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+# Fix: Extension bootstrap path mismatch in `launchExtension()`
+
+Fixes #2890 — Extensions fail to load due to SEA cache directory path mismatch.
+
+## Root Cause
+
+When `app.js` forks an extension subprocess, it builds the bootstrap path from
+`cliDistDir` (the pkg cache directory, e.g., `~/.copilot/pkg/universal/<ver>/`).
+
+But the forked child process runs the SEA binary's embedded `index.js`, which
+validates the bootstrap path against `dirname(import.meta.url)` — the SEA
+binary's own directory. These paths never match:
+
+| | macOS | Windows (npm) |
+|---|---|---|
+| SEA dir (`index.js`) | `darwin-arm64/<ver>/` | `npm/.../copilot-win32-x64/` |
+| Bootstrap from (`app.js`) | `universal/<ver>/preloads/` | `universal/<ver>/preloads/` |
+| `preloads/` exists in SEA dir? | No (only in cache) | No (not shipped in platform pkg) |
+
+The security check in `index.js`:
+
+```js
+var z = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));  // → SEA binary dir
+var K = process.argv.find(e => basename(e) === "extension_bootstrap.mjs");
+var Q = K ? resolve(K) : undefined;
+var q = Q?.startsWith(resolve(z, "preloads") + sep) ? Q : undefined;
+// q is undefined → falls through → "Invalid command format" error
+```
+
+## Proposed Fix (Option A — smallest change)
+
+In `launchExtension()`, resolve the bootstrap path relative to the SEA binary
+directory (via `process.execPath`) instead of `cliDistDir`:
+
+```js
+// Before (current):
+const bootstrapPath = path.join(this.options.cliDistDir, "preloads", "extension_bootstrap.mjs");
+
+// After (proposed):
+const seaBootstrap = path.join(path.dirname(process.execPath), "preloads", "extension_bootstrap.mjs");
+const cacheBootstrap = path.join(this.options.cliDistDir, "preloads", "extension_bootstrap.mjs");
+const bootstrapPath = fs.existsSync(seaBootstrap) ? seaBootstrap : cacheBootstrap;
+```
+
+This also requires shipping `preloads/extension_bootstrap.mjs` and
+`preloads/extension_sdk_resolver.mjs` in the platform-specific npm packages
+(`@github/copilot-win32-x64`, `@github/copilot-darwin-arm64`, etc.).
+
+**Note:** `COPILOT_SDK_PATH` does not need to change — it correctly points to
+the pkg cache's `copilot-sdk/` directory and is resolved via environment
+variable in the bootstrap, not via relative path.
+
+## Alternative Fix (Option B — no platform package changes)
+
+Instead of requiring `preloads/` in the SEA directory, expand the security check
+in `index.js` to accept bootstrap paths from any trusted pkg cache directory:
+
+```js
+// Parent (app.js) passes the trusted directory when forking:
+env: { COPILOT_TRUSTED_DIST_DIR: this.options.cliDistDir, ... }
+
+// Child (index.js) validates against multiple trusted prefixes:
+const trustedDirs = [resolve(z, "preloads")];
+if (process.env.COPILOT_TRUSTED_DIST_DIR) {
+    trustedDirs.push(resolve(process.env.COPILOT_TRUSTED_DIST_DIR, "preloads"));
+}
+const q = trustedDirs.some(d => Q?.startsWith(d + sep)) ? Q : undefined;
+```
+
+Option B is more robust (no platform package changes needed) but slightly
+loosens the security boundary by trusting an env-var-specified directory.
+
+## Verified
+
+Option A was tested locally on Windows 11 (npm install, CLI 1.0.35) by:
+1. Copying `preloads/` to the SEA binary directory
+2. Patching the minified `app.js` to prefer `dirname(process.execPath)`
+
+Both user-level and project-level extensions loaded successfully after the fix.
+
+## Affected Versions
+
+- CLI 1.0.34 (confirmed macOS + Windows)
+- CLI 1.0.35 (confirmed Windows)