ProcessException: The system cannot find the file specified during `tool/get`

[D-Elyes]

Hello, i encounter this error when running flutter pub run tool/get -s 2019c

INFO: 2020-03-30 11:48:40.367549: Creating temp directory
INFO: 2020-03-30 11:48:40.386498: Temp directory created: C:\Users\edoudech\AppData\Local\Temp\1\tzdata-a107c7fb-726b-11ea-97e5-48f17f21bc99
INFO: 2020-03-30 11:48:40.386498: Downloading timezone data
INFO: 2020-03-30 11:48:41.181374: Unpacking timezone data: C:\Users\edoudech\AppData\Local\Temp\1\tzdata-a107c7fb-726b-11ea-97e5-48f17f21bc99\tzdata2019c.tar.gz
INFO: 2020-03-30 11:48:41.360893: Creating zic directory
INFO: 2020-03-30 11:48:41.362886: Compiling timezone data with zic compiler
INFO: 2020-03-30 11:48:41.362886: - africa
CreateProcessW failed 2
INFO: 2020-03-30 11:48:41.368871: Cleaning up temporary directories
Unhandled exception:
ProcessException: The system cannot find the file specified.

Command: zic -d C:\Users\edoudech\AppData\Local\Temp\1\tzdata-a107c7fb-726b-11ea-97e5-48f17f21bc99\zic C:\Users\edoudech\AppData\Local\Temp\1\tzdata-a107c7fb-726b-11ea-97e5
-48f17f21bc99\africa
#0 zic (file:///C:/src/flutter/.pub-cache/hosted/pub.dartlang.org/timezone-0.5.6/tool/get.dart:80:18)

#1 main (file:///C:/src/flutter/.pub-cache/hosted/pub.dartlang.org/timezone-0.5.6/tool/get.dart:122:13)

#2 _startIsolate. (dart:isolate-patch/isolate_patch.dart:299:32)
#3 _RawReceivePortImpl._handleMessage (dart:isolate-patch/isolate_patch.dart:168:12)
pub finished with exit code 255

[jamesncl]

This is because the tool which builds the timezone database relies on an application called zic, which is not included in Windows. So, as far as I know, this is a Windows only issue.

Here's what I did to work around the issue. On Windows 10, install / fire up Ubuntu on Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). Then in the ubuntu shell window:

Install Dart and add to PATH

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https
sudo sh -c 'curl https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | apt-key add -'
sudo sh -c 'curl https://storage.googleapis.com/download.dartlang.org/linux/debian/dart_stable.list > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dart_stable.list'
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install dart
echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/usr/lib/dart/bin"' >> ~/.profile

Close the Ubuntu / WSL window, and open it up again, so the PATH changes are applied.

Clone the timezone repo and run the tool

git clone https://github.com/srawlins/timezone.git
cd timezone
pub run tool/get -s 2020a

• replace 2020a with the latest version

Copy files to Windows file system

The timezone databases are generated and stored in lib/data in the timezone folder on WSL, so copy them from the WSL filesystem to your flutter project on your Windows file system. I chose to put them in a folder called assets in the root of my project:

mv lib/data/2020a* /mnt/d/code/my-flutter-project/assets/timezone/

• replace 2020a with whatever version you used earlier
• there are 3 databases (see here for an explanation) so I'm using wildcard * to copy all three at the same time - you may only want to copy one of them
• /mnt/d/code/my-flutter-project is the location of my flutter project on my Windows D drive, so change as necessary
• create an assets folder if it doesn't exist

Include the database as an asset

Add the database asset in pubsepc.yaml:

  assets:
    - assets/timezone/2020a.tzf

• I decided to use the 2020a.tzf version, change as necessary (see here for an explanation)

Initialise the database

The rest should work as per the instructions for the timezone package. For example, initialise the library:

var byteData = await rootBundle.load('assets/timezone/2020a.tzf');
initializeDatabase(byteData.buffer.asUint8List());

[dJani97]

A link to this guide should be totally added to the documentation.