23d1","analyzedAt":"2026-08-16T20:57:52.567Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-08-16T23:17:17.608Z"}