[Bug]: Mac desktop app fails to launch if node is not installed

[axxelh]

App Variant

Tauri

Operating System & Version

macOS 15

Issue Summary

Mac desktop app fails to launch if node is not installed and in the user PATH

Steps to Reproduce

Download the latest macOS app release (Electron or Tauri). Launch the app normally (double-click to open). App hangs at launch.

Expected Behavior

I would have expected the app to be self-contained. Current README indicates that node is required "for server mode or building from source", neither of which seems to be the case for a simple app launch?

Logs & Screenshots

[tauri-cli] start requested (dev=false)
[tauri-cli] resolving CLI entry
[tauri-cli] resolved CLI entry runner=Node entry=PATH_REDACTED/CodeNomad.app/Contents/Resources/resources/server/dist/bin.js host=127.0.0.1
[tauri-cli] CLI args: ["serve", "--host", "127.0.0.1", "--auth-cookie-name", "codenomad_session_2708_1775451404356", "--generate-token", "--https", "true", "--http", "true"]
[tauri-cli] using cwd=/
[tauri-cli] spawning via user shell
[tauri-cli] user shell command: /bin/bash ["-l", "-c", "ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=1 exec node PATH_REDACTED/CodeNomad.app/Contents/Resources/resources/server/dist/bin.js serve --host 127.0.0.1 --auth-cookie-name codenomad_session_2708_1775451404356 --generate-token --https true --http true"]
[tauri-cli] spawn command: /bin/bash ["-l", "-c", "ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=1 exec node PATH_REDACTED/CodeNomad.app/Contents/Resources/resources/server/dist/bin.js serve --host 127.0.0.1 --auth-cookie-name codenomad_session_2708_1775451404356 --generate-token --https true --http true"]
[tauri-cli] spawned pid=2712
[tauri-cli] [cli][stderr] /bin/bash: line 0: exec: node: not found
[tauri-cli] cli process exited before ready: Some("CLI exited early: exit status: 127")

Additional Context

Installing node in the PATH fixes the issue. However, it seems like (based on README) that the app should be capable of running standalone with its own bundling? Or is this expected behavior? If it is expected the requirements need updating.

[shantur]

Hi @axxelh ,

Thanks for using CodeNomad and creating the issue.
The error should definitely be handled properly and README should be updated.
Node is expected to be on the system for someone having opencode installed but I get it, its not the best UX. This should show a proper error about missing node and offer user a way to install node and opencode.

Just a question, do you have bun instead of node?

[axxelh]

HI @shantur,

Thanks for using CodeNomad and creating the issue. The error should definitely be handled properly and README should be updated. Node is expected to be on the system for someone having opencode installed but I get it, its not the best UX. This should show a proper error about missing node and offer user a way to install node and opencode.

Just to be clear, I have opencode installed, and /usr/local/bin/node is not a dependency of opencode itself (or OpenCode desktop). Those binaries are self contained.

Just a question, do you have bun instead of node?

I don't have node installed at all, I'm not a JS developer. I'd prefer to not have node installed separately at all, its another thing for me to install and maintain. In general the expectation of a Mac app bundle is that it contains everything necessary to run the app so that updating the app bundle updates its dependencies. This seems like a reasonable thing for CodeNomad to do. Its there a reason node (or whatever JS runtime you want) can't be bundled within the app?

[shantur]

@axxelh - Thanks for confirming. I will fix it

[WolfgangFahl]

sudo port install nodejs22

was my workaround

[pascalandr]

fix here #336

[axxelh]

Just so I'm clear, this was resolved by making node installation mandatory? Instead of bundling node in your Mac app? Or in the case of the Electron package using it as the node runtime?

[pascalandr]

@axxelh
Right Tauri desktop app still requires Node at runtime, this is a deliberate tradeoff, not an accident. It's designed to stay much leaner than a fully self-contained bundle
#336 only fixes the missing-Node failure mode by surfacing a clear error instead of failing opaquely.

[shantur]

Node dependency will be gone when #346 lands

[axxelh]

@pascalandr I can understand the desire for that for the Tauri, but if I read correctly, its not changed in the Electron app. When I filed this I tested both, I have not retested Electron.

@shantur thanks, I agree that #346 seems like it will address where I was hoping things would be in terms of self-contained Mac app.

[shantur]

@axxelh - Would you be able to try this https://github.com/NeuralNomadsAI/CodeNomad/releases/tag/v0.14.0-dev-20260421-1c317df6 build.
It has #346 changes

[axxelh]

@shantur Several errors depending on package used.

CodeNomad-0.14.0-dev-20260421-1c317df6-mac-arm64 appears to be the Electron build for arm64, but the bundled 'codenomad-server' is built for x86_64, which results in the app failing to start with a "Bad CPU type error". The failure is visible in the logs, but the GUI appears to spin forever.

CodeNomad-Tauri-0.14.0-dev-20260421-1c317df6-macos-arm64 contains an arm64 'codenomad-server', but when launched in the GUI shows "CLI exited early". Actual internal error from logs:

[[tauri-cli] spawn command: /bin/bash ["-l", "-c", "if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then source ~/.bashrc >/dev/null 2>&1; fi; exec /Users/axxel/Desktop/CodeNomad.app/Contents/Resources/resources/server/dist/codenomad-server serve --host 127.0.0.1 --auth-cookie-name codenomad_session_1348_1776843737628 --generate-token --unrestricted-root --https true --http true"]
[tauri-cli] spawned pid=1352
[tauri-cli] [cli][stdout] [INFO] [app] Starting CodeNomad CLI server options={"host":"127.0.0.1","https":true,"http":true,"httpsPort":9898,"httpPort":9899,"rootDir":"/Users/axxel","configPath":"~/.config/codenomad/config.json","unrestrictedRoot":true,"uiStaticDir":"/Users/axxel/Desktop/CodeNomad.app/Contents/Resources/resources/server/public","uiAutoUpdate":true,"uiNoUpdate":false,"launch":false,"authUsername":"codenomad","authCookieName":"codenomad_session_1348_1776843737628","generateToken":true,"dangerouslySkipAuth":false}
[tauri-cli] [cli][stdout] [ERROR] [app] CLI server crashed err=[unable to serialize, circular reference is too complex to analyze]
[tauri-cli] cli process exited before ready: Some("CLI exited early: exit status: 1")
[tauri-cli] timeout waiting for CLI readiness

Note that I'm running from the Desktop only for convenience as this is a clean VM.