fix(coding-agent): show managed-tool startup status in TUI

packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- Fixed managed-tool downloads delaying TUI startup and hiding diagnostics in fullscreen mode by mounting the TUI first and showing download progress and warnings inside it.
 - Fixed opening a model selector immediately after startup cancelling and restarting the in-progress model catalog refresh.
 - Fixed inherited GitHub Copilot login triggering API rate limits while enabling model policies by limiting concurrent policy updates ([#6187](https://github.com/earendil-works/pi/issues/6187)).
 - Fixed fullscreen transcript search snapping back to the current match during manual scrolling and fragmented mouse input leaking into the search query.

packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/find.ts

@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ export function createFindToolDefinition(
 						}
 
 						// Default implementation uses fd.
-						const fdPath = await ensureTool("fd", true);
+						const fdPath = await ensureTool("fd");
 						if (signal?.aborted) {
 							settle(() => reject(new Error("Operation aborted")));
 							return;

packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/grep.ts

@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ export function createGrepToolDefinition(
 
 				(async () => {
 					try {
-						const rgPath = await ensureTool("rg", true);
+						const rgPath = await ensureTool("rg");
 						if (!rgPath) {
 							settle(() => reject(new Error("ripgrep (rg) is not available and could not be downloaded")));
 							return;

packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts

@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ import { openBrowser } from "../../utils/open-browser.ts";
 import { getCwdRelativePath } from "../../utils/paths.ts";
 import { getPiUserAgent } from "../../utils/pi-user-agent.ts";
 import { killTrackedDetachedChildren } from "../../utils/shell.ts";
-import { ensureTool } from "../../utils/tools-manager.ts";
+import { ensureTool, type ToolStatus } from "../../utils/tools-manager.ts";
 import { checkForNewPiVersion, type LatestPiRelease } from "../../utils/version-check.ts";
 import { ArminComponent } from "./components/armin.ts";
 import { AssistantMessageComponent } from "./components/assistant-message.ts";
@@ -436,6 +436,7 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 	// Status line tracking (for mutating immediately-sequential status updates)
 	private lastStatusSpacer: Spacer | undefined = undefined;
 	private lastStatusText: Text | undefined = undefined;
+	private managedToolStatusStarted = false;
 
 	// Streaming message tracking
 	private streamingComponent: AssistantMessageComponent | undefined = undefined;
@@ -851,11 +852,6 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 		// Load changelog (only show new entries, skip for resumed sessions)
 		this.changelogMarkdown = this.getChangelogForDisplay();
 
-		// Ensure fd and rg are available (downloads if missing, adds to PATH via getBinDir)
-		// Both are needed: fd for autocomplete, rg for grep tool and bash commands
-		const [fdPath] = await Promise.all([ensureTool("fd"), ensureTool("rg")]);
-		this.fdPath = fdPath;
-
 		if (this.session.scopedModels.length > 0 && (this.options.verbose || !this.settingsManager.getQuietStartup())) {
 			const modelList = this.session.scopedModels
 				.map((sm) => {
@@ -901,11 +897,12 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 			this.widgetContainerBelow,
 			this.footerContainer,
 		]);
+		// Accept text while startup completes, but only enable interrupt, exit, and submission feedback.
+		this.defaultEditor.onAction("app.clear", () => this.handleCtrlC());
+		this.defaultEditor.onCtrlD = () => this.handleCtrlD();
+		this.defaultEditor.onSubmit = (text) => this.handleStartupSubmit(text);
 		this.ui.setFocus(this.editor);
 
-		this.setupKeyHandlers();
-		this.setupEditorSubmitHandler();
-
 		// Start the UI before initializing extensions so session_start handlers can use interactive dialogs
 		this.ui.start();
 		this.isInitialized = true;
@@ -974,6 +971,20 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 		}
 		this.ui.requestRender();
 
+		// Ensure fd and rg are available after mounting the TUI (downloads if missing, adds to PATH via getBinDir)
+		// so slow downloads do not make startup appear frozen.
+		// Both are needed: fd for autocomplete, rg for grep tool and bash commands.
+		const [fdPath] = await Promise.all([
+			ensureTool("fd", (status) => this.showManagedToolStatus(status)),
+			ensureTool("rg", (status) => this.showManagedToolStatus(status)),
+		]);
+		this.fdPath = fdPath;
+
+		// Enable the remaining input handlers only after managed-tool setup completes.
+		this.setupKeyHandlers();
+		this.setupEditorSubmitHandler();
+		this.ui.requestRender();
+
 		// Initialize extensions first so resources are shown before messages
 		await this.rebindCurrentSession();
 
