remotion-dev/remotion · error · Error

Linear gradient program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}

Error message

Linear gradient program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}

What it means

Thrown by createProgram() in the linear-gradient effect when gl.linkProgram() reports a non-LINK_STATUS. The interpolated log carries the driver's linker message. Because the vertex/fragment shaders are fixed and compiled cleanly, a link failure here indicates the driver failed to reconcile them (varying/uniform mismatch on that implementation) rather than a library-logic error.

Source

Thrown at packages/effects/src/linear-gradient.ts:203

const createProgram = (gl: WebGL2RenderingContext): WebGLProgram => {
	const vs = compileShader(gl, gl.VERTEX_SHADER, VERTEX_SHADER);
	const fs = compileShader(gl, gl.FRAGMENT_SHADER, FRAGMENT_SHADER);
	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);
	gl.deleteShader(vs);
	gl.deleteShader(fs);

	if (!gl.getProgramParameter(program, gl.LINK_STATUS)) {
		const log = gl.getProgramInfoLog(program);
		gl.deleteProgram(program);
		throw new Error(
			`Linear gradient program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}`,
		);
	}

	return program;
};

const setupLinearGradient = (
	target: HTMLCanvasElement,
): LinearGradientState => {
	const gl = target.getContext('webgl2', {
		premultipliedAlpha: true,
		alpha: true,
		preserveDrawingBuffer: true,
	});
	if (!gl) {
		throw createWebGL2ContextError('linear gradient effect');
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to 78fe4bb3fd)

Solutions

1. Inspect the interpolated linker log for the exact mismatch the driver reported.
2. Restart Chrome / the render worker to clear stale context state and retry.
3. Switch to a software GL backend (`--gl=angle --angle-backend=swiftshader`) that implements linking deterministically.
4. Update Chrome and GPU drivers; on serverless, move to a Remotion-published Chrome layer.
5. If reproducible on a specific driver, file an issue against @remotion/effects with the driver string and the linker log.

try {
  renderWithLinearGradient();
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof Error && err.message.startsWith('Linear gradient program link failed')) {
    console.error(err.message); // driver linker log
    await withGlBackend('swiftshader', () => renderWithLinearGradient());
  } else throw err;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Both VERTEX_SHADER and FRAGMENT_SHADER compiled, but the driver's linker rejected the combined program — a known class of WebGL2 driver bug where varying declarations (vUv) or precision qualifiers are matched inconsistently. Also seen after a GPU-process crash leaves context state inconsistent.

Common situations: Buggy mobile/integrated GPU drivers, older mesa on headless Linux, Chrome GPU-process crash mid-session, or a remote-rendering host with a stripped GL stack.

Related errors

• Skew program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Speckle program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Evolve program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Exposure shader link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}

AI-assisted analysis of remotion-dev/remotion@78fe4bb3fd (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4290336717f5c861. Report an issue: GitHub.