### What this PR does
Before this PR:
The Claude Agent SDK's minified `sdk.mjs` was patched at `postinstall`
time via regex-based replacements (`scripts/patch-claude-agent-sdk.ts`)
to convert `spawn` to `fork` with IPC stdio. This broke on every SDK
version bump when variable names changed.
After this PR:
Uses the SDK's built-in `spawnClaudeCodeProcess` option (available since
v0.2.81) to provide a custom `fork()`-based process spawner, eliminating
the need for any postinstall patching.
### Why we need it and why it was done in this way
The following tradeoffs were made:
- We handle stderr ourselves in the custom spawner because the SDK only
reads stderr inside its internal `spawnLocalProcess()`, not when
`spawnClaudeCodeProcess` is provided.
The following alternatives were considered:
- Keeping the postinstall patch: rejected because it's fragile and
breaks on SDK updates.
- Using `spawn` with explicit `node` path: rejected because `fork()`
automatically uses `process.execPath` which works reliably in both dev
and packaged Electron (where `node` may not be on PATH).
### Breaking changes
None.
### Special notes for your reviewer
- `fork()` with `ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=1` makes the Electron binary act
as Node.js, which is the same behavior the postinstall patch achieved.
- The IPC channel (`'ipc'` in stdio) is added for safety/compatibility
but isn't actively used by the SDK protocol (confirmed by searching the
minified source for `.send()` and `on('message')` on the process object
— zero hits).
- Net deletion of ~600 lines.
### Checklist
- [x] PR: The PR description is expressive enough and will help future
contributors
- [x] Code: Write code that humans can understand and Keep it simple
- [x] Refactor: You have left the code cleaner than you found it (Boy
Scout Rule)
- [x] Upgrade: Impact of this change on upgrade flows was considered and
addressed if required
- [ ] Documentation: Not required — internal refactoring with no
user-facing change
- [x] Self-review: I have reviewed my own code before requesting review
from others
### Release note
```release-note
NONE
```
Signed-off-by: beyondkmp <beyondkmp@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
### What this PR does
Before this PR:
`claude-agent-sdk` is patched via a static pnpm `.patch` file that
replaces entire minified lines. This breaks every time the SDK is
upgraded because obfuscated variable names change with each
minification.
After this PR:
A Node.js postinstall script (`scripts/patch-claude-agent-sdk.mjs`) uses
semantic regex patterns to apply the same 3 patches. Since it matches
structural patterns (not variable names), it survives SDK version bumps
as long as the code structure remains the same.
### Why we need it and why it was done in this way
The following tradeoffs were made:
- Regex-based patching is slightly less precise than a static `.patch`
file, but far more resilient to minified code changes.
- The script validates all 3 patches applied and exits with error if
patterns don't match, so SDK structure changes are caught immediately.
The following alternatives were considered:
- Keeping the pnpm patch approach — rejected because it requires manual
regeneration on every SDK upgrade.
- Using AST-based patching — rejected as overkill for 3 targeted
replacements in minified code.
### Breaking changes
None. The same 3 modifications are applied (spawn→fork, remove command
destructuring, IPC stdio), just via a different mechanism.
### Special notes for your reviewer
The 3 patches applied by the script:
1. `import{spawn as X}` → `import{fork as X}` — enables IPC channel
2. Remove `command:VAR,` from `spawnLocalProcess` destructuring
3. Rewrite spawn call to `fork(args[0], args.slice(1), ...)` with IPC
stdio, removing `windowsHide:!0`
43 unit tests cover: variable name variations, idempotency, partial
matches, and no-match detection.
### Checklist
- [x] PR: The PR description is expressive enough and will help future
contributors
- [x] Code: Write code that humans can understand and Keep it simple
- [x] Refactor: You have left the code cleaner than you found it (Boy
Scout Rule)
- [ ] Upgrade: Impact of this change on upgrade flows was considered and
addressed if required
- [ ] Documentation: Not required — internal build tooling change
- [x] Self-review: I have reviewed my own code before requesting review
from others
### Release note
```release-note
NONE
```
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
