node-version-sync

name	node-version-sync
description	Diagnose and fix Node.js version mismatches between system Node, .nvmrc, and Electron's embedded Node. Use when you see NODE_MODULE_VERSION errors or native module compilation failures.

Diagnosis Steps

1. Check Electron's Node Version

# From the desktop/ directory
./node_modules/.bin/electron -e "console.log('Node:', process.versions.node, 'ABI:', process.versions.modules)"

This shows:

• Node version: The Node.js version Electron embeds
• ABI version: The NODE_MODULE_VERSION native modules must match

2. Check Current .nvmrc

cat .nvmrc

3. Check System Node Version

node -e "console.log('Node:', process.version, 'ABI:', process.config.variables.node_module_version)"

4. Look Up Electron Releases

Visit https://releases.electronjs.org/ to find which Node.js version a specific Electron version uses.

Fix Steps

1. Update .nvmrc to Match Electron

After checking Electron's Node version (step 1 above), update .nvmrc:

# Example: If Electron uses Node 22.21.1
echo "22" > .nvmrc

Use the major version number for flexibility.

2. Switch to the Correct Node Version

nvm install
nvm use

3. Clean Build Artifacts

pnpm run clean

# Clear Electron's node-gyp cache (if rebuild issues persist)
rm -rf ~/.electron-gyp

# Reinstall dependencies with correct Node
pnpm install

4. Rebuild Native Modules

See current package.json scripts for commands.

5. Test the Package

pnpm package
open out/desktop-darwin-arm64/desktop.app  # macOS

Inspect logs for the desktop application in the system's appData directory for errors. E.g. ~/Library/Logs/desktop/main.log

Common Issues

Electron Version Changed

When upgrading Electron:

1. Update electron in desktop/package.json
2. Run diagnosis steps above to find new Node version
3. Update .nvmrc
4. Clean and rebuild everything

Quick Reference

Electron	Node.js	ABI
39.x	22.x	140
38.x	22.x	136
37.x	22.x	131

Check https://releases.electronjs.org/ for current mappings.