Unable to load library `hidapi`

[OleksiiHromovych]

Describe the problem

• I have read the [Troubleshooting Guide](https://github.com/gary-rowe/hid4java/wiki/Troubleshooting) and this is not covered
• I have done a [quick search of previous issues](https://github.com/gary-rowe/hid4java/issues?q=is%3Aissue+hidraw) and this needs addressing

Since updating to version 0.8.0, hid4java fails to initialize on macOS due to a missing native library libhidapi.dylib.
This was not an issue in version 0.7.0, where everything worked out of the box.

It seems the .dylib is no longer bundled in hid4java-0.8.0.jar, causing failures unless the user manually installs hidapi.

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Platform

• Platform 1: macos-arm64 (Apple Silicon M1/M2), macOS 14 Sonoma
• Platform 2: macos-x86_64 (Intel i5), macOS 14.7.4 Sonoma
• hid4java versions tested:
  • ✅ 0.7.0 — works correctly
  • ❌ 0.8.0 — fails to initialize

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To Reproduce

Steps:

1. Use hid4java 0.8.0 in a desktop Java app on macOS.
2. Run from installed app (e.g. update4j managed launcher or exported .app)
3. Observe error on creating HidDeviceManager.

Note:
It works when run from the IDE, but fails after user updates their installed app, which suggests the .dylib is no longer included or discoverable in the built output.

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Error excerpt

Unable to load library 'hidapi':
dlopen(libhidapi.dylib, 0x0009): tried: 'libhidapi.dylib' (no such file),
'/System/Library/Frameworks/hidapi.framework/hidapi' (no such file, not in dyld cache)...

Native library (darwin/libhidapi.dylib) not found in resource path ([...])

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Expected behavior

• Expectation is for hid4java to behave as in 0.7.0, where the native .dylib is either:
  • included in the JAR,
  • or loaded from bundled resources,

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Additional information

• Installing hidapi via Homebrew (brew install hidapi) solves the problem — but:
  • It only works when launching a new app manually,
  • Not ideal or intuitive for non-technical end-users.

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Request for help

Would it be possible to:

1. Restore the inclusion of libhidapi.dylib in the default .jar (as in 0.7.0)?
2. Or provide guidance on how to bundle it manually inside an app (e.g., load from resources)?

Thanks in advance!

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[OleksiiHromovych]

Hi! 👋
Just wanted to kindly remind that this issue is still present and causing problems in actual usage.
It would be great to know if there are any updates or plans to address it, since the problem is still very relevant.

Thanks in advance for your time and support! 🙏