# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Desktop build tooling fixes for Electron and macOS

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These issues and pull requests address problems in the desktop app build process, including Electron binary handling, corrupt cache recovery, macOS signing, and Windows compilation failures during Hermes updates. They share a focus on improving build reliability across platforms.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 2 merged PR(s), 1 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #115676. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #115676 (and any competing PRs below) before filing. Confirm the merged change covers your symptom.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-115676`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.
- Pairwise link density `0.50`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #40187: \[Bug\]: Windows desktop app fails to compile during hermes update / hermes desktop

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#52591: fix(desktop): ad-hoc sign macOS self-update rebuilds**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `hermes_cli/main.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_gui_command.py`
  - fix hunks:
  - `hermes_cli/main.py`

    ```diff
    @@ -5404,6 +5404,34 @@ def _desktop_macos_relaunchable_fixup(desktop_dir: Path) -> None:
             print(f"  (warning: macOS relaunch fixup skipped: {exc})")
     
     
    +def _force_adhoc_macos_signing(env: dict, *, source_mode: bool) -> bool:
    +    """Stop electron-builder grabbing a random keychain identity on self-update.
    +
    +    The desktop self-updater rebuilds *and re-signs the .app on the end user's
    +    machine* (``hermes desktop --build-only`` → electron-builder ``--dir``).
    +    With ``CSC_IDENTITY_AUTO_DISCOVERY`` on (its default), electron-builder
    +    signs the ``type=distribution``, hardened-runtime bundle with whatever it
    +    finds in that user's keychain — typically a personal "Apple Development"
    +    cert. That stalls/fails the sign step (no Developer ID + no provisioning
    +    profile) or clobbers your real notarized signature with an unusable one, so
    +    every post-update launch trips Gatekeeper.
    +
    +    Force ad-hoc signing for the local packaged rebuild instead: deterministic,
    +    and exactly what ``_desktop_macos_relaunchable_fixup`` already finishes off.
    +    No-op for source runs, off-macOS, when a real identity is configured
    +    (``CSC_LINK`` / ``APPLE_SIGNING_IDENTITY``), or when the caller already
    +    pinned the flag. Mutates ``env``; returns True when it set the flag.
    +    """
    +    if sys.platform != "darwin" or source_mode:
    +        return False
    +    if env.get("CSC_LINK") or env.get("APPLE_SIGNING_IDENTITY"):
    +        return False
    +    if "CSC_IDENTITY_AUTO_DISCOVERY" in env:
    +        return False
    +    env["CSC_IDENTITY_AUTO_DISCOVERY"] = "false"
    +    return True
    +
    +
     def _desktop_linux_sandbox_fixup(packaged_executable: Path) -> bool:
         """Configure Electron's Linux SUID sandbox helper when required."""
         if sys.platform != "linux":
    ```

    ```diff
    @@ -5535,6 +5563,9 @@ def cmd_gui(args: argparse.Namespace):
                 build_label = "source build" if source_mode else "packaged app"
                 print(f"→ Building desktop {build_label}...")
                 build_script = "build" if source_mode else "pack"
    +            if _force_adhoc_macos_signing(env, source_mode=source_mode):
    +                print("  → No Developer ID configured; ad-hoc signing this local rebuild "
    +                      "(CSC_IDENTITY_AUTO_DISCOVERY=false)")
                 if not source_mode:
                     # A running desktop instance launched from release/win-unpacked
                     # holds Hermes.exe locked on Windows, so the pack can't replace
    ```
  - `tests/hermes_cli/test_gui_command.py`

    ```diff
    @@ -877,3 +877,40 @@ def test_stop_desktop_build_lock_no_release_dir(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         with patch("psutil.process_iter") as it:
             assert cli_main._stop_desktop_processes_locking_build(desktop_dir) == []
         it.assert_not_called()
    +
    +
    +def test_force_adhoc_signing_disables_discovery_on_local_packaged_rebuild(monkeypatch):
    +    monkeypatch.setattr(cli_main.sys, "platform", "darwin")
    +    env = {}
    +    assert cli_main._force_adhoc_macos_signing(env, source_mode=False) is True
    +    assert env["CSC_IDENTITY_AUTO_DISCOVERY"] == "false"
    +
    +
    [redacted:email]("platform", ["linux", "win32"])
    +def test_force_adhoc_signing_noop_off_macos(monkeypatch, platform):
    +    monkeypatch.setattr(cli_main.sys, "platform", platform)
    +    env = {}
    +    assert cli_main._force_adhoc_macos_signing(env, source_mode=False) is False
    +    assert "CSC_IDENTITY_AUTO_DISCOVERY" not in env
    +
    +
    +def test_force_adhoc_signing_noop_for_source_mode(monkeypatch):
    +    monkeypatch.setattr(cli_main.sys, "platform", "darwin")
    +    env = {}
    +    assert cli_main._force_adhoc_macos_signing(env, source_mode=True) is False
    +    assert "CSC_IDENTITY_AUTO_DISCOVERY" not in env
    +
    +
    [redacted:email]("key", ["CSC_LINK", "APPLE_SIGNING_IDENTITY"])
    +def test_force_adhoc_signing_preserves_real_identity(monkeypatch, key):
    +    monkeypatch.setattr(cli_main.sys, "platform", "darwin")
    +    env = {key: "secret"}
    +    assert cli_main._force_adhoc_macos_signing(env, source_mode=False) is False
    +    assert "CSC_IDENTITY_AUTO_DISCOVERY" not in env
    +
    +
    +def test_force_adhoc_signing_respects_explicit_caller_flag(monkeypatch):
    +    monkeypatch.setattr(cli_main.sys, "platform", "darwin")
    +    env = {"CSC_IDENTITY_AUTO_DISCOVERY": "true"}
    +    assert cli_main._force_adhoc_macos_signing(env, source_mode=False) is False
    +    assert env["CSC_IDENTITY_AUTO_DISCOVERY"] == "true"
    ```
- **#115676: fix(desktop): failed Desktop rebuilds stop blaming a blocked Electron download when Electron is already present (#40187, salvage #113702)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `hermes_cli/main_desktop.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_gui_command.py`, `website/docs/user-guide/desktop.md`
- **#40223: fix(desktop): ad-hoc sign local macOS builds instead of grabbing a keychain identity**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `1d9ed7f48a3`, `d3c012ffd2`, `#52591`, `#40187`, `#115676`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #115676 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-19`.
- Subsystem: `apps/desktop`