fix(runtime): hide cli child windows by default

src/main/utils/childProcess.ts

@@ -242,12 +242,16 @@ export function killTrackedCliProcesses(signal: NodeJS.Signals = 'SIGKILL'): voi
   }
 }
 
-/** Merge CLI_ENV_DEFAULTS into spawn/exec options.env (or process.env if absent). */
+/** Apply shared CLI process defaults without overriding explicit caller choices. */
-function withCliEnv<T extends { env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv | Record<string, string | undefined> }>(
+function withCliProcessDefaults<
-  options: T
+  T extends {
-): T {
+    env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv | Record<string, string | undefined>;
+    windowsHide?: boolean;
+  },
+>(options: T): T & { windowsHide: boolean } {
   return {
     ...options,
+    windowsHide: options.windowsHide ?? true,
     env: { ...(options.env ?? process.env), ...CLI_ENV_DEFAULTS },
   };
 }
@@ -270,7 +274,7 @@ export async function execCli(
     );
   }
   const target = binaryPath;
-  const opts = withCliEnv(options);
+  const opts = withCliProcessDefaults(options);
   const directLauncher = resolveDirectWindowsLauncher(target);
   if (directLauncher) {
     const result = await execFileAsync(
@@ -316,7 +320,7 @@ export function spawnCli(
   args: string[],
   options: SpawnOptions = {}
 ): ReturnType<typeof spawn> {
-  const opts = withCliEnv(options);
+  const opts = withCliProcessDefaults(options);
   const directLauncher = resolveDirectWindowsLauncher(binaryPath);
   if (directLauncher) {
     const directOpts = { ...opts };

test/main/utils/childProcess.test.ts

@@ -134,6 +134,18 @@ describe('cli child process helpers', () => {
       expect(result).toEqual({} as any);
     });
 
+    it('hides spawned CLI windows by default but preserves explicit opt-out', () => {
+      setPlatform('win32');
+      const spawnMock = child.spawn as unknown as Mock;
+      spawnMock.mockReturnValue({} as any);
+
+      spawnCli('C:\\bin\\claude.exe', ['--version']);
+      expect(spawnMock.mock.calls[0][2]).toMatchObject({ windowsHide: true });
+
+      spawnCli('C:\\bin\\claude.exe', ['--version'], { windowsHide: false });
+      expect(spawnMock.mock.calls[1][2]).toMatchObject({ windowsHide: false });
+    });
+
     it('falls back to shell when spawn throws EINVAL', () => {
       setPlatform('win32');
       const error: any = new Error('spawn EINVAL');
@@ -296,6 +308,23 @@ describe('cli child process helpers', () => {
       expect(result.stdout).toBe('ok');
     });
 
+    it('hides exec CLI windows by default but preserves explicit opt-out', async () => {
+      setPlatform('win32');
+      const execFileMock = child.execFile as unknown as Mock;
+      execFileMock.mockImplementation(
+        (_cmd: string, _args: string[], _opts: unknown, cb: ExecCallback) => {
+          cb(null, 'ok', '');
+          return {} as any;
+        }
+      );
+
+      await execCli('C:\\bin\\claude.exe', ['--version']);
+      expect(execFileMock.mock.calls[0][2]).toMatchObject({ windowsHide: true });
+
+      await execCli('C:\\bin\\claude.exe', ['--version'], { windowsHide: false });
+      expect(execFileMock.mock.calls[1][2]).toMatchObject({ windowsHide: false });
+    });
+
     it('skips straight to shell for Windows cmd launchers', async () => {
       setPlatform('win32');
       const execFileMock = child.execFile as unknown as Mock;