Auto-Claude Electron App Timeout on Windows: "Control request timeout: initialize"

Bug Report: Auto-Claude Electron App Timeout on Windows

Platform: Windows 11 (Build 26200)
Auto-Claude Version: Latest (as of 2026-01-06)
Python: 3.12

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Summary

The Auto-Claude Electron desktop application consistently fails on Windows with "Control request timeout: initialize" during spec creation, while the Python backend works perfectly when called directly via CLI.

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Error Message

Agent error: Control request timeout: initialize
Phase 'spec_writing' failed: Attempt 1: Agent did not create spec.md; Attempt 2: Agent did not create spec.md; Attempt 3: Agent did not create spec.md

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Reproduction Steps

1. Install Auto-Claude Electron app on Windows 11
2. Install all Python dependencies in bundled backend:

``powershell
cd C:\Users\{USER}\AppData\Local\Programs\auto-claude-ui\resources\backend
..\python\python.exe -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\pip.exe install -r requirements.txt
``

1. Configure .env with minimal settings:

``env
GRAPHITI_ENABLED=false
CONTEXT7_ENABLED=false
LINEAR_MCP_ENABLED=false
AUTO_CLAUDE_TOOLS_ENABLED=false
DEBUG=true
``

1. Open Auto-Claude Electron app
2. Create new project
3. Start any task (e.g., "Create hello world Python script")
4. Observe timeout during "COMPLEXITY ASSESSMENT" phase

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Expected Behavior

The spec creation should complete successfully, as it does when using the CLI workaround.

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Actual Behavior

The Electron app hangs during agent initialization and times out after ~60 seconds with:

Agent error: Control request timeout: initialize

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Environment Details

OS: Windows 11 Pro (Build 26200)
Shell: PowerShell 7
Python: 3.12
Claude Code CLI: 2.0.72 (working)
Auto-Claude Electron: Latest (failing)

Backend Location:
  C:\Users\{USER}\AppData\Local\Programs\auto-claude-ui\resources\backend

Dependencies Installed:
  ✅ claude-agent-sdk 0.1.18
  ✅ graphiti-core 0.25.0
  ✅ All requirements.txt packages
  ✅ OAuth token configured (claude whoami succeeds)

---

Diagnostic Results

We performed extensive debugging (20+ hypotheses tested):

✅ Working Components

| Component | Test Method | Result |
|-----------|-------------|--------|
| Python Backend | Direct execution | ✅ Works perfectly |
| Claude SDK | Standalone client test | ✅ Connects in 3-5s |
| OAuth Authentication | claude whoami | ✅ Authenticated |
| Backend Dependencies | pip list verification | ✅ All installed |
| Bundled claude.exe | Direct execution | ✅ Works (v2.0.72) |
| Project Configuration | Fresh empty project | ✅ Same issue |

❌ Failing Component

| Component | Test Method | Result |
|-----------|-------------|--------|
| Electron App | Normal usage | ❌ Timeout after 60s |
| Electron → Backend IPC | All scenarios | ❌ Fails consistently |

Test Scripts Used

1. Minimal SDK Client Test - ✅ Success (3.95s connection)

``python
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeAgentOptions, ClaudeSDKClient
client = ClaudeSDKClient(options=ClaudeAgentOptions(model="claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"))
async with client:
await client.query("Hello")
``

1. Full create_client Simulation - ✅ Success

• Used same parameters as Auto-Claude
• Created worktree, loaded project capabilities
• Connected successfully

1. Real Project Test - ✅ Success

• Tested against actual project directory
• All backend functionality works

1. Electron App - ❌ Failure

• Fresh project, minimal config
• Consistently times out

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Root Cause Analysis

After systematic elimination:

1. ❌ Not OAuth/authentication (verified working)
2. ❌ Not Python dependencies (all installed correctly)
3. ❌ Not Claude SDK (works in standalone tests)
4. ❌ Not backend code (works when called directly)
5. ❌ Not MCP servers (disabled all, still fails)
6. ❌ Not Graphiti (disabled, still fails)
7. ❌ Not project-specific config (fails on fresh projects)
8. ✅ Electron app's IPC communication with Python backend

The issue is 100% within the Electron application's communication layer, not the backend.

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Working CLI Workaround

We created a PowerShell script that bypasses the Electron app and calls the Python backend directly:

# auto-claude-cli.ps1
$pythonExe = "C:\Users\{USER}\AppData\Local\Programs\auto-claude-ui\resources\backend\.venv\Scripts\python.exe"
$specRunner = "C:\Users\{USER}\AppData\Local\Programs\auto-claude-ui\resources\backend\runners\spec_runner.py"

& $pythonExe $specRunner --task "Create hello world Python script" --project "C:\path\to\project"

Result: ✅ Complete success

• Spec creation: ✅ Pass
• Build execution: ✅ Pass
• QA validation: ✅ Pass (first attempt)
• Output: Fully functional code

This proves the backend is working perfectly - the issue is purely in the Electron app.

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Hypothesis: Windows-Specific IPC Issue

Possible causes:

1. Electron IPC timeout too short - Backend needs >60s on first run
2. Windows process communication - Different behavior than macOS/Linux
3. Bundled Python execution - Electron may not be spawning Python process correctly
4. Path handling - Windows backslashes vs forward slashes in IPC messages
5. Async context - Electron's async handling of Python subprocess differs on Windows

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Suggested Fixes

1. Increase IPC timeout - From 60s to 120s for initial connection
2. Add IPC debugging - Log all messages between Electron and Python
3. Test on Windows - Reproduce in Anthropic's Windows test environment
4. Add progress indicators - Show what backend is doing during initialization
5. Fallback to CLI - If IPC fails, offer CLI mode within app

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Additional Information

We have detailed logs and diagnostic scripts available if needed:

• 20+ diagnostic PowerShell scripts
• Python test scripts proving backend works
• Full session logs (2+ hours of debugging)
• Step-by-step hypothesis testing results

Full documentation: https://github.com/rsouverein-cmd/rogier-dmi/blob/main/docs/integration/AUTO-CLAUDE-CLI-WORKAROUND.md

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Impact

This bug makes Auto-Claude completely unusable on Windows via the Electron app. The CLI workaround is functional but lacks the UI benefits.

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Temporary Workaround

Windows users can use the CLI workaround until this is fixed:

# Create spec and build
.\auto-claude-cli.ps1 new -Task "Your task description"

# Interactive mode
.\auto-claude-cli.ps1 interactive

# List specs
.\auto-claude-cli.ps1 list

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Thank you for Auto-Claude - it's an amazing tool when it works! We hope this detailed report helps fix the Windows Electron issue. 🙏