chore(deps): Electron 42, and the binary fetch its install no longer does

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -84,6 +84,12 @@ jobs:
           cache: npm
       - run: npm install -g npm@11 --no-fund --no-audit
       - run: npm ci --no-fund
+      # Electron 42 dropped the postinstall that used to fetch the binary: it now
+      # downloads on the first `require('electron')`. Doing it HERE keeps that
+      # download out of the first test (where it reads as a mystery timeout) and
+      # out of electron-vite, which asks for the path and never triggers it.
+      - name: Fetch the Electron binary
+        run: node -e "require('electron')"
       # Electron's runtime libraries + Xvfb + a window manager — the same set the
       # Docker test env installs. openbox is NOT optional: unmanaged, the window
       # takes a different width and the diff panes split 571/572 instead of evenly.

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ jobs:
           cache: npm
       - run: npm install -g npm@11 --no-fund --no-audit
       - run: npm ci --no-fund
+      # Electron 42 dropped the postinstall that used to fetch the binary: it now
+      # downloads on the first `require('electron')`. Doing it HERE keeps that
+      # download out of the first test (where it reads as a mystery timeout) and
+      # out of electron-vite, which asks for the path and never triggers it.
+      - name: Fetch the Electron binary
+        run: node -e "require('electron')"
       # Electron's runtime libraries + Xvfb + a window manager — the same set the
       # Docker test env installs. openbox is NOT optional: unmanaged, the window
       # takes a different width and the diff panes split 571/572 instead of evenly.

docker/Dockerfile

@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ ENV PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1
 # Linux Electron binaries.
 COPY package.json package-lock.json ./
 RUN npm ci
+# Electron 42 replaced its postinstall with a download on first require(). The
+# volume that shadows node_modules is populated from THIS layer, and the dev
+# server asks electron-vite for the path — which reads path.txt and throws
+# rather than fetching. So the binary is pulled in here, at build time.
+RUN node -e "require('electron')"
 
 COPY . .
 

package.json

@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
     "@playwright/test": "^1.61.1",
     "@vitejs/plugin-vue": "^5.2.1",
     "@vitest/coverage-v8": "^4.1.10",
-    "electron": "^39.8.10",
+    "electron": "^42.9.0",
     "electron-builder": "^26.15.3",
     "electron-vite": "^5.0.0",
     "eslint": "^10.7.0",
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
     "esbuild@0.25.12": true,
     "fsevents@2.3.3": true,
     "fsevents@2.3.2": true,
-    "electron@39.8.10": true,
-    "vue-demi@0.14.10": true
+    "vue-demi@0.14.10": true,
+    "electron@42.9.0": true
   }
 }