fix(desktop,web): Open in runs locally for a background service sharing the desktop's T3 home#21661
Problem
With Local environment turned off, the desktop app drives an always-on t3 background service on the same machine through a saved environment (T3 Connect or pairing). https://git.cafe/pingdotgg/t3code/issues/20250 describes this as the supported way to run both. Open in, Reveal in file manager, and the editor picker in the file preview still treat that service as remote:
- they fall back to SSH deep links;
- these require Remote Login and an SSH route to the same machine;
- otherwise they dead-end at "No SSH route" (https://git.cafe/pingdotgg/t3code/issues/18473).
The same happens with VS Code and Zed.
Repro (Linux and macOS):
- Run the background service (
systemctl --user/ launchd). - Turn off Settings → Connections → Local environment.
- Add the service as a saved environment over T3 Connect.
- Open a project and use Open in or a file preview.
Expected: the editor opens the folder locally, as it does with Local environment on.
Change
https://git.cafe/pingdotgg/t3code/issues/18473 pointed out that the app had no machine identity to tell it is the same machine. #26324 added one on main: the desktop's getHostEnvironmentId reads <stateDir>/environment-id, and the web keeps it in hostEnvironmentIdAtom. This PR reuses that lookup and adds no IPC of its own.
- Web:
resolveRemoteOpenStatereturnslocal-execfor the environment whose ID matches the host environment ID, whatever the connection (relay, pairing).- The Open in picker in thread details and in the file preview is shown for that environment, and its editor list comes from that environment's config instead of the primary's.
- Docs: one sentence in the user docs ("Using the Desktop App as a Remote Only").
Unchanged:
- The desktop, the server and the wire contracts.
- With Local environment on, the host ID equals the primary's ID.
- Browsers and mobile have no desktop bridge.
- WSL backends.
local-exec still runs through that environment's own shell.openInEditor RPC, so a mismatched ID grants the renderer nothing new. Like the theme lookup, the ID is read once when the window starts, so a service started after the window needs a reload.
Scope and approval
- Maintainer approval: not given yet. I asked for direction and scope approval on Ideas #18515 before opening this PR (comment), and it is open for that decision. This PR shows the change it proposes.
- Why I opened it now: https://git.cafe/pingdotgg/t3code/issues/20250 names this setup (Local environment off, background service added as an environment) as the supported way to run the desktop next to the service. In that setup Open in and Reveal need SSH back into the same machine, which is the gap https://git.cafe/pingdotgg/t3code/issues/18473 describes.
- Ideas discussion: #18515
- Original report, closed as a feature request: https://git.cafe/pingdotgg/t3code/issues/18473
- Supported setup: https://git.cafe/pingdotgg/t3code/issues/20250 (comment), with the single-owner lock from https://git.cafe/pingdotgg/t3code/pulls/16102
- Related, out of scope: https://git.cafe/pingdotgg/t3code/issues/7530 (a browser over a LAN IP, which has no desktop bridge)
- Prior attempt at another approach (auto-attach to a running backend), closed: https://git.cafe/pingdotgg/t3code/pulls/8115
Verification
vp run check:changed origin/mainpasses on head87b09ef75: format, lint, knip, typecheck, 11 test files (129 tests, browser tests included), React compiler.New tests:
- a relay environment matching the host ID resolves to local-exec;
- another environment still resolves to SSH deep links when a host ID exists;
- the Open in picker is shown for both the primary and the host environment when they differ.
Manual, desktop dev build on Linux (Xvfb), before the switch to the #26324 lookup:
- Setup: Local environment off. A separate
t3 serveruns on the same T3 home with a seeded project and is paired as a saved environment. Thread details → Open in menu. - Before (
main): the editors open over SSH, with the hint "Opens over SSH. Needs your key on<host>", and there is no Files entry. - After: the same editors run locally, and Files (reveal) is offered.
Before ( main)After - Setup: Local environment off. A separate
Not checked: the T3 Connect relay route (I paired over loopback; the remote-open decision only looks at the environment ID, not the route), macOS, Windows.
Claude Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5) via Claude Code in T3 Code
Fixes pingdotgg/t3code#30992
Checks
Added 2 commits
Approvability
Verdict: Approved at c4bc20c
Macroscope's review found this PR approvable — This is a narrowly scoped, tested fix that reads an existing desktop-home identity and corrects existing Open in and file-reveal routing for a same-machine background service. Other environment and non-desktop behavior remains unchanged, with no schema, security, infrastructure, or static-analysis changes.
