Electron 38.x Migration Analysis for Teams for Linux

Executive Summary

This document analyzes the impact of upgrading from Electron 37.6.0 to Electron 38.2.1 for the Teams for Linux application, with particular focus on screensharing functionality and potential breaking changes.

Current State: Electron ^37.6.0
Target Version: Electron ^38.2.1
Risk Level: 🟡 MEDIUM - Some breaking changes require code updates
Estimated Effort: 2-3 days development + testing

Key Findings

✅ Low Risk Areas

Core screensharing APIs (desktopCapturer, session.setDisplayMediaRequestHandler) remain stable
Main application architecture patterns are compatible
WebPreferences configuration approach still valid

⚠️ Medium Risk Areas

Deprecated APIs that need replacement (webFrame.routingId, plugin-crashed event)
Legacy Electron patterns in current codebase
Security configuration needs modernization

🔴 High Risk Areas

Complex custom screensharing UI implementation
Multiple IPC channels with potential race conditions
Disabled security features (contextIsolation: false)

Breaking Changes in Electron 38.x

1. Removed APIs

`plugin-crashed` Event (REMOVED)

Current Usage: Not found in codebase
Impact: ✅ None - Not currently used

`ELECTRON_OZONE_PLATFORM_HINT` Environment Variable (REMOVED)

Replacement: Use XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland
Impact: 🟡 Low - May affect Wayland users

macOS 11 Support (REMOVED)

Impact: 🟡 Low - Affects only macOS Big Sur users

2. Deprecated APIs

`webFrame.routingId` Property (DEPRECATED)

Current Usage: Not found in main codebase
Replacement: Use webFrame.frameToken
Impact: ✅ None - Not currently used

`webFrame.findFrameByRoutingId()` (DEPRECATED)

Current Usage: Not found in main codebase
Replacement: Use webFrame.findFrameByToken()
Impact: ✅ None - Not currently used

3. Behavior Changes

`window.open` Popups Always Resizable (NEW BEHAVIOR)

Impact: 🟡 Low - May affect popup windows if used
Solution: Use setWindowOpenHandler to control resizable behavior

Current Codebase Analysis

Security Configuration (NEEDS ATTENTION)

The current implementation has security features disabled for Teams compatibility:

webPreferences: {
  partition: this.config.partition,
  preload: path.join(__dirname, "..", "browser", "preload.js"),
  plugins: true,
  spellcheck: true,
  webviewTag: true,
  // SECURITY: Disabled for Teams DOM access, compensated by CSP + IPC validation
  contextIsolation: false,  // Required for ReactHandler DOM access
  nodeIntegration: false,   // Secure: preload scripts don't need this  
  sandbox: false,           // Required for system API access
},

Analysis:

⚠️ contextIsolation: false - Security risk but required for Teams DOM access
✅ nodeIntegration: false - Good security practice
⚠️ sandbox: false - Necessary for system API access
✅ CSP implemented - Good compensating control

Screensharing Implementation Analysis

Current Architecture Complexity

Issues Identified:

Complex UI System: Uses deprecated setBrowserView() API
Multiple IPC Channels: selected-source, close-view, screen-sharing-started/stopped
Legacy Patterns: WebContentsView vs modern approaches
Race Conditions: Multiple preview window creation logic

Electron 38.x Compatibility Check

Feature	Current Implementation	Electron 38.x Status	Action Required
`desktopCapturer.getSources()`	✅ Used extensively	✅ Compatible	None
`session.setDisplayMediaRequestHandler()`	✅ Used in main flow	✅ Compatible	None
`BrowserWindow` creation	✅ Standard usage	✅ Compatible	None
`WebContentsView`	⚠️ Used in StreamSelector	✅ Compatible	Modernize usage
`setBrowserView()`	❌ Deprecated usage	⚠️ Still available	Replace with modern API
IPC Security validation	✅ Custom implementation	✅ Compatible	None

Modernization Opportunities

1. Screensharing Simplification

Current Problems:

