fix: port conflicts and API proxy for Electron dev mode

- Add Vite proxy: /api/* requests from renderer (5173) → Express (3000)
- Add dynamic port finding: if 3000 is taken, auto-pick next available
- Import net module for port checking
- Use dynamic expressPort in production URL loading

electron.vite.config.ts

@@ -67,6 +67,13 @@ export default defineConfig({
     server: {
       hmr: process.env.DISABLE_HMR !== 'true',
       watch: process.env.DISABLE_HMR === 'true' ? null : {},
+      // Proxy API calls to the embedded Express server
+      proxy: {
+        '/api': {
+          target: 'http://127.0.0.1:3000',
+          changeOrigin: true,
+        },
+      },
     },
   },
 });

src/electron/main.ts

@@ -10,13 +10,36 @@
 import { app, BrowserWindow, ipcMain, dialog } from 'electron';
 import path from 'path';
 import fs from 'fs';
+import net from 'net';
 
 // Signal to server.ts / renderQueue.ts that we're in Electron
 process.env.BRADLY_ELECTRON = 'true';
 
-const EXPRESS_PORT = 3000;
+const PREFERRED_PORT = 3000;
+let expressPort = PREFERRED_PORT;
 let mainWindow: BrowserWindow | null = null;
 
+// ═══ Port Utilities ═══
+
+/** Find an available port, starting from the preferred one */
+function getAvailablePort(startPort: number): Promise<number> {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const server = net.createServer();
+    server.listen(startPort, '127.0.0.1', () => {
+      const port = (server.address() as net.AddressInfo).port;
+      server.close(() => resolve(port));
+    });
+    server.on('error', () => {
+      // Port in use, try the next one
+      if (startPort < 65535) {
+        resolve(getAvailablePort(startPort + 1));
+      } else {
+        reject(new Error('No available ports found'));
+      }
+    });
+  });
+}
+
 // ═══ Path Setup for Electron ═══
 
 function setupPaths() {
@@ -72,7 +95,10 @@ function setupPaths() {
 
 // ═══ Express Server ═══
 
-async function startExpressServer(): Promise<void> {
+async function startExpressServer(): Promise<number> {
+  // Find an available port
+  expressPort = await getAvailablePort(PREFERRED_PORT);
+
   const { createExpressApp } = await import('../../server');
   const expressApp = await createExpressApp();
 
@@ -96,10 +122,13 @@ async function startExpressServer(): Promise<void> {
     }
   }
 
-  return new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+  return new Promise<number>((resolve, reject) => {
-    const server = expressApp.listen(EXPRESS_PORT, '127.0.0.1', () => {
+    const server = expressApp.listen(expressPort, '127.0.0.1', () => {
-      console.log(`🚀 Express server on http://127.0.0.1:${EXPRESS_PORT}`);
+      console.log(`🚀 Express server on http://127.0.0.1:${expressPort}`);
-      resolve();
+      if (expressPort !== PREFERRED_PORT) {
+        console.warn(`⚠️ Port ${PREFERRED_PORT} was in use, using ${expressPort} instead`);
+      }
+      resolve(expressPort);
     });
     server.on('error', reject);
   });
@@ -140,7 +169,7 @@ function createWindow() {
   } else {
     // In production, load from the embedded Express server
     // which serves the built renderer assets
-    mainWindow.loadURL(`http://127.0.0.1:${EXPRESS_PORT}`);
+    mainWindow.loadURL(`http://127.0.0.1:${expressPort}`);
   }
 
   mainWindow.on('closed', () => {