[BUG] Electron crashes on Linux with TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'on')

[apoapostolov]

Bug Report

Summary

ClawControl v1.2.0 Electron app crashes on Linux (Pop!_OS) with a runtime error: "TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'on')"

Environment

• OS: Pop!_OS (likely Cosmic Desktop based on gnome-session* targets visible)
• Node.js: v18.x (from dist-electron/main.js minified)
• Electron: Latest version (implied by error)
• Systemd: User session, configured with user-level service

Steps to Reproduce

1. Clone repo: git clone https://github.com/jakeledwards/ClawControl.git
2. Install: npm install
3. Run: npm run dev

Expected Behavior

Application should start Electron main window normally.

Actual Behavior

Application crashes immediately with error:

TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'on')
    at Module.<anonymous> (/home/apoapostolov/git-ext/ClawControl/dist-electron/main.js:1:2333)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/apoapostolov/git-ext/ClawControl/dist-electron/main.js:1:2333)
    at Module.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main_module:154:5)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:33:47)

Error Details

The error occurs in Electron's main process when it tries to access properties of an undefined object using the 'on' key. This suggests:

1. Some object that should exist is undefined
2. Possibly platform-specific issue with Electron on Linux/Pop!_OS
3. May be related to how the app initializes the main process

Additional Context

• The app is built with Electron + React + Vite
• Uses Capacitor for some platform integrations
• The error occurs during app startup (before any user interaction)
• Build completes successfully (npm run build shows no errors)
• Runtime error only happens when executing the built app

Suggested Fix

Investigate which object is supposed to have the 'on' property being read. This may be:

• The global app object from Electron
• A configuration object that's not properly initialized
• BrowserWindow instance that's being accessed before initialization

[jakeledwards]

Thanks for the report — I’m not able to reproduce yet.

Could you paste a bit more info so we can narrow down what’s undefined in ?

1. Exact launch command you’re using when it crashes (e.g.

clawcontrol@1.2.0 dev
npx vite

vite v5.4.21 building for development...

watching for file changes...
vite v5.4.21 building for development...

watching for file changes...

build started...

build started...

VITE v5.4.21 ready in 213 ms

➜ Local: http://localhost:5173/
➜ Network: use --host to expose
transforming...
transforming...
✓ 1 modules transformed.
✓ 1 modules transformed.
rendering chunks...
rendering chunks...
computing gzip size...
computing gzip size...
dist-electron/preload.js 1.37 kB │ gzip: 0.48 kB
built in 121ms.
dist-electron/main.js 16.39 kB │ gzip: 4.50 kB
built in 124ms.,

clawcontrol@1.2.0 build
npx vite build && npx electron-builder

vite v5.4.21 building for production...
transforming...
✓ 1355 modules transformed.
rendering chunks...
computing gzip size...
dist/index.html 1.65 kB │ gzip: 0.71 kB
dist/assets/icon-BHCZusI9.png 1,722.09 kB
dist/assets/index-D0FJuZsK.css 85.78 kB │ gzip: 12.88 kB
dist/assets/web-CwStu3L3.js 0.12 kB │ gzip: 0.13 kB
dist/assets/web-Ci1ed92o.js 0.38 kB │ gzip: 0.25 kB
dist/assets/web-BTbCxtBw.js 0.76 kB │ gzip: 0.35 kB
dist/assets/web--gyFdTPt.js 0.78 kB │ gzip: 0.41 kB
dist/assets/web-COP9BbXR.js 0.80 kB │ gzip: 0.24 kB
dist/assets/web-By-WU9Y2.js 0.94 kB │ gzip: 0.47 kB
dist/assets/web-Cvn-LDJb.js 1.25 kB │ gzip: 0.59 kB
dist/assets/web-MKNfAU56.js 3.46 kB │ gzip: 1.11 kB
dist/assets/index-C0ZDczNG.js 955.63 kB │ gzip: 282.98 kB
✓ built in 3.15s
vite v5.4.21 building for production...
transforming...
✓ 1 modules transformed.
rendering chunks...
computing gzip size...
dist-electron/main.js 9.51 kB │ gzip: 3.53 kB
✓ built in 23ms
vite v5.4.21 building for production...
transforming...
✓ 1 modules transformed.
rendering chunks...
computing gzip size...
dist-electron/preload.js 1.00 kB │ gzip: 0.39 kB
✓ built in 7ms
• electron-builder version=24.13.3 os=6.17.0-14-generic
• loaded configuration file=package.json ("build" field)
• packaging platform=linux arch=x64 electron=28.3.3 appOutDir=release/linux-unpacked
• building target=AppImage arch=x64 file=release/ClawControl-1.2.0.AppImage
• building target=deb arch=x64 file=release/clawcontrol_1.2.0_amd64.deb
• adding autoupdate files for: deb. (Beta feature) resourceDir=/home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl/release/linux-unpacked/resources
⨯ Please specify author 'email' in the application package.json

See https://docs.npmjs.com/files/package.json#people-fields-author-contributors

It is required to set Linux .deb package maintainer. Or you can set maintainer in the custom linux options.
(see https://www.electron.build/configuration/linux).
failedTask=build stackTrace=Error: Please specify author 'email' in the application package.json
See https://docs.npmjs.com/files/package.json#people-fields-author-contributors
It is required to set Linux .deb package maintainer. Or you can set maintainer in the custom linux options.
(see https://www.electron.build/configuration/linux).
at FpmTarget.computeFpmMetaInfoOptions (/home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/targets/FpmTarget.ts:94:13)
at FpmTarget.build (/home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/targets/FpmTarget.ts:165:25)
at /home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/platformPackager.ts:158:11
at async Promise.all (index 0)
at AsyncTaskManager.awaitTasks (/home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl/node_modules/builder-util/src/asyncTaskManager.ts:65:25)
at Packager.doBuild (/home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/packager.ts:461:5)
at executeFinally (/home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl/node_modules/builder-util/src/promise.ts:12:14)
at Packager._build (/home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/packager.ts:379:31)
at Packager.build (/home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl/node_modules/app-builder-lib/src/packager.ts:340:12)
at executeFinally (/home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl/node_modules/builder-util/src/promise.ts:12:14), running the packaged AppImage/deb, etc.)
2) OS details: Pop!_OS version + kernel + desktop session (output of PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)"
NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
VERSION_ID="12"
VERSION="12 (bookworm)"
VERSION_CODENAME=bookworm
ID=debian
HOME_URL="https://www.debian.org/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://www.debian.org/support"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.debian.org/" is perfect)
3) Install method + versions:

• Node version (v22.22.0)
• npm version (10.9.4)
• Electron version in this repo (clawcontrol@1.2.0 /home/openclaw/repos/ClawControl
  └── electron@28.3.3)

4. Are you running ** directly** (Node runtime), or launching via Electron / the packaged app?
   • is an Electron main-process entry; running it with plain Node will often fail because APIs aren’t available.
5. Full logs/stack trace from the first line of the crash (not only the last stack snippet), ideally with any console output before the exception.

Once you paste those, I can tell whether this is an Electron init ordering issue, a platform-specific module load, or an incorrect launch path.