Error connecting to jabref - powershell issue

[funnym0nk3y]

With the installation of Jabref 5.6 the browser extension seems broken.


As the messages indicate, there is an issue with powershell. But contrary to that powershell is installed and working fine:

[lmsteffan]

I have the same problem since I updated to 5.6.

(hope this message is not a breach of etiquette, I simply want to confirm that the problem is not unique to the OP).

[marinovaiva]

+1
JabRef browser extension cannot seem to find powershell.exe

I do have the lastest PowerShell installed

[tobiasdiez]

Strange. Could you please run the following commands in a command line and report their output. Thanks!

where pwsh.exe
pwsh.exe -version

where powershell.exe
$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

[marinovaiva]

not sure if I should run them in powershell or command prompt - i get different outputs.


i hope two halves make a whole?

[funnym0nk3y]

This is the result for me:

It seems that where does not work from within powershell. So from cmd:

[ironupiwada]

I had the same problem; updating/reinstalling PowerShell 7 (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/install/installing-powershell-on-windows?view=powershell-7.2), then reinstalling the JabRef browser extension and restarting the browser helped.

[dirkziegenbalg]

I had the same problem; updating/reinstalling PowerShell 7 (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/install/installing-powershell-on-windows?view=powershell-7.2), then reinstalling the JabRef browser extension and restarting the browser helped.

I can confirm that installing PowerShell solves the issue somehow and sends the citation to JabRef but simultaneously the browser extension also crashes in Vivaldi. I only had the PowerShell which ships with Windows 10 before hand and the extension worked quite some time, finally ending in the issue described above.

[noelfarrugia]

What solved the issue for me, without having to re-install powershell, was to update the JabRefHost.bat file located in the same directory as the JabRef.exe to

@echo off
pushd %~dp0

where /q powershell.exe
if %errorlevel%==0 (
    @powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NoLogo -NonInteractive -NoProfile -WindowStyle Hidden -File ".\JabRefHost.ps1"
) else (
    echo "Could not find pwsh.exe or powershell.exe" 1>&2
    echo "Please install PowerShell and try again." 1>&2
    exit /b 1
)

[funnym0nk3y]

@cryptonoel I don't get it. My file looks like this, and I think that should work too:

@echo off
pushd %~dp0

:: Test if pwsh exists
where /q pwsh.exe
if %errorlevel%==0 (
    @pwsh.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NoLogo -NonInteractive -NoProfile -WindowStyle Hidden -File ".\JabRefHost.ps1"
) else (
    :: If not, test if powershell exists
    where /q powershell.exe
    if %errorlevel%==0 (
        @powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NoLogo -NonInteractive -NoProfile -WindowStyle Hidden -File ".\JabRefHost.ps1"
    ) else (
        echo "Could not find pwsh.exe or powershell.exe" 1>&2
        echo "Please install PowerShell and try again." 1>&2
        exit /b 1
    )
)

There is a new error though:

[noelfarrugia]

@funnym0nk3y I agree with you that logically they are the same. However, when I removed the pwsh branch it worked. I didn't have time to look into why. With regards to your new error it seems that powershell is now being called correctly because that error message seems to be coming from the JSON parser launched via powershell.

[Leative]

While I am not a big windows command line user I realized that the batch script has a flaw.
The environment variable %errorlevel% is not always updated when the error level changes. Therefore, if the invocation of where /q pwsh.exe returns 1 the check in the second if-condition may still read this value regardless of whether or not the invocation to where /q powershell.exe was successful.
The correct implementation of the conditionals would be if not errorlevel 1. Cheers.

[Leative]

Trying to submit a fix I realize a fix has been applied just 20 hours ago: JabRef/jabref@2a82b9a
Works for me. I guess this issue can be closed.