Electron Architecture: Main and Renderer Processes

Electron is a framework that combines Chromium (for web rendering) with Node.js (for native API access), enabling developers to build cross-platform desktop applications using familiar web technologies. Your React app runs inside a Chromium browser window, while Node.js gives you access to operating system capabilities.

The main process is the entry point of an Electron application — it manages the application lifecycle, creates and controls windows, and handles native OS interactions. It spawns renderer processes and has full access to Node.js APIs and the underlying operating system.