fix: resolve Electron build module resolution for local packages

[TataMata]

Summary

• Fix local package bundling: Replaced file: references (which create symlinks) with direct copying of @automaker/* packages to node_modules, resolving ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND errors in packaged Electron apps (AppImage, deb)
• Collect transitive dependencies: External dependencies of local packages (e.g. p-limit from @automaker/platform) are now collected and installed via npm
• Fix first-launch ENOENT: Ensure parent directories exist before writing to Electron userData, preventing crashes on first app launch

Test plan

• Run npm run build:electron:linux (or mac/win equivalent) — build should complete without errors
• Launch the built AppImage/installer — server should start without module resolution errors
• Verify first launch works on a clean system (no ~/.config/Automaker/ directory)

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Summary by CodeRabbit

• Bug Fixes

  • Enhanced file system operations to automatically ensure parent directories exist before writing files, preventing potential failures.

• Chores

  • Optimized build and server preparation processes to streamline local package handling and reduce symlink dependencies for improved deployment reliability.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

Hello @TataMata, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request addresses critical build and runtime issues in packaged Electron applications. It refines the module resolution strategy for local packages by moving from symlinked file: references to direct copying, and ensures all necessary transitive dependencies are correctly bundled. Additionally, it improves application stability on first launch by proactively creating required user data directories, preventing common file system errors.

Highlights

• Local Package Bundling Fix: Replaced file: references for local @automaker/* packages with direct copying into node_modules during the build process. This resolves ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND errors encountered in packaged Electron applications (e.g., AppImage, deb) that struggle with symlinked dependencies.
• Transitive Dependency Collection: Implemented a mechanism to collect and install external transitive dependencies of local packages (e.g., p-limit from @automaker/platform) via npm. This ensures all necessary external modules are present in the bundled application.
• First-Launch ENOENT Error Prevention: Modified the electronUserDataWriteFileSync utility to ensure that parent directories exist before attempting to write files to the Electron userData directory. This prevents ENOENT (No such file or directory) errors and potential crashes on the application's first launch on a clean system.

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[coderabbitai]

📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

The PR refactors the server preparation script to inline local packages directly into node_modules instead of using file: references and symlinks. Additionally, it adds parent directory creation logic to ensure target directories exist before writing files in the file system utility.

Changes

Cohort / File(s)	Summary
Server Build Configuration apps/ui/scripts/prepare-server.mjs	Significantly restructures the build process: removes local packages from dependencies, collects external dependencies by scanning each local package's package.json, installs external dependencies, and copies local packages directly into node_modules instead of relying on symlinks. Step ordering changed to prioritize external dependency installation before local package copying and native module rebuilding.
File System Utility libs/platform/src/system-paths.ts	Adds parent directory creation logic to electronUserDataWriteFileSync to ensure target directories exist before attempting to write files, enabling recursive parent directory creation when needed.

Sequence Diagram

sequenceDiagram
    participant Script as Build Script
    participant PkgJson as Local Package<br/>package.json Files
    participant ExtDeps as External<br/>Dependencies
    participant NodeMods as node_modules
    participant Native as Native<br/>Modules

    Script->>PkgJson: Scan each local package
    activate PkgJson
    Script->>Script: Collect external dependencies<br/>from each package
    deactivate PkgJson
    
    Script->>ExtDeps: Install external dependencies
    activate ExtDeps
    ExtDeps-->>NodeMods: Install packages
    deactivate ExtDeps
    
    Script->>NodeMods: Copy local packages directly<br/>(no symlinks)
    activate NodeMods
    NodeMods-->>NodeMods: Local packages inlined
    deactivate NodeMods
    
    Script->>Native: Rebuild native modules
    activate Native
    Native-->>NodeMods: Updated binaries
    deactivate Native

Loading

Estimated code review effort

🎯 3 (Moderate) | ⏱️ ~25 minutes

Possibly related PRs

• fix: include libs directory in Electron build extraResources #303: Addresses missing-libs problem by modifying how local packages are included in packaged applications; directly related to the inlining approach adopted in this PR.

Suggested labels

Testers-Requested, Do Not Merge

Poem

🐰 Local packages bundled snug and tight,
No symlinks dancing in the night,
Directories crafted with careful care,
Server builds now native to its lair!

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 3

✅ Passed checks (3 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description Check	✅ Passed	Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly and specifically summarizes the main change: fixing Electron build module resolution by handling local packages. It directly relates to the primary objective of replacing file: references with direct copying to avoid module not found errors in packaged apps.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	Docstring coverage is 100.00% which is sufficient. The required threshold is 80.00%.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request introduces several important fixes for the Electron build process. It correctly changes the strategy for handling local packages from using file: symlinks to directly copying them into node_modules, which resolves module resolution errors in packaged applications. It also adds logic to collect transitive dependencies from these local packages and fixes a file system error on first launch by ensuring directories are created before writing files. The changes are well-implemented. I have one suggestion to improve the dependency collection script by adding a warning for version conflicts, which would make the build process more robust.

[gemini-code-assist]

The current logic for collecting transitive dependencies from local packages doesn't handle version conflicts. If two local packages (or the server and a local package) depend on different versions of the same external dependency, the script will silently use the first version it encounters. This could lead to subtle bugs or runtime errors if the versions are incompatible.

It would be safer to add a warning when a version conflict is detected. This will make developers aware of potential issues during the build process.

        if (!dependencies[depName]) {
          dependencies[depName] = depVersion;
          console.log(`   + ${depName}@${depVersion} (from ${pkgName})`);
        } else if (dependencies[depName] !== depVersion) {
          console.warn(`   ⚠️  Version conflict for ${depName}: existing version is ${dependencies[depName]}, but ${pkgName} requires ${depVersion}. Using existing version.`);
        }