Catch broken desktop packages before release (#2114)

* test(desktop): exercise packaged app startup

The previous smoke exited before IPC, window creation, and preload execution, so a broken packaged preload could still pass. Launch the normal app and observe its renderer bridge and managed daemon through CDP instead.

* test(desktop): preserve Linux sandbox in smoke

Configure the unpacked artifact's chrome-sandbox helper with the permissions Electron requires, while keeping sandboxing enabled so preload failures remain observable. Bound startup probes and include process logs in daemon timeout failures.

* ci(desktop): keep packaged smoke on releases

Remove the temporary pull-request artifact build after it validated the Linux launch path. Keep the real packaged smoke in the native desktop release matrix.

* ci(desktop): gate packaged smoke by changes

Run the Linux real-artifact smoke in pull-request CI when packages/desktop changes, while leaving the regular desktop unit-test matrix unconditional.

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -131,9 +131,22 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    timeout-minutes: 30
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: read
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Detect desktop changes
+        if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
+        id: desktop_changes
+        uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
+        with:
+          filters: |
+            desktop:
+              - 'packages/desktop/**'
+
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version: "22"
@@ -147,6 +160,27 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run desktop tests
         run: npm run test --workspace=@getpaseo/desktop
 
+      - name: Install virtual display
+        if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest' && steps.desktop_changes.outputs.desktop == 'true'
+        run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y xvfb xauth
+
+      - name: Build and smoke unpacked desktop app
+        if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest' && steps.desktop_changes.outputs.desktop == 'true'
+        run: npm run build:desktop -- --publish never --linux --x64 --dir
+        env:
+          EP_GH_IGNORE_TIME: true
+          PASEO_DESKTOP_SMOKE: "1"
+          PASEO_DESKTOP_SMOKE_ARTIFACT_DIR: ${{ runner.temp }}/desktop-smoke
+
+      - name: Upload packaged smoke diagnostics
+        if: failure() && matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest' && steps.desktop_changes.outputs.desktop == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: desktop-packaged-smoke-linux-x64
+          path: ${{ runner.temp }}/desktop-smoke
+          if-no-files-found: ignore
+          retention-days: 7
+
   app-tests:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:

.github/workflows/desktop-release.yml

@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ jobs:
           APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_PASSWORD }}
           APPLE_TEAM_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_TEAM_ID }}
           PASEO_DESKTOP_SMOKE: "1"
+          PASEO_DESKTOP_SMOKE_ARTIFACT_DIR: ${{ runner.temp }}/desktop-smoke
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           build_args=(-- --publish never --mac --${{ matrix.electron_arch }})
@@ -165,6 +166,15 @@ jobs:
           build_args+=("-c.publish.channel=$RELEASE_CHANNEL")
           npm run build:desktop "${build_args[@]}"
 
+      - name: Upload packaged smoke diagnostics
+        if: failure()
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: desktop-smoke-macos-${{ matrix.electron_arch }}
+          path: ${{ runner.temp }}/desktop-smoke
+          if-no-files-found: ignore
+          retention-days: 7
+
       - name: Upload desktop artifacts to release
         if: env.SHOULD_PUBLISH == 'true' && env.IS_SMOKE_TAG != 'true'
         env:
@@ -248,7 +258,7 @@ jobs:
           NODE
 
       - name: Install Linux smoke display
-        run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y xvfb
+        run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y xvfb xauth
 
       - name: Build desktop release
         shell: bash
@@ -256,6 +266,7 @@ jobs:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           EP_GH_IGNORE_TIME: true
           PASEO_DESKTOP_SMOKE: "1"
+          PASEO_DESKTOP_SMOKE_ARTIFACT_DIR: ${{ runner.temp }}/desktop-smoke
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           build_args=(-- --publish never --linux --x64)
@@ -263,6 +274,15 @@ jobs:
           build_args+=("-c.publish.channel=$RELEASE_CHANNEL")
           npm run build:desktop "${build_args[@]}"
 
+      - name: Upload packaged smoke diagnostics
+        if: failure()
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: desktop-smoke-linux-x64
+          path: ${{ runner.temp }}/desktop-smoke
+          if-no-files-found: ignore
+          retention-days: 7
+
       - name: Upload desktop artifacts to release
         if: env.SHOULD_PUBLISH == 'true' && env.IS_SMOKE_TAG != 'true'
         env:
@@ -351,6 +371,7 @@ jobs:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           EP_GH_IGNORE_TIME: true
           PASEO_DESKTOP_SMOKE: "1"
+          PASEO_DESKTOP_SMOKE_ARTIFACT_DIR: ${{ runner.temp }}/desktop-smoke
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           build_args=(-- --publish never --win --x64 --arm64)
@@ -358,6 +379,15 @@ jobs:
           build_args+=("-c.publish.channel=$RELEASE_CHANNEL")
           npm run build:desktop "${build_args[@]}"
 
+      - name: Upload packaged smoke diagnostics
+        if: failure()
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: desktop-smoke-windows-x64
+          path: ${{ runner.temp }}/desktop-smoke
+          if-no-files-found: ignore
+          retention-days: 7
+
       - name: Upload desktop artifacts to release
         if: env.SHOULD_PUBLISH == 'true' && env.IS_SMOKE_TAG != 'true'
         env: