Project setup

Electron app using electron-builder, which uses vite as build system. The build system is still almost identical to the template.
TypeScript, with the .ts file extension
ESM and import everywhere in our code. We do not use require() anywhere in our code base.
Obviously, we’re using various third-party npm libraries.

Reproduction

yarn add electron-context-menu. This is an ESM-only (!) third-party npm library.
Start the app using yarn dev run

The problem is not limited to this library. I have seen the same error multiple times in the past, with different libraries. It appears to be a generic problem with rollup or vite in combination with ESM-only modules.

Actual result

Error, see below for console output

Expected result

(and actual result before adding electron-context-menu)

App starts without errors

Code

Reduced code of the e2/src/main/index.ts file:

import { BrowserWindow } from 'electron'
import contextMenu from 'electron-context-menu'; // <-- fails here

function createWindow(): void {
  contextMenu({});
  const mainWindow = new BrowserWindow({...})
  ...
}

createWindow();
...

You find the rest of the files, including the build config files, at https://github.com/mustang-im/mustang/tree/4fc959d/e2

Error

App threw an error during load
Error [ERR_REQUIRE_ESM]: require() of ES Module /e2/node_modules/electron-context-menu/index.js from /e2/out/main/index.js not supported.
Instead change the require of /e2/node_modules/electron-context-menu/index.js in /e2/out/main/index.js to a dynamic import() which is available in all CommonJS modules.
    at f._load (node:electron/js2c/asar_bundle:2:13377)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/e2/out/main/index.js:37:21)
    at f._load (node:electron/js2c/asar_bundle:2:13377)
    at loadApplicationPackage (/e2/node_modules/electron/dist/resources/default_app.asar/main.js:121:16)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/e2/node_modules/electron/dist/resources/default_app.asar/main.js:233:9)
    at f._load (node:electron/js2c/asar_bundle:2:13377)
    at node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:123937
    at node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:124140
    at node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:124144
    at f._load (node:electron/js2c/asar_bundle:2:13377)
A JavaScript error occurred in the main process
Uncaught Exception:
Error [ERR_REQUIRE_ESM]: require() of ES Module /e2/node_modules/electron-context-menu/index.js from /e2/out/main/index.js not supported.
Instead change the require of /e2/node_modules/electron-context-menu/index.js in /e2/out/main/index.js to a dynamic import() which is available in all CommonJS modules.
    at f._load (node:electron/js2c/asar_bundle:2:13377)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/e2/out/main/index.js:37:21)
    at f._load (node:electron/js2c/asar_bundle:2:13377)
    at loadApplicationPackage (/e2/node_modules/electron/dist/resources/default_app.asar/main.js:121:16)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/e2/node_modules/electron/dist/resources/default_app.asar/main.js:233:9)
    at f._load (node:electron/js2c/asar_bundle:2:13377)
    at node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:123937
    at node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:124140
    at node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:124144
    at f._load (node:electron/js2c/asar_bundle:2:13377)

Fix attempts

What I tried to fix it:

Error msg suggests to “change the require of …”: We’re not using require() at all. Very confusing and misleading error msg. I suspect rollup converts the import into a require()?
I’ve tried with and without type: module in e2/package.json (of the electron app) – same result. Does not fix it.
Various SO answers are not applicable (already tried, see above) or suggest HACKs that don’t address the underlying problem (see below)

Rejected solutions

What I consider a bad fix with other disadvantages and what I do not want to do:

Use a dynamic import(), because completely unnecessary here.
Rename our code files and change the file extensions
Downgrade the third-party library and use an old, unmaintained version of it.

Possible solutions

What I could imagine might work:

Change the build configuration of vite to emit import/ESM code instead of transpiling into require() code.
Fix vite?