[BUG] Windows Installer (.exe) Fails due to MAX_PATH limitations

[devxdh]

Describe the bug.

The AsyncAPI CLI installer (.exe) generated via oclif pack win consistently fails to install on Windows machines. The process terminates prematurely with an Error opening file for writing, specifically when attempting to extract files within the node_modules directory. I believe this is caused by path length, which is exceeding the Windows 260-character MAX_PATH limit.

Deep Dive

The issue appears to be between the current packaging toolchain and the project's dependency graph. Specifically:

• Deep Dependency Nesting: Components such as @asyncapi/studio and their internal standalone builds generate significantly nested node_modules trees.
• Packaging Toolchain Limitations: oclif pack win bundles the physical node_modules structure as-is. It does not perform the dependency hoisting or path optimization required to flatten these trees during the packing process.
• OS Constraints: Because the resulting installer contains paths exceeding 260 characters, the Windows NSIS extraction process fails, rendering the CLI un-installable on Windows environments.

Investigation Summary

I conducted a local investigation to ascertain whether this was a configuration issue or a system level limitation. My attempts to remediate included:

Attempt	Method	Outcome
Dependency Hoisting	Used pnpm --config.node-linker=hoisted	Flattened the root node_modules, but the oclif packer completely ignored the flattened hoisted node_modules directory when it compiled the .exe.
Clean NPM Build	Executed npm install --legacy-peer-deps	Produced a valid binary, but internal sub-dependency nesting persisted, maintaining the MAX_PATH violation.
Manual Resolution	Installed missing peer dependencies & bypassed security scripts	Forced a successful local build, yet the resulting installer still failed on Windows due to the same path length violations in the @asyncapi/studio build tree.

The persistence of this issue despite my trials to resolve it, suggests that the current packaging toolchain is not suited for the project's current dependency on Windows.

Supporting Evidence

The installation consistently fails at this specific path:
...\node_modules\@asyncapi\studio\build\standalone\node_modules\.pnpm\next@...
(It happened with multiple files during extraction phase which forced me to abort the installation)

Proposed Path Forward

Given these findings, I believe the current strategy of distributing a single bundled .exe via oclif is becoming problematic for the CLI's dependency graph on Windows.

I would appreciate guidance from the core team on whether there is an interest in evaluating alternative packaging strategies, or if there is a preferred way to refactor the build stage to resolve this bug. I'll be glad to help.

NOTE: This bug is reported in this ISSUE , But not in such detail as proposed here.

Expected behavior

Finishes setup without any errors.

Screenshots

How to Reproduce

1. Download the CLI for Windows ( asyncapi.x64.exe) from the Release Page
2. Run the installer

🖥️ Device Information [optional]

• Operating System (OS): Windows 11

🏢 Have you read the Contributing Guidelines?

• I have read the Contributing Guidelines

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