@@ -2873,6 +2884,11 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 		}
 	}
 
+	private handleStartupSubmit(text: string): void {
+		this.editor.setText(text);
+		this.showStatus("Startup is still in progress");
+	}
+
 	private setupEditorSubmitHandler(): void {
 		this.defaultEditor.onSubmit = async (text: string) => {
 			text = text.trim();
@@ -3408,6 +3424,20 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 		return textBlocks.map((c) => (c as { text: string }).text).join("");
 	}
 
+	/** Show a managed-tool status update in the chat. */
+	private showManagedToolStatus(status: ToolStatus): void {
+		if (!this.managedToolStatusStarted) {
+			this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
+			this.managedToolStatusStarted = true;
+		}
+		const message = status.type === "warning" ? `Warning: ${status.message}` : status.message;
+		const color = status.type === "warning" ? "warning" : "dim";
+		this.chatContainer.addChild(new Text(theme.fg(color, message), 1, 0));
+		this.lastStatusSpacer = undefined;
+		this.lastStatusText = undefined;
+		this.ui.requestRender();
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Show a status message in the chat.
 	 *

packages/coding-agent/src/utils/tools-manager.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import chalk from "chalk";
 import { type SpawnSyncReturns, spawnSync } from "child_process";
 import { chmodSync, createWriteStream, existsSync, mkdirSync, readdirSync, renameSync, rmSync } from "fs";
 import { arch, platform } from "os";
@@ -323,9 +322,20 @@ const TERMUX_PACKAGES: Record<string, string> = {
 	rg: "ripgrep",
 };
 
-// Ensure a tool is available, downloading if necessary
-// Returns the path to the tool, or null if unavailable
-export async function ensureTool(tool: "fd" | "rg", silent: boolean = false): Promise<string | undefined> {
+export interface ToolStatus {
+	type: "info" | "warning";
+	message: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Ensure a tool is available, downloading if necessary.
+ * Reports progress through `onStatus`; status messages are otherwise silent.
+ * Returns the tool path, or undefined if unavailable.
+ */
+export async function ensureTool(
+	tool: "fd" | "rg",
+	onStatus?: (status: ToolStatus) => void,
+): Promise<string | undefined> {
 	const existingPath = getToolPath(tool);
 	if (existingPath) {
 		return existingPath;
@@ -335,9 +345,7 @@ export async function ensureTool(tool: "fd" | "rg", silent: boolean = false): Pr
 	if (!config) return undefined;
 
 	if (isOfflineModeEnabled()) {
-		if (!silent) {
-			console.log(chalk.yellow(`${config.name} not found. Offline mode enabled, skipping download.`));
-		}
+		onStatus?.({ type: "warning", message: `${config.name} not found. Offline mode enabled, skipping download.` });
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
@@ -345,27 +353,22 @@ export async function ensureTool(tool: "fd" | "rg", silent: boolean = false): Pr
 	// Users must install via pkg.
 	if (platform() === "android") {
 		const pkgName = TERMUX_PACKAGES[tool] ?? tool;
-		if (!silent) {
-			console.log(chalk.yellow(`${config.name} not found. Install with: pkg install ${pkgName}`));
-		}
+		onStatus?.({ type: "warning", message: `${config.name} not found. Install with: pkg install ${pkgName}` });
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
 	// Tool not found - download it
-	if (!silent) {
-		console.log(chalk.dim(`${config.name} not found. Downloading...`));
-	}
+	onStatus?.({ type: "info", message: `${config.name} not found. Downloading...` });
 
 	try {
 		const path = await downloadTool(tool);
-		if (!silent) {
-			console.log(chalk.dim(`${config.name} installed to ${path}`));
-		}
+		onStatus?.({ type: "info", message: `${config.name} installed to ${path}` });
 		return path;
 	} catch (e) {
-		if (!silent) {
-			console.log(chalk.yellow(`Failed to download ${config.name}: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : e}`));
-		}
+		onStatus?.({
+			type: "warning",
+			message: `Failed to download ${config.name}: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : e}`,
+		});
 		return undefined;
 	}
 }

packages/coding-agent/test/interactive-mode-startup-input.test.ts

@@ -23,7 +23,13 @@ type InputContext = {
 	pendingUserInputs: string[];
 };
 