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Walkthrough
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The desktop exposes its home environment ID through synchronous IPC. The web app uses that ID to identify the local-machine environment for editor selection and Open In checks, and to resolve matching remote targets as local execution.
Changes: Home environment identification and routing
Layer / File(s) Summary Expose the desktop home environment ID
packages/contracts/src/ipc.ts,apps/desktop/src/ipc/channels.ts,apps/desktop/src/ipc/methods/localEnvironment.ts,apps/desktop/src/ipc/DesktopIpcHandlers.ts,apps/desktop/src/preload.ts,apps/desktop/src/ipc/methods/localEnvironment.test.tsThe desktop reads and trims the home environment ID and exposes it through synchronous IPC and the desktop bridge. The handler returns nullwhen the file is missing or empty. The test checks missing and populated files.Use local-machine identity for editor and picker state
apps/web/src/localEnvironment.ts,apps/web/src/state/primaryEnvironment.ts,apps/web/src/state/server.ts,apps/web/src/components/chat/OpenInPicker.logic.ts,apps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsx,apps/web/src/components/files/FilePreviewPanel.tsx,docs/user/remote-access.mdWeb state uses the primary environment ID when available and otherwise falls back to the desktop home ID. Editor lookup and Open In checks use the local-machine environment ID. The documentation describes the shared-home behavior. Resolve matching home environments as local execution
apps/web/src/remoteOpen.ts,apps/web/src/components/ChatMarkdown.tsx,apps/web/src/remoteOpen.test.tsRemote-open resolution receives the desktop home environment ID and selects local execution when the target is absent or matches that ID. Markdown media handling passes the ID, and tests cover matching and non-matching relay targets. Estimated code review effort: 3 (Moderate) | ~20 minutes
Change: Bug fix
Sequence Diagram(s)
mermaid1 sequenceDiagram 2 participant ChatMarkdown 3 participant readDesktopHomeEnvironmentId 4 participant desktopBridge 5 participant DesktopIPC 6 participant resolveRemoteOpenState 7 ChatMarkdown->>readDesktopHomeEnvironmentId: Read desktop home environment ID 8 readDesktopHomeEnvironmentId->>desktopBridge: Call getHomeEnvironmentId 9 desktopBridge->>DesktopIPC: Send synchronous IPC request 10 DesktopIPC-->>desktopBridge: Return ID or null 11 desktopBridge-->>readDesktopHomeEnvironmentId: Return ID or null 12 ChatMarkdown->>resolveRemoteOpenState: Pass target and home environment ID 13 resolveRemoteOpenState-->>ChatMarkdown: Return local-exec or remote state Possibly related PRs
- pingdotgg/t3code#26547 — Both changes address a Desktop app and background server that share a T3 home. This change uses the home environment ID to classify matching connections as local.
- pingdotgg/t3code#24507 — Both changes update local Open In decisions and
resolveRemoteOpenState. This change adds matching desktop home environment IDs to the local-execution condition.
Suggested labels:
bugfixSuggested reviewers:
macroscopeapp
Merge Risk: External image Minimal · up to 94b27
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The reviewed routing changes are mergeable after normal checks; no concrete issue requiring a fix was established.
Security architecture risk: External image Low · up to 3fe9a
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The change enables editor actions for a matching saved environment without removing their permission checks. No new permission bypass was established, although assurance that a matching identity means the same computer remains partly unverified.
Retained concerns No architecture-level concerns identified.
Security review details
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Security Blast Radius
- inferred — The newly enabled action path reaches the selected service's editor and file-manager execution authority. The inspected flow does not transfer service-provided paths to a separate Electron desktop launch API or establish broader cross-environment execution authority.
Security Findings and Attack Paths
- inferred — A service asserting the desktop-home ID could affect local-versus-remote action classification, but that alone does not establish a permission bypass: the inspected launch path still targets the selected environment and requires operation permission. Consequently, identity spoofing was not retained as an active PR security concern.
Trust Boundaries and Controls
- observed — The new bridge exposes a fixed-file identifier rather than credentials or a caller-selected filesystem read. The connected-service descriptor and local home file remain distinct identity sources; the routing branch compares their IDs directly without an additional same-machine attestation.
Resilience and Maintainability Implications
- observed — Execution controls remain separate from presentation classification: the picker rechecks permission when invoked, markdown reveal checks permission before dispatch, and the shared RPC command authorizes both origin and destination. This preserves control enforcement even when routing state changes.
