remove-auth-from-electron-react-app

name	remove-auth-from-electron-react-app
description	Systematically remove Firebase auth & cloud sync from an Electron + React app — trace dependencies across renderer, main process, and preload bridge
source	auto-skill
extracted_at	2026-06-05T18:40:16.459Z

When removing a cross-cutting concern like Firebase authentication + cloud sync from an Electron + React app, the dependency spans three architectural layers that must each be addressed:

1. Renderer process (React): services, stores, components, pages
2. Main process (Electron): IPC handlers, CSP headers, BrowserWindow popup/open handlers, navigation allow-lists
3. Preload bridge: contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld entries that expose auth IPC to the renderer

Why: Deleting just the Firebase service file (firebase.js) leaves dangling imports in stores (Zustand), UI components (header, settings), layout init calls, and IPC handlers in the Electron main process. The app will crash at import-time or fail silently with broken UI. Each layer must be traced and cleaned.

How to apply:

Step 1 — Map all touchpoints with grep

grep -r "firebase\|googleSignIn\|authStore\|onAuthChange" src/ electron/

Step 2 — Clean renderer layer (top-down)

• Service file (src/services/firebase.js): delete entirely
• Auth store (src/store/authStore.js): delete entirely (Zustand store that wraps Firebase auth)
• Stores that call Firebase (e.g. clipboardStore.js): remove imports (auth, syncClipToCloud, deleteClipFromCloud), remove helper (getCloudUser), remove cloud-sync blocks inside addItem/updateItem/deleteItem
• Layout components (Layout.jsx, MobileLayout.jsx): remove useAuthStore import, initAuth() call, and unsubscribe cleanup
• Header component: remove Firebase auth imports, user state, login/logout handlers, user avatar/menu UI, Sync button
• Settings page: remove entire Account & Cloud Sync section, remove useAuthStore usage, update data-section text that references cloud sync
• Icon imports: remove Lucide icons that were only used in the auth UI (Cloud, CloudOff, LogOut, User)

Step 3 — Clean main process (electron/main.js)

• Remove require('./google-auth') and any direct auth module usage
• Remove auth IPC handler: ipcMain.handle('auth:google-signin', ...)
• Strip Firebase/Google domains from CSP frame-src directive
• Simplify setWindowOpenHandler — remove Firebase/Google popup allow-lists; route all external URLs to shell.openExternal
• In web-contents-created listener: remove Firebase/Google from allowedUrls in will-navigate handler and from the setWindowOpenHandler block

Step 4 — Clean preload bridge (electron/preload.js)

• Remove googleSignIn: () => ipcRenderer.invoke('auth:google-signin') from contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld

Step 5 — Remove static config and dependencies

• Delete: firebase.json, .firebaserc, firestore.rules, electron/google-auth.js
• Edit package.json: remove "firebase": "..." line
• Run: npm uninstall firebase

Step 6 — Verify

grep -r "firebase\|authStore\|googleSignIn" src/ electron/   # should be empty
npx vite build                                                # should compile cleanly