Desktop app stops reusing stale local workers after upgrade, preventing missing workspace data

{
  "event_id": "event_9b8d06512c375c35",
  "topic_id": "consumer_ai_applications",
  "event_type": "Runtime Fix",
  "event_time": "2026-05-17T18:02:51Z",
  "title": "Desktop app stops reusing stale local workers after upgrade, preventing missing workspace data",
  "summary": "OpenCove now checks the app version and owner metadata in local worker connection files. When the desktop app launches, it refuses to reuse a worker from an older version, which previously caused the new app to silently use stale workspace data.",
  "contribution": "Adds version-gated worker reuse for desktop launches, preventing stale runtime ownership of persistence after an app upgrade.",
  "impact": "Users upgrading OpenCove will no longer see stale or missing workspace data because the old background process is now correctly replaced. Developers should monitor for edge cases where a CLI-started worker might still cause compatibility issues during upgrades, and watch for any regressions in connection file repair logic.",
  "maturity": "Production",
  "confidence": 0,
  "importance_score": 0.68,
  "risk_flags": [
    "Cli Worker Compatibility Regression",
    "Connection File Repair Edge Cases"
  ],
  "evidence_count": 1
}