LaunchAgent server has no node on PATH, so the MCP server (and other plugins) can't run the bb CLI #5807

Summary

On an npm install started by the host-daemon LaunchAgent, the server process has no node on PATH. Anything on the server that spawns the bb CLI fails with env: node: No such file or directory. Today that makes the new MCP server plugin unusable: search/read report a missing command index and run exits 127. I expected the MCP tools to work right after bb plugin enable bb--mcp.

Versions and environment

• bb 0.46.1, npm install (BB_APP_INSTALL_KIND=npm), run by LaunchAgent app.getbb.host-daemon.<host>; macOS 27, Mac mini M2
• Node 24.21.0 from nvm only (no /usr/local or Homebrew node on the default PATH)
• bb Connect paired; this machine is the server; server previously moved here with bb server move

Steps to reproduce

1. Install Node only through nvm, and run bb from the LaunchAgent it writes (ProgramArguments call node by absolute path; EnvironmentVariables has no PATH).
2. bb plugin enable bb--mcp
3. Call the local endpoint:
   curl -s -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'Accept: application/json, text/event-stream'
   http://127.0.0.1:38886/api/v1/plugins/bb--mcp/http/mcp
   -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"run","arguments":{"code":"const r = await bb.cli(["--version"]); return r"}}}'
   Also reproduces without MCP: env -i PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin "$BB_CLI" --version

Expected vs actual

Actual (run tool):     {"exitCode": 127, "stdout": "", "stderr": "env: node: No such file or directory\n"}
Actual (search/read):  Error: The bb CLI on this bb server did not return its command index (`bb guide commands --json`), so the `read` and `search` tools are unavailable. Update bb on that machine.

Expected: the MCP tools run bb commands. The "Update bb on that machine" hint is misleading; bb is current.

Evidence

Server process environment (ps eww, bb 0.46.1):
PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin
BB_CLI=/bb-app/host-daemon/dist/bb (first line: #!/usr/bin/env node)
BB_CLI_LAUNCHER=/bin/bb (runs node by absolute path; works)
The MCP plugin's CLI lookup (builtin-plugins/mcp/dist/server.js, bbBinaryCandidates) tries BB_CLI, BB_CLI_DIR/bb, PATH, /opt/homebrew/bin/bb, /usr/local/bin/bb. It never tries BB_CLI_LAUNCHER and never runs the CLI with process.execPath.
Same root cause hit the Talk to BB plugin on 0.44.0 right after a server move.

What you ruled out

• Related to Packaged Nightly plugin processes lose PATH for node and gh #2343 (packaged Nightly from the GUI loses PATH); this is the npm + LaunchAgent install, and it still happens on 0.46.1 release.
• Not a stale CLI: bb guide commands --json returns a valid index (232 commands) when node is on PATH.
• Fixed locally by adding EnvironmentVariables:PATH (with the nvm bin dir) to the LaunchAgent and reloading it; MCP search/read then work.

AGENT GENERATED — written by Claude Code from a bb session on the affected machine.

Suggested priority and effort (optional)

Medium: breaks MCP and any server-side plugin that shells out to bb on nvm installs; workaround is a manual plist edit that an update may overwrite. Effort probably low (add dirname(process.execPath) to the LaunchAgent PATH, or prefer BB_CLI_LAUNCHER).

Checks

• I reproduced this on the latest release or on main, or I say above that I could not.
• I searched open and closed issues for the same problem.
• If an agent wrote this, the body ends with > AGENT GENERATED and links the thread or report.