fix(desktop): make managed Node authoritative for Windows install scripts

hermes_constants.py

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 without risk of circular imports.
 """
 
+import ntpath
 import os
 import shutil
 import stat
@@ -879,16 +880,25 @@ def find_node_executable(command: str) -> str | None:
     return find_node_executable_on_path(command)
 
 
+def _node_path_comparison_key(path: str) -> str:
+    """Normalize a PATH entry using the active platform's path semantics."""
+    path_module = ntpath if sys.platform == "win32" else os.path
+    return path_module.normcase(path_module.normpath(path))
+
+
 def with_hermes_node_path(env: dict[str, str] | None = None) -> dict[str, str]:
     """Return *env* with Hermes-managed Node directories prepended to PATH."""
     merged = dict(os.environ if env is None else env)
     existing = merged.get("PATH", "")
     parts = [p for p in existing.split(os.pathsep) if p]
     managed = [str(path) for path in iter_hermes_node_dirs() if path.is_dir()]
-    for entry in reversed(managed):
-        if entry not in parts:
-            parts.insert(0, entry)
-    merged["PATH"] = os.pathsep.join(parts)
+    managed_keys = {_node_path_comparison_key(entry) for entry in managed}
+    remaining = [
+        entry
+        for entry in parts
+        if _node_path_comparison_key(entry) not in managed_keys
+    ]
+    merged["PATH"] = os.pathsep.join([*managed, *remaining])
     return merged
 
 

tests/hermes_cli/test_gui_command.py

@@ -132,11 +132,18 @@ def test_gui_installs_packages_and_launches_desktop_app(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert mock_run.call_args_list[1].kwargs["cwd"] == desktop_dir
 
 
-def test_gui_install_env_prepends_managed_node_on_bare_path(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "managed_already_present",
+    [False, True],
+    ids=["missing", "after-system-node"],
+)
+def test_gui_install_env_prepends_managed_node(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch, managed_already_present
+):
     """Regression: npm's child scripts (electron-winstaller's select-7z-arch.js)
     shell out to bare ``node``. When Desktop is launched from the updater chain
-    the parent PATH is stripped, so the install env MUST carry the Hermes-managed
-    Node ahead of that bare PATH or the install dies with ``node: not found``.
+    the parent PATH can be stripped or put system Node first, so the install env
+    MUST carry Hermes-managed Node first or lifecycle scripts use the wrong Node.
     """
     import os
 
@@ -150,8 +157,10 @@ def test_gui_install_env_prepends_managed_node_on_bare_path(tmp_path, monkeypatc
     home = tmp_path / "hermes-home"
     (home / "node" / "bin").mkdir(parents=True)
     monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(home))
-    # Simulate the stripped PATH the desktop updater chain hands us.
-    monkeypatch.setenv("PATH", os.pathsep.join(["/usr/bin", "/bin"]))
+    inherited_path = ["/usr/bin", "/bin"]
+    if managed_already_present:
+        inherited_path.extend([str(home / "node"), str(home / "node" / "bin")])
+    monkeypatch.setenv("PATH", os.pathsep.join(inherited_path))
 
     install_ok = subprocess.CompletedProcess(["npm", "ci"], 0)
     launch_ok = subprocess.CompletedProcess(["hermes"], 0)

tests/test_hermes_constants.py

@@ -179,6 +179,41 @@ def test_windows_finds_npm_cmd_before_path(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
 
         assert find_hermes_node_executable("npm") == str(npm_cmd)
 
+    def test_managed_node_dirs_move_ahead_of_system_path(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        home = tmp_path / "hermes"
+        node_dir = home / "node"
+        bin_dir = node_dir / "bin"
+        bin_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(hermes_constants.sys, "platform", "win32")
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(home))
+
+        env = with_hermes_node_path(
+            {"PATH": os.pathsep.join(["system-node", str(node_dir), "tools"])}
+        )
+
+        assert env["PATH"].split(os.pathsep) == [
+            str(node_dir),
+            str(bin_dir),
+            "system-node",
+            "tools",
+        ]
+
+    def test_windows_managed_node_path_collapses_normalized_duplicates(
+        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        home = tmp_path / "Hermes"
+        node_dir = home / "node"
+        node_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(hermes_constants.sys, "platform", "win32")
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(home))
+        duplicate = f"{str(node_dir).upper()}{os.sep}"
+
+        env = with_hermes_node_path(
+            {"PATH": os.pathsep.join(["system-node", duplicate, str(node_dir)])}
+        )
+
+        assert env["PATH"].split(os.pathsep) == [str(node_dir), "system-node"]
+
 
 
     @pytest.mark.windows_only