Hardening Proposals
- proposed — Document home-ID equality as an action-routing hint, not proof of machine ownership. Require independently authenticated identity binding before reusing this comparison for credential release, permission grants, or desktop-only execution authority.
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Pre-merge checks: Passed 3 · Failed 1
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Failed Failed checks: 1 warning
Check name Status Explanation Resolution Description check Warning The description covers the problem, change, scope, and verification. However, the required maintainer approval for the proposed direction and scope is explicitly pending, and the PR does not establish… Add a link to a triaged issue or discussion with an explicit maintainer approval comment that covers the proposed direction and scope. If maintainers consider this a small, focused fix for an obvious bug, explain why it qualifies for that e… Passed Passed checks: 3 passed
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Check name Status Explanation Title check Passed The title clearly and concisely describes the main change: local Open in behavior for a background service sharing the desktop's T3 home. Linked Issues check Passed No active directly linked issue remains. Issue #8115is closed and provides historical context only. Its coding requirements do not apply. The PR implements the stated desktop and web behavior, adds f…Out of Scope Changes check Passed The changes stay within the stated scope. Desktop reads the home environment ID. Web uses the matching environment for local execution, editor selection, and file reveal. The IPC, remote-open, and pic… Full details: Linked Issues check
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Explanation
No active directly linked issue remains. Issue
#8115is closed and provides historical context only. Its coding requirements do not apply. The PR implements the stated desktop and web behavior, adds focused tests, and updates the related documentation.
Full details: Out of Scope Changes check
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Explanation
The changes stay within the stated scope. Desktop reads the home environment ID. Web uses the matching environment for local execution, editor selection, and file reveal. The IPC, remote-open, and picker tests support this behavior. The documentation describes the same feature. No unrelated change is shown.
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Full details: Description check
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Explanation
The description covers the problem, change, scope, and verification. However, the required maintainer approval for the proposed direction and scope is explicitly pending, and the PR does not establish that this cross-component behavior qualifies for the small, obvious-bug exemption.
Resolution
Add a link to a triaged issue or discussion with an explicit maintainer approval comment that covers the proposed direction and scope. If maintainers consider this a small, focused fix for an obvious bug, explain why it qualifies for that exemption.
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apps/desktop/src/ipc/DesktopIpcHandlers.tsapps/desktop/src/ipc/channels.tsapps/desktop/src/ipc/methods/localEnvironment.test.tsapps/desktop/src/ipc/methods/localEnvironment.tsapps/desktop/src/preload.tsapps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsxapps/web/src/components/chat/OpenInPicker.logic.tsapps/web/src/components/chat/OpenInPicker.test.tsapps/web/src/components/files/FilePreviewPanel.tsxapps/web/src/localEnvironment.tsapps/web/src/remoteOpen.test.tsapps/web/src/remoteOpen.tsapps/web/src/state/primaryEnvironment.tsapps/web/src/state/server.tsdocs/user/remote-access.mdpackages/contracts/src/ipc.ts
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Added 1 commit
- fix(desktop): log unexpected failures reading the home environment IDe80e4f0
Added 1 commit
- Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into fix/local-link-actions3fe9abd
Hitting exactly this on 0.1.4-nightly.20261027.3770 (macOS, launchd service, Local environment off). One detail that might be worth a test: my saved environment's active route is the auto-discovered LAN one (http://<lan-ip>:3773), with T3 Connect as the second route. So it's not only the T3 Connect / pairing case from the repro. Matching on the home environment-id should cover both since it ignores the route, which is why I like this approach better than adding LAN IPs to the loopback check.
Right now the only workaround is turning on Remote Login and adding an SSH route to my own machine, which is pretty silly. Would love to see this land.
This matches my setup and would fix the main case. One gap: I also run a second server on the same Mac with its own --base-dir, and its environment ID won't match the desktop's T3 home, so it would still go through SSH. Fine to leave that for a follow-up, but a server-reported machine ID would cover both.
