fix: ensure correct PATH when launched from Finder/Spotlight (#383)

Author: jonathanlab

CLAUDE.md

@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 
 ## Code Style
 
+- Prefer writing our own solution over adding external packages when the fix is simple
+- Keep functions focused with single responsibility
 - Biome for linting and formatting (not ESLint/Prettier)
 - 2-space indentation, double quotes
 - No `console.*` in source - use logger instead (logger files exempt)

apps/array/src/main/index.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 declare const __BUILD_COMMIT__: string | undefined;
 declare const __BUILD_DATE__: string | undefined;
 
+import { fixPath } from "./lib/fixPath.js";
+
+// Call fixPath early to ensure PATH is correct for any child processes
+fixPath();
+
 import "reflect-metadata";
 import dns from "node:dns";
 

apps/array/src/main/lib/fixPath.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+/**
+ * When launched from Finder/Spotlight, Electron apps inherit a minimal PATH
+ * (/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin) instead of the user's shell PATH which
+ * includes /opt/homebrew/bin, ~/.local/bin, etc.
+ *
+ * This reads the PATH from the user's default shell (in interactive login mode)
+ * and applies it to process.env.PATH so child processes have access to
+ * user-installed binaries.
+ */
+
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { userInfo } from "node:os";
+
+const DELIMITER = "_SHELL_ENV_DELIMITER_";
+
+const FALLBACK_PATHS = [
+  "./node_modules/.bin",
+  "/opt/homebrew/bin",
+  "/opt/homebrew/sbin",
+  "/usr/local/bin",
+];
+
+// Regex to strip ANSI escape codes from shell output
+const ANSI_REGEX =
+  // biome-ignore lint/suspicious/noControlCharactersInRegex: intentional for ANSI stripping
+  /[\u001B\u009B][[\]()#;?]*(?:(?:(?:[a-zA-Z\d]*(?:;[-a-zA-Z\d/#&.:=?%@~_]*)*)?\u0007)|(?:(?:\d{1,4}(?:;\d{0,4})*)?[\dA-PR-TZcf-ntqry=><~]))/g;
+
+function stripAnsi(str: string): string {
+  return str.replace(ANSI_REGEX, "");
+}
+
+function detectDefaultShell(): string {
+  if (process.platform === "win32") {
+    return process.env.COMSPEC || "cmd.exe";
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const { shell } = userInfo();
+    if (shell) {
+      return shell;
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // userInfo() can throw on some systems
+  }
+
+  if (process.platform === "darwin") {
+    return process.env.SHELL || "/bin/zsh";
+  }
+
+  return process.env.SHELL || "/bin/sh";
+}
+
+function executeShell(shell: string): string | undefined {
+  const command = `echo -n "${DELIMITER}"; env; echo -n "${DELIMITER}"; exit`;
+
+  try {
+    return execSync(`${shell} -ilc '${command}'`, {
+      encoding: "utf-8",
+      timeout: 5000,
+      stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+      env: {
+        ...process.env,
+        // Disable Oh My Zsh auto-update which can block
+        DISABLE_AUTO_UPDATE: "true",
+      },
+    });
+  } catch {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
+function parseEnvOutput(stdout: string): Record<string, string> | undefined {
+  const parts = stdout.split(DELIMITER);
+  if (parts.length < 2) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  const envOutput = stripAnsi(parts[1]);
+  const result: Record<string, string> = {};
+
+  for (const line of envOutput.split("\n")) {
+    if (!line) continue;
+    const eqIndex = line.indexOf("=");
+    if (eqIndex > 0) {
+      const key = line.slice(0, eqIndex);
+      const value = line.slice(eqIndex + 1);
+      result[key] = value;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
+function getShellPath(shell: string): string | undefined {
+  const stdout = executeShell(shell);
+  if (!stdout) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  const env = parseEnvOutput(stdout);
+  return env?.PATH;
+}
+
+function buildFallbackPath(): string {
+  return [...FALLBACK_PATHS, process.env.PATH].filter(Boolean).join(":");
+}
+
+export function fixPath(): void {
+  if (process.platform === "win32") {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const shell = detectDefaultShell();
+  const shellPath = getShellPath(shell);
+
+  if (shellPath) {
+    process.env.PATH = stripAnsi(shellPath);
+  } else {
+    process.env.PATH = buildFallbackPath();
+  }
+}