refactor(desktop): replace resolve-env with build-time dotenv injection

.vscode/settings.json

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 {
-	"biome.configurationPath": "./surfsense_web/biome.json"
+	"biome.configurationPath": "./surfsense_web/biome.json",
+	"deepscan.ignoreConfirmWarning": true
 }

surfsense_desktop/.env

@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
-# Placeholders — replaced at app startup with real values (see src/env-replace.ts)
+# Electron-specific build-time configuration.
+# Set before running pnpm dist:mac / dist:win / dist:linux.
 
-NEXT_PUBLIC_FASTAPI_BACKEND_URL=__NEXT_PUBLIC_FASTAPI_BACKEND_URL__
-NEXT_PUBLIC_FASTAPI_BACKEND_AUTH_TYPE=__NEXT_PUBLIC_FASTAPI_BACKEND_AUTH_TYPE__
-NEXT_PUBLIC_ETL_SERVICE=__NEXT_PUBLIC_ETL_SERVICE__
-NEXT_PUBLIC_ELECTRIC_URL=__NEXT_PUBLIC_ELECTRIC_URL__
-NEXT_PUBLIC_ELECTRIC_AUTH_MODE=__NEXT_PUBLIC_ELECTRIC_AUTH_MODE__
-NEXT_PUBLIC_DEPLOYMENT_MODE=__NEXT_PUBLIC_DEPLOYMENT_MODE__
-NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY=
-NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST=
+# The hosted web frontend URL. Used to intercept OAuth redirects and keep them
+# inside the desktop app. Set to your production frontend domain.
+HOSTED_FRONTEND_URL=https://surfsense.net

surfsense_desktop/package.json

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/node": "^25.5.0",
     "concurrently": "^9.2.1",
+    "dotenv": "^17.3.1",
     "electron": "^41.0.2",
     "electron-builder": "^26.8.1",
     "esbuild": "^0.27.4",

surfsense_desktop/pnpm-lock.yaml

@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ importers:
       concurrently:
         specifier: ^9.2.1
         version: 9.2.1
+      dotenv:
+        specifier: ^17.3.1
+        version: 17.3.1
       electron:
         specifier: ^41.0.2
         version: 41.0.2
@@ -612,6 +615,10 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-uBq4egWHTcTt33a72vpSG0z3HnPuIl6NqYcTrKEg2azoEyl2hpW0zqlxysq2pK9HlDIHyHyakeYaYnSAwd8bow==}
     engines: {node: '>=12'}
 
+  dotenv@17.3.1:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-IO8C/dzEb6O3F9/twg6ZLXz164a2fhTnEWb95H23Dm4OuN+92NmEAlTrupP9VW6Jm3sO26tQlqyvyi4CsnY9GA==}
+    engines: {node: '>=12'}
+
   dunder-proto@1.0.1:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-KIN/nDJBQRcXw0MLVhZE9iQHmG68qAVIBg9CqmUYjmQIhgij9U5MFvrqkUL5FbtyyzZuOeOt0zdeRe4UY7ct+A==}
     engines: {node: '>= 0.4'}
@@ -2154,6 +2161,8 @@ snapshots:
 
   dotenv@16.6.1: {}
 
+  dotenv@17.3.1: {}
+
   dunder-proto@1.0.1:
     dependencies:
       call-bind-apply-helpers: 1.0.2

surfsense_desktop/scripts/build-electron.mjs

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import { build } from 'esbuild';
 import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
+import dotenv from 'dotenv';
+
+const desktopEnv = dotenv.config().parsed || {};
 
 const STANDALONE_ROOT = path.join(
   '..', 'surfsense_web', '.next', 'standalone', 'surfsense_web'
@@ -104,6 +107,11 @@ async function buildElectron() {
     external: ['electron'],
     sourcemap: true,
     minify: false,
+    define: {
+      'process.env.HOSTED_FRONTEND_URL': JSON.stringify(
+        desktopEnv.HOSTED_FRONTEND_URL || 'https://surfsense.net'
+      ),
+    },
   };
 
   await build({

surfsense_desktop/src/main.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { app, BrowserWindow, shell, ipcMain, session } from 'electron';
 import path from 'path';
-import { resolveEnv } from './resolve-env';
 
 const isDev = !app.isPackaged;
 let mainWindow: BrowserWindow | null = null;
@@ -8,12 +7,8 @@ let deepLinkUrl: string | null = null;
 let serverPort: number = 3000;
 
 const PROTOCOL = 'surfsense';
-// TODO: Hardcoded URL is fragile — production domain may change and
-// self-hosted users have their own. Two options:
-//   1. Load from .env file using dotenv — users edit the file to change it.
-//   2. Backend endpoint (GET /api/v1/config/frontend-url) that returns
-//      the backend's NEXT_FRONTEND_URL — automatic, no file to manage.
-const HOSTED_FRONTEND_URL = 'https://surfsense.net';
+// Injected at compile time from .env.desktop via esbuild define
+const HOSTED_FRONTEND_URL = process.env.HOSTED_FRONTEND_URL as string;
 
 function getStandalonePath(): string {
   if (isDev) {
@@ -39,8 +34,6 @@ async function startNextServer(): Promise<void> {
   if (isDev) return;
 
   const standalonePath = getStandalonePath();
-  resolveEnv(standalonePath);
-
   const serverScript = path.join(standalonePath, 'server.js');
 
   // The standalone server.js reads PORT / HOSTNAME from process.env and

surfsense_desktop/src/resolve-env.ts

@@ -1,69 +0,0 @@
-// TODO: Placeholders are gone after the first run. Self-hosted users
-// cannot change their backend URL without reinstalling.
-
-import fs from 'fs';
-import path from 'path';
-
-const DEFAULTS: Record<string, string> = {
-  __NEXT_PUBLIC_FASTAPI_BACKEND_URL__: 'http://localhost:8000',
-  __NEXT_PUBLIC_FASTAPI_BACKEND_AUTH_TYPE__: 'LOCAL',
-  __NEXT_PUBLIC_ETL_SERVICE__: 'DOCLING',
-  __NEXT_PUBLIC_ELECTRIC_URL__: 'http://localhost:5133',
-  __NEXT_PUBLIC_ELECTRIC_AUTH_MODE__: 'insecure',
-  __NEXT_PUBLIC_DEPLOYMENT_MODE__: 'self-hosted',
-};
-
-function walk(dir: string, replacements: [string, string][]) {
-  let entries: fs.Dirent[];
-  try {
-    entries = fs.readdirSync(dir, { withFileTypes: true });
-  } catch {
-    return;
-  }
-  for (const entry of entries) {
-    const full = path.join(dir, entry.name);
-    if (entry.isDirectory()) {
-      walk(full, replacements);
-    } else if (entry.name.endsWith('.js')) {
-      let content = fs.readFileSync(full, 'utf8');
-      let changed = false;
-      for (const [placeholder, value] of replacements) {
-        if (content.includes(placeholder)) {
-          content = content.replaceAll(placeholder, value);
-          changed = true;
-        }
-      }
-      if (changed) {
-        fs.writeFileSync(full, content);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-export function resolveEnv(standalonePath: string, overrides?: Record<string, string>) {
-  const replacements: [string, string][] = Object.entries(DEFAULTS).map(
-    ([placeholder, defaultValue]) => {
-      const envKey = placeholder.replace(/^__|__$/g, '');
-      const value = overrides?.[envKey] ?? process.env[envKey] ?? defaultValue;
-      return [placeholder, value];
-    }
-  );
-
-  console.log('[resolve-env] Replacing placeholders in standalone build:');
-  for (const [placeholder, value] of replacements) {
-    console.log(`  ${placeholder} -> ${value}`);
-  }
-
-  walk(path.join(standalonePath, '.next'), replacements);
-
-  const serverJs = path.join(standalonePath, 'server.js');
-  if (fs.existsSync(serverJs)) {
-    let content = fs.readFileSync(serverJs, 'utf8');
-    for (const [placeholder, value] of replacements) {
-      if (content.includes(placeholder)) {
-        content = content.replaceAll(placeholder, value);
-      }
-    }
-    fs.writeFileSync(serverJs, content);
-  }
-}