Build failed for web app for v4.22

[davidshen84]

Please make sure that this is a build/installation issue. As per our GitHub Policy, we only address code/doc bugs, performance issues, feature requests and build/installation issues on GitHub. tag:build_template

System information

• OS Platform and Distribution (e.g., Linux Ubuntu 16.04): Linux
• Mobile device (e.g. iPhone 8, Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy) if the issue happens on mobile device: n/a
• TensorFlow.js installed from (npm or script link): npm
• TensorFlow.js version: 4.22
• CUDA/cuDNN version: n/a

Describe the problem

• create an Angular app
• add tfjs and use it
• build the app ng build

There's an build error saying the Buffer class is not available, because it is only available for node app not for web app.

Manually add the Buffer package resolves the error.

Any other info / logs

• Clone https://github.com/davidshen84/davidshen84.github.io
• npm i && ng build should work
• npm uni buffer && ng build should fail

[shmishra99]

Hi @davidshen84 ,

I apologize for the delay in my response. I can replicate the issue with the command npm uni buffer && ng build. Could you please clarify why you are removing the buffer npm package? Thank you.

[davidshen84]

My app didn't have the buffer package. The buffer package is part of the nodejs system. When building a web app using web app frameworks like angular, the buffer package is no longer included. The buffer package is designed for web servers. I am surprised my app could work by simply include it. I don't know if there's a replacement for buffer that is web app friendly. Thanks

…

On Tue, 7 Oct 2025, 02:19 Shivam Mishra, ***@***.***> wrote: *shmishra99* left a comment (tensorflow/tfjs#8584) <#8584 (comment)> Hi @davidshen84 <https://github.com/davidshen84> , I apologize for the delay in my response. I can replicate the issue with the command npm uni buffer && ng build. Could you please clarify why you are removing the buffer npm package? Thank you. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#8584 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAAQBTINKBZ566SWLNEIJRD3WKXDDAVCNFSM6AAAAACEG44F5GVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTGNZTGIZDANZZG4> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[kayahr]

Can confirm the problem. Building an Angular application with tfjs included results in this build-error:

✘ [ERROR] Could not resolve "buffer"

    node_modules/safe-buffer/index.js:3:21:
      3 │ var buffer = require('buffer');
        ╵                      ~~~~~~~~

  The package "buffer" wasn't found on the file system but is built into node. 
  Are you trying to bundle for node? You can use "platform: 'node'" to do that, 
  which will remove this error.

Checking with npm list --all safe-buffer --omit dev the tfjs library is the only runtime library which depends on it:

$ npm list --all safe-buffer --omit dev
angular-project
└─┬ @tensorflow/tfjs@4.22.0
  └─┬ @tensorflow/tfjs-data@4.22.0
    └─┬ string_decoder@1.3.0
      └── safe-buffer@5.2.1

safe-buffer is meant to be used in Node.js, not in browsers. Manually adding the buffer polyfill dependency to the Angular project solves the problem, but when tfjs needs this dependency then it should depend on it itself. Or maybe there is a more browser-friendly way without relying on Node.js API and polyfills at all? Maybe you can simply get rid of string_decoder and use the standard TextDecoder instead? It is available in Node.js and browsers.

This problem appeares after upgrading to Angular 20. With older Angular versions it works because Angular itself had a dependency on the buffer library. Angular 20 does not have this anymore and that's why tfjs no longer works in an Angular project without manually adding the buffer polyfill.