How to fix "Skip checkForUpdatesAndNotify because application is not packed" in electron.js

Question

I'm using "electron-updater" to check for auto-updating Electron application.

Calling "checkForUpdatesAndNotify()" function.

In a console, I get "Skip checkForUpdatesAndNotify because application is not packed".

• mac0S Mojave,
• "electron-updater": "^4.0.6",
• "electron": "^3.0.13",

• "electron-builder": "20.28.1"

      const {autoUpdater} = require("electron-updater");
      autoUpdater.checkForUpdatesAndNotify();
  
      autoUpdater.on('checking-for-update', () => {
        console.log('Checking for update...');
      });
  
      autoUpdater.on('update-available', (info) => {
        console.log('Update available.');
      });
  
      autoUpdater.on('update-not-available', (info) => {
        console.log('Update not available.');
      });
  
      autoUpdater.on('error', (err) => {
        console.log('Error in auto-updater. ' + err);
      });
  
      autoUpdater.on('download-progress', (progressObj) => {
        let log_message = "Download speed: " + progressObj.bytesPerSecond;
        log_message = log_message + ' - Downloaded ' + progressObj.percent + '%';
        log_message = log_message + ' (' + progressObj.transferred + "/" + progressObj.total + ')';
        console.log(log_message);
      });
  
      autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', (info) => {
        console.log('Update downloaded');
      });
  

Answer 1

Nowadays the right thing to do is specify your dev config in dev-app-update.yml and then do this before you call autoUpdater.checkForUpdatesAndNotify():

autoUpdater.forceDevUpdateConfig = true;

Answer 2

use autoUpdater.checkForUpdates instead

Answer 3

checkForUpdatesAndNotify() just won't work in development mode.

If you insist on test it in dev mode, you can do some hack with isPackaged:

const app = require('electron').app;

Object.defineProperty(app, 'isPackaged', {
  get() {
    return true;
  }
});

Be careful, do not use this hack for production, it may