remotion-dev/remotion · critical · Error

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

Error message

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

What it means

Thrown by the blur effect's `compileShader` when the shader source compiled with a falsy COMPILE_STATUS. The message embeds the driver's info log. Because the GLSL lives in `blur-shaders.ts` (library constants), a compile failure means a shader regression or a GLSL ES 3.00 feature the driver does not accept.

Source

Thrown at packages/effects/src/blur/blur-runtime.ts:46

	};
};

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(`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. Read the info log embedded in the error message — it points to the exact line/column of the GLSL error.
2. Update @remotion/effects to the latest version; shader bugs are patched upstream.
3. Reproduce on a discrete GPU and a different browser to isolate driver-specific rejection.
4. In headless CI, verify the GL_RENDERER string and that WebGL2 is hardware-backed.

Example fix

// Not fixable by callers — BLUR_VS / BLUR_FS_* are library constants.
// Capture the info log from the thrown error and report it upstream with:
console.error(gl.getParameter(gl.RENDERER), gl.getParameter(gl.SHADING_LANGUAGE_VERSION));

// Probe compile capability with a trivial shader before setup.
const probe = gl.createShader(gl.FRAGMENT_SHADER);
if (!probe) { /* skip */ }
gl.shaderSource(probe, 'void main(){}');
gl.compileShader(probe);
const ok = gl.getShaderParameter(probe, gl.COMPILE_STATUS);
gl.deleteShader(probe);
if (!ok) { /* fall back */ }

try {
  const state = setupBlur(canvas);
} catch (err) {
  if (/Shader compile failed/.test(err.message)) {
    // log err (contains info log), fall back to a non-WebGL effect
  } else { throw err; }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Fires at line 46 after `gl.compileShader` when `gl.getShaderParameter(shader, gl.COMPILE_STATUS)` is falsy. Affects BLUR_VS, BLUR_FS_HORIZONTAL, or BLUR_FS_VERTICAL.

Common situations: A new blur shader revision ships with a syntax/type error; a driver rejects a construct (e.g. certain loop bounds, precision qualifiers) on older hardware; headless software rasterizer in CI with weaker GLSL support; truncated shader string from a broken build.

Related errors

• Program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Burlap shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Starburst shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Thermal vision shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Burlap program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}

AI-assisted analysis of remotion-dev/remotion@78fe4bb3fd (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/52c39ae6a5a2a18e. Report an issue: GitHub.