fix(desktop): prevent backend zombie process and IPC listener leaks

desktop/src/main/preload.ts

@@ -7,12 +7,18 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('electronAPI', {
   selectDirectory: () => ipcRenderer.invoke('select-directory'),
   selectFile: (filters?: Electron.FileFilter[]) => ipcRenderer.invoke('select-file', filters),
 
+  // Each listener registrar returns an unsubscribe fn so renderers can clean
+  // up on unmount / effect re-run and avoid accumulating duplicate handlers.
   onBackendStatus: (callback: (data: { status: string; port?: number; error?: string }) => void) => {
-    ipcRenderer.on('backend-status', (_event, data) => callback(data))
+    const handler = (_event: unknown, data: { status: string; port?: number; error?: string }) => callback(data)
+    ipcRenderer.on('backend-status', handler)
+    return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener('backend-status', handler)
   },
 
   onBackendLog: (callback: (line: string) => void) => {
-    ipcRenderer.on('backend-log', (_event, line) => callback(line))
+    const handler = (_event: unknown, line: string) => callback(line)
+    ipcRenderer.on('backend-log', handler)
+    return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener('backend-log', handler)
   },
 
   // Window controls (custom titlebar on Windows)
@@ -21,12 +27,16 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('electronAPI', {
   windowClose: () => ipcRenderer.invoke('window-close'),
   windowIsMaximized: () => ipcRenderer.invoke('window-is-maximized'),
   onMaximizeChange: (callback: (maximized: boolean) => void) => {
-    ipcRenderer.on('window-maximize-changed', (_event, max) => callback(max))
+    const handler = (_event: unknown, max: boolean) => callback(max)
+    ipcRenderer.on('window-maximize-changed', handler)
+    return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener('window-maximize-changed', handler)
   },
 
   // App menu / shortcut actions forwarded from the main process.
   onMenuAction: (callback: (action: string) => void) => {
-    ipcRenderer.on('menu-action', (_event, action: string) => callback(action))
+    const handler = (_event: unknown, action: string) => callback(action)
+    ipcRenderer.on('menu-action', handler)
+    return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener('menu-action', handler)
   },
 
   platform: process.platform,

desktop/src/main/python-manager.ts

@@ -176,11 +176,15 @@ export class PythonBackend extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   stop(): void {
-    if (this.process) {
+    const proc = this.process
-      this.process.kill('SIGTERM')
+    if (proc) {
+      proc.kill('SIGTERM')
+      // Keep a local ref so the SIGKILL fallback can still reach the process
+      // even after we clear `this.process`; otherwise a stuck backend would
+      // never be force-killed and leak as a zombie.
       setTimeout(() => {
-        if (this.process && !this.process.killed) {
+        if (!proc.killed) {
-          this.process.kill('SIGKILL')
+          proc.kill('SIGKILL')
         }
       }, 5000)
       this.process = null

desktop/src/renderer/src/App.tsx

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ const App: React.FC = () => {
 
   // Handle app-menu / shortcut actions forwarded from the main process.
   useEffect(() => {
-    window.electronAPI?.onMenuAction?.((action) => {
+    const off = window.electronAPI?.onMenuAction?.((action) => {
       if (action === 'new-chat') {
         useSessionStore.getState().newSession()
         navigate('/')
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const App: React.FC = () => {
         navigate('/settings')
       }
     })
+    return off
   }, [navigate])
 
   const handleLangChange = useCallback(() => forceUpdate((n) => n + 1), [])

desktop/src/renderer/src/hooks/useBackend.ts

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export function useBackend() {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     let cancelled = false
+    let offStatus: (() => void) | undefined
     const api = window.electronAPI
 
     const startPolling = async (port: number) => {
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ export function useBackend() {
         startPolling(p)
       })
 
-      api.onBackendStatus((data) => {
+      offStatus = api.onBackendStatus((data) => {
         if (data.status === 'ready' && data.port) {
           setState({ status: 'ready', port: data.port })
           if (pollingRef.current) {
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ export function useBackend() {
       if (pollingRef.current) {
         clearTimeout(pollingRef.current)
       }
+      offStatus?.()
     }
   }, [probeBackend])
 

desktop/src/renderer/src/layout/WindowControls.tsx

@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ const WindowControls: React.FC = () => {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     api?.windowIsMaximized().then(setMaximized)
-    api?.onMaximizeChange(setMaximized)
+    const off = api?.onMaximizeChange(setMaximized)
+    return off
   }, [api])
 
   if (api?.platform === 'darwin') return null

desktop/src/renderer/src/types.ts

@@ -8,14 +8,15 @@ export interface ElectronAPI {
   restartBackend: () => Promise<boolean>
   selectDirectory: () => Promise<string | null>
   selectFile: (filters?: { name: string; extensions: string[] }[]) => Promise<string | null>
-  onBackendStatus: (callback: (data: BackendStatusEvent) => void) => void
+  // Listener registrars return an unsubscribe fn for cleanup.
-  onBackendLog: (callback: (line: string) => void) => void
+  onBackendStatus: (callback: (data: BackendStatusEvent) => void) => () => void
+  onBackendLog: (callback: (line: string) => void) => () => void
   windowMinimize: () => Promise<void>
   windowMaximize: () => Promise<boolean>
   windowClose: () => Promise<void>
   windowIsMaximized: () => Promise<boolean>
-  onMaximizeChange: (callback: (maximized: boolean) => void) => void
+  onMaximizeChange: (callback: (maximized: boolean) => void) => () => void
-  onMenuAction?: (callback: (action: string) => void) => void
+  onMenuAction?: (callback: (action: string) => void) => () => void
   platform: string
 }