9 files for screensharing functionality
Complex WebContentsView overlay system
Manual thumbnail generation and preview windows
Multiple IPC channels and event handlers

Modern Electron 38.x Approach:

// Simplified approach using system picker
session.defaultSession.setDisplayMediaRequestHandler((request, callback) => {
  desktopCapturer.getSources({ types: ['screen', 'window'] }).then((sources) => {
    // Use native system picker if available (Electron 38.x feature)
    callback({ video: sources[0] })
  })
}, { useSystemPicker: true })  // NEW in Electron 38.x

Recommended Simplification:

Reduce to 3-4 files from current 9 files
Use system picker where available (Linux/macOS)
Simplify IPC to single request/response pattern
Remove custom preview window complexity

2. API Modernization

Current Implementation: WebContentsView (Retained)

The application currently uses WebContentsView for the stream selector overlay, which displays at the bottom of the main window. This approach was retained because:

Better UX: Overlay appears inline without disrupting the main Teams window
Simpler workflow: Users stay in the same window context
Modern API: WebContentsView is the recommended approach for embedded content in Electron 38.x
Backward compatible: Works with existing resize handlers and window management

this.#view = new WebContentsView({
  webPreferences: {
    preload: path.join(__dirname, "preload.js"),
  },
});

this.#view.webContents.loadFile(path.join(__dirname, "index.html"));
this.#parent.contentView.addChildView(this.#view);

A modal dialog approach could be considered as a future enhancement if a more traditional dialog experience is preferred:

// Alternative: Modal BrowserWindow approach
const picker = new BrowserWindow({
  parent: mainWindow,
  modal: true,
  width: 1000,
  height: 300,
  frame: true,
  autoHideMenuBar: true,
  resizable: true,
  minimizable: false,
  maximizable: false,
  skipTaskbar: true,
  webPreferences: {
    preload: path.join(__dirname, "preload.js"),
    contextIsolation: true,
    nodeIntegration: false,
  }
})

Considerations for modal approach:

✅ More traditional dialog UX
✅ No resize handler needed (OS manages positioning)
✅ Clearer separation from main window
⚠️ Disrupts workflow by popping up over main window
⚠️ May not look as integrated with Teams interface

Decision: Retained WebContentsView for current implementation. The modal approach remains available as a future option if user feedback indicates preference for traditional dialogs.

3. Security Enhancements

While contextIsolation: false must remain for Teams compatibility, other security improvements:

Enhanced CSP - Already implemented ✅
IPC Validation - Already implemented ✅
Minimize Node.js exposure - Consider context bridge for non-Teams functionality

Migration Roadmap

Phase 1: Core Electron Upgrade (1-2 days)

Update package.json to "electron": "^38.2.1"
Test basic application functionality
Verify Teams login and core features
Test on all target platforms (Linux/macOS/Windows)

Phase 2: Screensharing Modernization (2-3 days)

Implement system picker support (useSystemPicker: true)
Simplify StreamSelector to use modern dialog patterns
Reduce IPC complexity to single request/response
Remove deprecated setBrowserView() usage
Consolidate screensharing files (9 → 3-4 files)

Phase 3: Testing & Validation (1-2 days)

Comprehensive screensharing testing across platforms
Wayland compatibility testing (Linux)
Performance comparison with current implementation
Security testing with updated configuration

Phase 4: Optional Enhancements (1 day)

Preview window simplification or removal
Additional CSP hardening
Code cleanup and documentation updates

Platform-Specific Considerations

Linux

✅ X11: Direct desktop capture works well
⚠️ Wayland: May benefit from system picker improvements in Electron 38.x
🔴 XDG_SESSION_TYPE: Update documentation to use this instead of deprecated ELECTRON_OZONE_PLATFORM_HINT

macOS

⚠️ macOS 11 dropped: Update minimum requirements to macOS 12
✅ System picker: Should improve native experience
✅ Permissions: Current implementation handles screen recording permissions correctly

Windows

✅ DWM Integration: Should remain compatible
✅ Multi-monitor: Current implementation should work fine

