fix(setup): stop Node's DEP0190 warning when npm runs on Windows (#1057)

Windows runs npm.cmd through a shell, and passing an argument array with `shell: true` is deprecated in Node 24 (DEP0190). Every `npm run doctor` and every Pinokio install on Windows printed the warning. npmProcessSpec now takes the npm arguments and, on Windows, joins them into the command string; the arguments are fixed subcommands (`--version`, `ci`). Unix behavior is unchanged.

changelog.d/1057-windows-npm-dep0190.md

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+- On Windows, `npm run doctor` and the Pinokio install no longer print Node's
+  DEP0190 warning ("Passing args to a child process with shell option true can
+  lead to security vulnerabilities"): npm.cmd's fixed subcommand is now part of
+  the shell command string instead of an argument array (quanticsoul4772, #1057).

scripts/pinokio-install.mjs

@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ export function runChecked(command, args, { shell = false } = {}) {
 export function installPinokioDependencies() {
   applyPinokioEnvironment();
   rmSync(READY_FILE, { force: true });
-  const npm = npmProcessSpec();
+  const npm = npmProcessSpec(['ci']);
-  runChecked(npm.command, ['ci'], { shell: npm.shell });
+  runChecked(npm.command, npm.args, { shell: npm.shell });
 
   // Pinokio starts Vite directly and loads only its ENVIRONMENT file plus the
   // normal dotenv ladder. Unlike dev-fresh.sh, it does not import macOS

scripts/setup-doctor.mjs

@@ -76,10 +76,15 @@ export function hasRequiredDependencies(rootDir = ROOT) {
   }
 }
 
-/** Return the npm command and spawn mode required by the target platform. */
+/**
-export function npmProcessSpec(platform = process.platform) {
+ * Return the npm command, arguments and spawn mode for the target platform.
-  const windows = platform === 'win32';
+ * Windows must run npm.cmd through a shell, and Node 24 deprecates passing an
-  return { command: windows ? 'npm.cmd' : 'npm', shell: windows };
+ * argument array with `shell: true` (DEP0190), so there the arguments, which
+ * are fixed npm subcommands, join the command string.
+ */
+export function npmProcessSpec(args, platform = process.platform) {
+  if (platform !== 'win32') return { command: 'npm', args, shell: false };
+  return { command: ['npm.cmd', ...args].join(' '), args: [], shell: true };
 }
 
 /** Read one key from Vite's dotenv file ladder without depending on Vite. */
@@ -190,8 +195,8 @@ export function buildCapabilitySummary(
 
 export function inspectSetup({ includeKeychain = true, authoritativeEnvironment = false, rootDir = ROOT } = {}) {
   const node = classifyNodeVersion();
-  const npm = npmProcessSpec();
+  const npm = npmProcessSpec(['--version']);
-  const npmResult = spawnSync(npm.command, ['--version'], {
+  const npmResult = spawnSync(npm.command, npm.args, {
     encoding: 'utf8',
     shell: npm.shell,
   });

src/setupDoctor.test.mjs

@@ -69,12 +69,22 @@ test('placeholder values are never counted as configured credentials', () => {
 });
 
 test('doctor selects a Windows-safe npm process without changing Unix behavior', () => {
-  assert.deepEqual(npmProcessSpec('win32'), {
+  // Windows passes no argument array with shell: true (Node DEP0190).
-    command: 'npm.cmd',
+  assert.deepEqual(npmProcessSpec(['ci'], 'win32'), {
+    command: 'npm.cmd ci',
+    args: [],
     shell: true,
   });
-  assert.deepEqual(npmProcessSpec('darwin'), { command: 'npm', shell: false });
+  assert.deepEqual(npmProcessSpec(['--version'], 'darwin'), {
-  assert.deepEqual(npmProcessSpec('linux'), { command: 'npm', shell: false });
+    command: 'npm',
+    args: ['--version'],
+    shell: false,
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(npmProcessSpec(['ci'], 'linux'), {
+    command: 'npm',
+    args: ['ci'],
+    shell: false,
+  });
 });
 
 test('doctor recognizes every OpenSky OAuth keychain alias used by dev-fresh', () => {