Electron Releases

Description of Change

On macOS the helper executables link the same framework as the main binary, so running one without a --type argument boots it as a full browser process from inside the helper bundle. That process derives its child helper paths from its own name (App Helper (Plugin) (GPU).app, ...), so its GPU and renderer launches fail and its sandboxed utilities abort in OverrideChildProcessPath with "Unable to find helper app", relaunching in a loop. The easiest way to get there today is child_process.fork() in an app that has the runAsNode fuse disabled: the fork wrapper points execPath at the helper and sets ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=1, the fuse ignores the variable, and the helper starts as an app.

Two changes:

• Helper executables now exit with EX_USAGE and a message when started without --type, the same guard Chrome has in ChromeMainDelegate ("Helper application requires --type"). Every legitimate helper launch from content carries --type.
• child_process.fork() throws when the runAsNode fuse is disabled instead of spawning a process that cannot work. The fuses tutorial already said fork "will not function as expected" in that configuration; it now says it throws.

Checklist

• PR description included and stakeholders cc'd
• npm test passes
• tests are changed or added
• relevant API documentation, tutorials, and examples are updated and follow the documentation style guide
• PR release notes describe the change in a way relevant to app developers, and are capitalized, punctuated, and past tense.

Release Notes

Notes: Fixed helper executables on macOS starting a second app instance when launched without a process type, for example through child_process.fork() with the runAsNode fuse disabled; fork() now throws in that configuration.