remotion-dev/remotion · error · Error

Evolve shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}

Error message

Evolve shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}

What it means

Thrown by evolve's compileShader() when gl.COMPILE_STATUS is false. The driver's info log is embedded. EVOLVE_VS / EVOLVE_FS are hardcoded #version 300 es GLSL constants in the library, so a compile failure reflects a driver/translation defect, not caller input.

Source

Thrown at packages/effects/src/evolve.ts:206

}
`;

const compileShader = (
	gl: WebGL2RenderingContext,
	type: number,
	source: string,
): WebGLShader => {
	const shader = gl.createShader(type);
	if (!shader) {
		throw new Error('Failed to create WebGL shader');
	}

	gl.shaderSource(shader, source);
	gl.compileShader(shader);
	if (!gl.getShaderParameter(shader, gl.COMPILE_STATUS)) {
		const log = gl.getShaderInfoLog(shader);
		gl.deleteShader(shader);
		throw new Error(`Evolve shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}`);
	}

	return shader;
};

const linkProgram = (
	gl: WebGL2RenderingContext,
	vs: WebGLShader,
	fs: WebGLShader,
): WebGLProgram => {
	const program = gl.createProgram();
	if (!program) {
		throw new Error('Failed to create WebGL program');
	}

	gl.attachShader(program, vs);
	gl.attachShader(program, fs);
	gl.linkProgram(program);

View on GitHub (pinned to 78fe4bb3fd)

Solutions

1. Switch the GL backend and re-render: `npx remotion render <comp> --gl=swiftshader` (or --gl=angle).
2. Update the GPU driver and Chromium build.
3. On Lambda, use a supported Chrome layer version.
4. If it reproduces across all backends, file a Remotion bug with the embedded shader info log.

async function renderWithFallback(opts) {
  try {
    return await renderMedia(opts);
  } catch (err) {
    const msg = String(err?.message ?? '');
    if (/shader compile failed/i.test(msg)) {
      return await renderMedia({...opts, gl: 'swiftshader'});
    }
    throw err;
  }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Rendering or previewing evolve() on a GPU/driver that cannot compile the bundled vertex or fragment shader.

Common situations: Outdated or buggy GPU drivers, an ANGLE/SwiftShader regression, virtualized/headless environments with incomplete WebGL2 shader support, or a Chromium update that altered shader compilation.

Related errors

• Failed to create WebGL shader
• Checkerboard shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Failed to create WebGL shader
• Shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Duotone shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}

AI-assisted analysis of remotion-dev/remotion@78fe4bb3fd (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7a8f649a8478c4da. Report an issue: GitHub.