+type StartupSubmitContext = {
+	editor: { setText: (text: string) => void };
+	showStatus: (message: string) => void;
+};
+
 type InteractiveModePrivate = {
+	handleStartupSubmit(this: StartupSubmitContext, text: string): void;
 	setupEditorSubmitHandler(this: SubmitContext): void;
 	getUserInput(this: InputContext): Promise<string>;
 };
@@ -49,6 +55,18 @@ function createSubmitContext(): SubmitContext {
 }
 
 describe("InteractiveMode startup input", () => {
+	it("restores a prompt submitted while managed-tool setup is running", () => {
+		const context: StartupSubmitContext = {
+			editor: { setText: vi.fn() },
+			showStatus: vi.fn(),
+		};
+
+		interactiveModePrototype.handleStartupSubmit.call(context, "early prompt");
+
+		expect(context.editor.setText).toHaveBeenCalledWith("early prompt");
+		expect(context.showStatus).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Startup is still in progress");
+	});
+
 	it("queues a normal prompt submitted before the input callback is installed", async () => {
 		const context = createSubmitContext();
 		interactiveModePrototype.setupEditorSubmitHandler.call(context);

packages/coding-agent/test/interactive-mode-status.test.ts

@@ -118,6 +118,30 @@ describe("InteractiveMode.showStatus", () => {
 	});
 });
 
+describe("InteractiveMode.showManagedToolStatus", () => {
+	beforeAll(() => initTheme("dark"));
+
+	test("renders tool updates as one contiguous group", () => {
+		const fakeThis: any = {
+			chatContainer: new Container(),
+			ui: { requestRender: vi.fn() },
+			managedToolStatusStarted: false,
+			lastStatusSpacer: undefined,
+			lastStatusText: undefined,
+		};
+		const showManagedToolStatus = (InteractiveMode as any).prototype.showManagedToolStatus;
+
+		showManagedToolStatus.call(fakeThis, { type: "info", message: "fd downloading" });
+		showManagedToolStatus.call(fakeThis, { type: "info", message: "rg downloading" });
+		showManagedToolStatus.call(fakeThis, { type: "warning", message: "rg failed" });
+
+		expect(fakeThis.chatContainer.children).toHaveLength(4);
+		expect(normalizeRenderedOutput(fakeThis.chatContainer)).toBe(
+			"fd downloading\n rg downloading\n Warning: rg failed",
+		);
+	});
+});
+
 describe("InteractiveMode.setToolsExpanded", () => {
 	test("applies expansion state to the active header and chat entries", () => {
 		const header = { setExpanded: vi.fn() };

packages/coding-agent/test/tools-manager.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import type * as ChildProcess from "node:child_process";
+import type * as Fs from "node:fs";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { ensureTool, type ToolStatus } from "../src/utils/tools-manager.ts";
+
+const originalOffline = process.env.PI_OFFLINE;
+
+vi.mock("fs", async (importOriginal) => {
+	const actual = await importOriginal<typeof Fs>();
+	return {
+		...actual,
+		existsSync: vi.fn(() => false),
+	};
+});
+
+vi.mock("child_process", async (importOriginal) => {
+	const actual = await importOriginal<typeof ChildProcess>();
+	return {
+		...actual,
+		spawnSync: vi.fn(() => ({ error: new Error("not found") })),
+	};
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+	if (originalOffline === undefined) delete process.env.PI_OFFLINE;
+	else process.env.PI_OFFLINE = originalOffline;
+});
+
+describe("ensureTool", () => {
+	it("reports status through a callback without writing to the console", async () => {
+		process.env.PI_OFFLINE = "1";
+		const statuses: ToolStatus[] = [];
+		const consoleLog = vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
+
+		const result = await ensureTool("fd", (status) => statuses.push(status));
+
+		expect(result).toBeUndefined();
+		expect(statuses).toEqual([
+			{
+				type: "warning",
+				message: "fd not found. Offline mode enabled, skipping download.",
+			},
+		]);
+		expect(consoleLog).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		consoleLog.mockRestore();
+	});
+});