fix(desktop): run bundled backend from writable data dir

common/log.py

@@ -33,15 +33,28 @@ def _reset_logger(log):
             datefmt="%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S",
         )
     )
-    file_handle = logging.FileHandler(_log_path(), encoding="utf-8")
-    file_handle.setFormatter(
-        logging.Formatter(
-            "[%(levelname)s][%(asctime)s][%(filename)s:%(lineno)d] - %(message)s",
-            datefmt="%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S",
-        )
-    )
-    log.addHandler(file_handle)
     log.addHandler(console_handle)
+    # File logging is best-effort: if the log path isn't writable (e.g. a
+    # packaged app installed under Program Files run by a non-admin user, with
+    # an unwritable CWD), fall back to console-only instead of crashing the
+    # whole process at import time.
+    try:
+        file_handle = logging.FileHandler(_log_path(), encoding="utf-8")
+        file_handle.setFormatter(
+            logging.Formatter(
+                "[%(levelname)s][%(asctime)s][%(filename)s:%(lineno)d] - %(message)s",
+                datefmt="%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S",
+            )
+        )
+        log.addHandler(file_handle)
+    except OSError:
+        console_handle.handle(
+            logging.LogRecord(
+                "log", logging.WARNING, __file__, 0,
+                "[log] file logging disabled (log path not writable): %s",
+                (_log_path(),), None,
+            )
+        )
 
 
 def _get_logger():

desktop/src/main/python-manager.ts

@@ -114,9 +114,19 @@ export class PythonBackend extends EventEmitter {
     if (bundled) {
       command = bundled
       args = []
-      // The onedir bundle reads data files relative to the executable's dir.
+      // Run from the writable data dir (~/.cow), NOT the install dir. When the
-      cwd = path.dirname(bundled)
+      // app is installed under Program Files, a non-admin user has no write
-      this.emit('log', `Starting bundled backend: ${bundled}`)
+      // permission to the executable's folder, so any relative-path write
+      // during startup would crash the backend (works only as admin). The
+      // bundle reads its read-only resources via sys._MEIPASS, so cwd is free
+      // to point elsewhere.
+      try {
+        fs.mkdirSync(COW_DATA_DIR, { recursive: true })
+      } catch {
+        // ignore — get_data_root() also ensures the dir on the Python side
+      }
+      cwd = COW_DATA_DIR
+      this.emit('log', `Starting bundled backend: ${bundled} (cwd=${cwd})`)
     } else {
       const pythonPath = this.findPython()
       const appPath = path.join(this.backendPath, 'app.py')