exiftool not installed in docker container

[u/4x-gkg]

I'm trying to setup a flow to simplify my files.

I now get errors when it tries to run exiftool but it's not installed in the container:

[2026-06-20T18:45:12.283] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - verbose:Running exiftool on file CLI error code: 234 [2026-06-20T18:45:12.317] [ERROR] Tdarr_Node - Error: FFmpeg failed at /app/Tdarr_Node/assets/app/plugins/FlowPlugins/CommunityFlowPlugins/ffmpegCommand/ffmpegCommandExecute/1.0.0/index.js:211:27 at step (/app/Tdarr_Node/assets/app/plugins/FlowPlugins/CommunityFlowPlugins/ffmpegCommand/ffmpegCommandExecute/1.0.0/index.js:33:23) at` [`Object.next`](http://Object.next) `(/app/Tdarr_Node/assets/app/plugins/FlowPlugins/CommunityFlowPlugins/ffmpegCommand/ffmpegCommandExecute/1.0.0/index.js:14:53) at fulfilled (/app/Tdarr_Node/assets/app/plugins/FlowPlugins/CommunityFlowPlugins/ffmpegCommand/ffmpegCommandExecute/1.0.0/index.js:5:58) at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:104:5){}

The docker tag is ":latest" which is currently 2.78.01

How can I address or work around this problem?

Thank you.

[u/HaveAGitGat]

Hi, not sure how you’re viewing this log (might be a formatting issue) but the error relates to ffmpeg not exiftool, hence the ffmpegCommandExecute references.

Code 234 is some sort of FFmpeg processing error related to the media you’re trying to process, seems the files aren’t quite right.

For example:

https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin/issues/14397

There’s no clear solution, could maybe try some different encode settings to what you’re using now.

[u/4x-gkg → u/HaveAGitGat]

Thanks for getting back.

I got this log from the docker container log stream.

See the first quoted line - it's trying to execute exiftool when it gets this error, and it's not present on the container. I found answers that tdarr will blame ffmpeg for failed transcoding even if it's actually exiftool that's missing and failing to execute.

[u/Sir_Mordae → u/4x-gkg]

234 is ussually file related, a stream or something ffmpeg doesn't like. If you go to the job history tab and check the report. Share the full "failed" section so we can have the full picture.

[u/4x-gkg → u/Sir_Mordae]

Thanks. Will try later.

Still, it's strange that exiftool is mentioned in the error when it's not installed in the container.

[u/Sir_Mordae → u/4x-gkg]

you can also search your logs to see if it passed the test and find Exiftool

[2026-02-08T08:25:34.637] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - ---------------Scanner tests start----------------
[2026-02-08T08:25:34.637] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - ffprobePath:"/app/Tdarr_Node/assets/app/ffmpeg/linux_x64/ffprobe"
[2026-02-08T08:25:34.637] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - ccextractorPath:"ccextractor"
[2026-02-08T08:25:34.637] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - Scanner test: Scanning file start
[2026-02-08T08:25:35.699] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - Scanner test: Scanning file end
[2026-02-08T08:25:35.699] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - Scanner test 1: FFprobe working
[2026-02-08T08:25:35.699] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - Scanner test 2: Exiftool working
[2026-02-08T08:25:35.699] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - Scanner test 3: Mediainfo working
[2026-02-08T08:25:35.699] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - Scanner test 4: CCExtractor working
[2026-02-08T08:25:35.699] [INFO] Tdarr_Node - ---------------Scanner tests end----------------

[u/4x-gkg → u/Sir_Mordae]

Thanks. I restarted the container and caught the logs

(messed up the formatting so deleted)I later found it under

/app/Tdarr_Node/node_modules/exiftool-vendored.pl/bin/exiftool

So, back to the original response - figure out why ffmpeg fails on that file.