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fix(mcp): report missing ffmpeg distinctly from missing browser - #40867

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Dmitry Gozman (dgozman) merged 1 commit into
microsoft:mainfrom
yury-s:fix-40862
May 18, 2026
Merged

fix(mcp): report missing ffmpeg distinctly from missing browser#40867
Dmitry Gozman (dgozman) merged 1 commit into
microsoft:mainfrom
yury-s:fix-40862

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Summary

  • The MCP launch error handler rewrote every Executable doesn't exist error into Browser "<channel>" is not installed, but the registry uses the same prefix for ffmpeg. With recordVideo enabled and ffmpeg missing, users were told to install a browser that was already there.
  • Disambiguate by the executable path so ffmpeg surfaces its own message pointing at install-browser ffmpeg.

Fixes#40862

The MCP launch error handler was rewriting any `Executable doesn't exist`
error into `Browser "<channel>" is not installed`, but the registry uses
the same prefix for ffmpeg too. When `recordVideo` was enabled and ffmpeg
was missing, users were told to install a browser that was already there.
Disambiguate the rewrite by the executable path so ffmpeg gets its own
message pointing at `install-browser ffmpeg`.
Fixes: microsoft#40862
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Test results for "MCP"

9 failed
❌ [msedge] › mcp/annotate.spec.ts:230 › should capture annotations via show --annotate @mcp-windows-latest-msedge
❌ [msedge] › mcp/annotate.spec.ts:251 › should start dashboard and annotate when no dashboard is running @mcp-windows-latest-msedge
❌ [msedge] › mcp/annotate.spec.ts:273 › should enter annotate mode on fresh dashboard.tsx mount with -s --annotate @mcp-windows-latest-msedge
❌ [msedge] › mcp/annotate.spec.ts:427 › should switch screencast to -s session on show --annotate @mcp-windows-latest-msedge
❌ [msedge] › mcp/annotate.spec.ts:476 › should disengage annotate mode when --annotate client disconnects @mcp-windows-latest-msedge
❌ [msedge] › mcp/cli-devtools.spec.ts:217 › video-start-stop @mcp-windows-latest-msedge
❌ [msedge] › mcp/cli-session.spec.ts:56 › close-all @mcp-windows-latest-msedge
❌ [msedge] › mcp/cli-session.spec.ts:99 › session stops when browser exits @mcp-windows-latest-msedge
❌ [msedge] › mcp/cli-session.spec.ts:130 › workspace isolation - sessions in different workspaces are isolated @mcp-windows-latest-msedge

7094 passed, 1113 skipped


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@dgozman
Dmitry Gozman (dgozman) merged commit 23edf71 into microsoft:mainMay 18, 2026
17 of 18 checks passed
Devin Rousso (dcrousso) added a commit that referenced this pull request Jul 23, 2026
…stalled (#41941)
when a browser binary is missing, `throwIfExecutableMissing` caught playwright-core's `Executable doesn't exist at <path>` and rethrew a generic `Browser "<name>" is not installed`, dropping the path
that path holds the version-specific directory (e.g. `firefox-1534`), which is what tells a genuinely missing install apart from a version mismatch
browsers from a standalone `playwright install` land in a differently-versioned directory than the bundled `playwright-core` expects
keep the path in the rethrown message so the mismatch is diagnosable
this is a further improvement for <#40867>
referenced in <#41871>
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[Bug]: @playwright/mcp reports "Browser "chrome" is not installed" when ffmpeg is actually the missing executable

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@yury-s@dgozman