vercel/hyper

Add Hyper CLI to user PATH without reboot needing

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#2823 opened on Apr 15, 2018

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 (14 comments) (4 reactions) (1 assignee)TypeScript (44,582 stars) (3,558 forks)batch import
good first issuehelp wanted⌨️ CLI tool🖼 Platform: Windows

Description

We are currently adding Hyper CLI path to user PATH in Windows registry: https://github.com/zeit/hyper/blob/262eb8ad9b7b9b15351f331765151538d67a09e2/app/utils/cli-install.js#L49-L91

A caveat is that environment variables are cached and users should open and validate "Edit environment variables for your account" dialog to force a cache refresh (or simply reboot their workstation).

@Stanzilla gave a link that could help to improve this: https://stackoverflow.com/a/11955920

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascripttypescriptnodejs
Domain
clidesktop
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Windows registryNode.jsenvironment variables
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60
Research direction
The issue targets the file `app/utils/cli install.js` in the Hyper repository, specifically the function that updates the user PATH via Windows registry. The goal is to avoid requiring a reboot or manual refresh of environment variables. Research the StackOverflow link provided (https://stackoverflow.com/a/11955920) which suggests broadcasting a `WM SETTINGCHANGE` message using `SendMessageTimeout` or calling `SetEnvironmentVariable` with appropriate flags. Implement a solution that applies the PATH change and immediately notifies the system to refresh the environment cache, potentially by using a native Node.js addon or child process to invoke Windows API functions.