Risk Assessment & Mitigation

Risk	Probability	Impact	Mitigation Strategy
Screensharing breaks	Low	High	Thorough testing, fallback to current implementation
Teams DOM access fails	Low	Critical	Keep contextIsolation: false, extensive testing
Performance regression	Medium	Medium	Benchmark before/after, optimize bottlenecks
Platform-specific issues	Medium	High	Test on all platforms early in process
User experience degradation	Low	Medium	A/B test new vs old screensharing UX

Recommended Testing Strategy

Automated Testing

Unit tests for core screensharing functions
Integration tests for IPC communication
Platform compatibility tests

Manual Testing

User Acceptance Testing

Beta release to subset of users
Feedback collection on screensharing UX
Performance metrics comparison

Success Metrics

Technical Metrics

✅ Zero regressions in core Teams functionality
✅ Screensharing works on all supported platforms
✅ No performance degradation (< 5% resource usage change)
✅ Code reduction (target: 30% fewer lines in screensharing modules)

User Experience Metrics

✅ Faster screensharing setup (target: 2-3 seconds faster)
✅ Fewer UI steps for screen selection
✅ Improved reliability (< 1% failure rate)

Conclusion

The migration to Electron 38.x presents a medium-risk, high-reward opportunity to modernize the Teams for Linux application. While the core functionality will remain compatible, the screensharing system can be significantly simplified and modernized.

Key Benefits:

🚀 Simplified codebase (30% reduction in screensharing complexity)
🛡️ Enhanced security through modern Electron patterns
⚡ Better performance with native system picker
🔧 Improved maintainability with fewer files and cleaner architecture

Recommended Approach:

Start with Phase 1 (basic upgrade) to validate compatibility
Incrementally modernize screensharing in Phase 2
Extensive testing before production release
Keep fallback plan to current Electron version if critical issues arise

The estimated 4-6 day development effort is justified by the long-term maintainability improvements and modern platform integration benefits.

Next Steps

Create detailed task breakdown for each migration phase
Set up testing environment with Electron 38.x
Implement feature flags to allow A/B testing of new vs old screensharing
Plan beta release schedule for gradual rollout
Document new architecture for future maintenance

This analysis will be updated as development progresses and new findings emerge.

Executive Summary​

Key Findings​

✅ Low Risk Areas​

⚠️ Medium Risk Areas​

🔴 High Risk Areas​

Breaking Changes in Electron 38.x​

1. Removed APIs​

plugin-crashed Event (REMOVED)​

ELECTRON_OZONE_PLATFORM_HINT Environment Variable (REMOVED)​

macOS 11 Support (REMOVED)​

2. Deprecated APIs​

webFrame.routingId Property (DEPRECATED)​

webFrame.findFrameByRoutingId() (DEPRECATED)​

3. Behavior Changes​

window.open Popups Always Resizable (NEW BEHAVIOR)​

Current Codebase Analysis​

Security Configuration (NEEDS ATTENTION)​

Screensharing Implementation Analysis​

Current Architecture Complexity​

Electron 38.x Compatibility Check​

Modernization Opportunities​

1. Screensharing Simplification​

Current Problems:​

Modern Electron 38.x Approach:​

Recommended Simplification:​

2. API Modernization​

Current Implementation: WebContentsView (Retained)​

Alternative Approach: Modal BrowserWindow (Future Option)​

3. Security Enhancements​

Migration Roadmap​

Phase 1: Core Electron Upgrade (1-2 days)​

Phase 2: Screensharing Modernization (2-3 days)​

Phase 3: Testing & Validation (1-2 days)​

Phase 4: Optional Enhancements (1 day)​

Platform-Specific Considerations​

Linux​

macOS​

Windows​

Risk Assessment & Mitigation​

Recommended Testing Strategy​

Automated Testing​

Manual Testing​

User Acceptance Testing​

Success Metrics​

Technical Metrics​

User Experience Metrics​

Conclusion​

Next Steps​