Native module bindings not available in executable

[vostrnad]

What happened:
I am using the serialport library. When I build an executable that uses it, it seems like it's looking for some native binding files in node_modules outside its virtual filesystem. This means that once I move the executable somewhere else (e.g. C:\), it throws this error on startup:

C:\node_modules\bindings\bindings.js:211
      throw new Error(
      ^

Error: Could not find module root given file: "C:\node_modules\@serialport\bindings\lib\win32.js". Do you have a `package.json` file?
    at Function.getRoot (C:\node_modules\bindings\bindings.js:211:13)
    at bindings (C:\node_modules\bindings\bindings.js:82:32)
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\node_modules\@serialport\bindings\lib\win32.js:1:36)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:959:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:995:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:815:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:727:14)
    at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:852:19)
    at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:74:18)
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\node_modules\@serialport\bindings\lib\index.js:6:22)

What you expected to happen:
Expected the serialport module to load correctly.

How to reproduce it (as minimally and precisely as possible):

• npm install [email protected]
• In your index.js:

require('serialport')

• nexe index.js -o app.exe
• Move app.exe somewhere else so it doesn't see the node_modules folder.
• Start app.exe.

Environment:

• Platform(OS/Version): Windows 10 64bit
• Host Node Version: 12.13.1
• Target Node Version: 12.13.1
• Nexe version: 3.3.2
• Python Version: 3.8.1

[luzlab]

What happens if you move the node_modules folder to the same place as app.exe? I think this might be a known issue.

[calebboyd]

Native modules need to be shipped alongside the binary since they are required to be linked from filesystem with dlopen. The process for linking a dynamic library from memory is not universal across platforms. While it is technically possible, this capability has not been added to nexe or prioritized due to the scope involved in creating and maintaining it.

[calebboyd]

PRs welcome 👍 :)