The chat queue path is gone. The Chrome side panel is now just an
interactive claude PTY in xterm.js. Activity / Refs / Inspector still
exist behind the `debug` toggle in the footer.
Three threads of change, all from dogfood iteration on top of
cc-pty-import:
1. fix(server): cross-port WS auth via Sec-WebSocket-Protocol
- Browsers can't set Authorization on a WebSocket upgrade. We had
been minting an HttpOnly gstack_pty cookie via /pty-session, but
SameSite=Strict cookies don't survive the cross-port jump from
server.ts:34567 to the agent's random port from a chrome-extension
origin. The WS opened then immediately closed → "Session ended."
- /pty-session now also returns ptySessionToken in the JSON body.
- Extension calls `new WebSocket(url, [`gstack-pty.<token>`])`.
Browser sends Sec-WebSocket-Protocol on the upgrade.
- Agent reads the protocol header, validates against validTokens,
and MUST echo the protocol back (Chromium closes the connection
immediately if a server doesn't pick one of the offered protocols).
- Cookie path is kept as a fallback for non-browser callers (curl,
integration tests).
- New integration test exercises the full protocol-auth round-trip
via raw fetch+Upgrade so a future regression of this exact class
fails in CI.
2. fix(extension): UX polish on the Terminal pane
- Eager auto-connect when the sidebar opens — no "Press any key to
start" friction every reload.
- Always-visible ↻ Restart button in the terminal toolbar (not
gated on the ENDED state) so the user can force a fresh claude
mid-session.
- MutationObserver on #tab-terminal's class attribute drives a
fitAddon.fit() + term.refresh() when the pane becomes visible
again — xterm doesn't auto-redraw after display:none → display:flex.
3. feat(extension): rip the chat tab + sidebar-agent.ts
- Sidebar is Terminal-only. No more Terminal | Chat primary nav.
- sidebar-agent.ts deleted. /sidebar-command, /sidebar-chat,
/sidebar-agent/event, /sidebar-tabs* and friends all deleted.
- The pickSidebarModel router (sonnet vs opus) is gone — the live
PTY uses whatever model the user's `claude` CLI is configured with.
- Quick-actions (🧹 Cleanup / 📸 Screenshot / 🍪 Cookies) survive
in the Terminal toolbar. Cleanup now injects its prompt into the
live PTY via window.gstackInjectToTerminal — no more
/sidebar-command POST. The Inspector "Send to Code" action uses
the same injection path.
- clear-chat button removed from the footer.
- sidepanel.js shed ~900 lines of chat polling, optimistic UI,
stop-agent, etc.
Net diff: -3.4k lines across 16 files. CLAUDE.md, TODOS.md, and
docs/designs/SIDEBAR_MESSAGE_FLOW.md rewritten to match. The sidebar
regression test (browse/test/sidebar-tabs.test.ts) is rewritten as 27
structural assertions locking the new layout — Terminal sole pane,
no chat input, quick-actions in toolbar, eager-connect, MutationObserver
repaint, restart helper.
Adds a primary tab bar (Terminal | Chat) above the existing tab-content
panes. Terminal is the default-active tab; clicking Chat returns to the
existing claude -p one-shot flow which is preserved verbatim.
manifest.json: adds ws://127.0.0.1:*/ to host_permissions so MV3 doesn't
block the WebSocket upgrade.
sidepanel.html: new primary-tabs nav, new #tab-terminal pane with a
"Press any key to start Claude Code" bootstrap card, claude-not-found
install card, xterm mount point, and "session ended" restart UI. Loads
xterm.js + xterm-addon-fit + sidepanel-terminal.js. tab-chat is no
longer the .active default.
sidepanel.js: new activePrimaryPaneId() helper that reads which primary
tab is selected. Debug-close paths now route back to whichever primary
pane is active (was hardcoded to tab-chat). Primary-tab click handler
toggles .active classes and aria-selected. window.gstackServerPort and
window.gstackAuthToken exposed so sidepanel-terminal.js can build the
/pty-session POST and the WS URL.
sidepanel-terminal.js (new): xterm.js lifecycle. Lazy-spawn — first
keystroke fires POST /pty-session, then opens
ws://127.0.0.1:<terminalPort>/ws. Origin + cookie are set automatically
by the browser. Resize observer sends {type:"resize"} text frames.
ResizeObserver, tab-switch hooks, restart button, install-card retry.
On WS close shows "Session ended, click to restart" — no auto-reconnect
(codex outside-voice flagged that as session-burning).
sidepanel.css: primary-tabs bar + Terminal pane styling (full-height
xterm container, install card, ended state).
Garry Tan