Added 1 commit
- Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into fix/resolve-pr-conflicts163b13d
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apps/desktop/src/ipc/DesktopIpcHandlers.tsapps/desktop/src/preload.tsapps/web/src/components/ChatMarkdown.tsxapps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsxapps/web/src/components/files/FilePreviewPanel.tsxapps/web/src/localEnvironment.tsapps/web/src/remoteOpen.test.tsapps/web/src/remoteOpen.tsdocs/user/remote-access.mdpackages/contracts/src/ipc.ts
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Added 1 commit
- fix(web): Open In treats both the primary and the desktop home's server as local94b27d8
Added 4 commits
Note
Written by gpt-6.1-sol on behalf of Maria
merged current main (9bcf75335f9b) into the existing contributor branch without rebasing or force-pushing. head: 913144af3bbd470e95a7594bdba42e8e266287f9. the merge was clean; no source fixes were needed. the diff against main remains 19 files, 209 additions and 24 deletions.
blacksmith vp run check:changed github/main passed: formatting, lint, knip, typechecks for 35 affected packages, 138 tests in 12 files, and react compiler checks for 8 files. both previously failing browser-test files also passed separately, 171 tests. the pdf failure was also present in main's ci; no unrelated test changes were made.
all 28 reported checks now pass, with no pending checks or conflicts. both independent code reviewers found no blocker or should-fix findings. the existing bot findings are addressed and their threads are resolved.
the saved shared-home desktop connection remains unverified. the earlier verification comment records secure storage preventing connection persistence; browser and ipc tests do not prove that integration. i have preserved that evidence and limitation. no keyring changes were made in this run.
Note
Written by gpt-6.1-sol on behalf of Maria
Verified in a real dev environment
partial verification of head 590f811ce0abc8de1f23d180e257a0c66207b5ef on this linux boat vm. no source changes or pushes.
- installed and ran
github/main(6575ce3250) in a separate worktree, then stopped it before running the exact pr head with isolated state. only one dev server ran at a time. - used the repo's playwright dependency with
/usr/bin/google-chrome. created a project pointing to the real repo and sent real codexgpt-6.1-solturns through the web composer. both completed. the pr turn took 9m 13s and returned the package name and a file link. no mocks, seeded conversations, or demo provider. - clicked the returned file link, inspected the real package.json preview, selected files, and clicked open. the native file manager opened the repo with package.json selected. the recording shows this neighboring browser path, not the saved-environment fix.
- launched the real electron client with local environment off and the same isolated t3 home as the server. the new synchronous
desktopBridge.getHomeEnvironmentId()returned187d814e-54a8-4ac9-9867-4cd4bef5fa1d, matching the server's environment-id file. - blacksmith: 24 existing tests passed across remoteOpen, server state, desktop local-environment ipc, and OpenInPicker browser tests. the first browser-test attempt lacked chromium; installed it on the worker and the retry passed. current github checks are green.
browser file preview and files picker on the pr
browser file-link and files interaction recording
native files opened with package.json selected
Not verified
the core fix remains unverified. on both main and the pr, adding the background server as a saved desktop environment fails before the connection is registered:
Could not save the local connection catalog: Desktop secure storage is unavailable in this system context.
the default linux password store opened a new-keyring prompt. i left it untouched, as instructed. the supported --password-store=basic launch avoids that prompt but cannot persist the connection catalog. i did not replace the bridge, fake the saved environment, or change secure-storage code.
therefore i could not reproduce the original ssh-routing bug on main or prove that open in, reveal, and the preview picker use local execution for a saved shared-home environment on the pr. the two captures below show the same setup blocker, not before/after proof of the fix.
main desktop saved-environment pairing blocked by unavailable secure storage
pr desktop saved-environment pairing blocked by unavailable secure storage
also unverified: t3 connect relay, another genuinely remote environment, native editor launches (no vscode or zed installed), wsl, macos, windows, and native ios/android. browser and ipc checks do not substitute for those paths.
Added 1 commit
- chore: merge main into local link actions703b864
Thanks @maria-rcks for the thorough testing!
Regarding the secure storage blocker, I found #5427, which documents the same issue on Linux. The suggested workaround is to use --password-store=gnome-libsecret with an unlocked GNOME Keyring instead of basic.
Would it be possible to try this with an isolated test keyring on the VM?
Alternatively, @yungweng reported reproducing this exact bug on macOS in this PR. Their environment might be ideal for validating the fix end-to-end.
Added 3 commits
Note
🤖 Claude Opus 5.5 responding on behalf of Kayzel
Another Linux reproduction that matches this PR's setup, with details in https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/issues/25781#issuecomment-6590709225:
- CachyOS, desktop AppImage nightly, Local environment off.
- The server runs as a
systemd --userservice on0.1.7-nightly.20261102.4093withT3CODE_HOME=~/.t3. sshd is on:22and Tailscale Serve is on. - The service's
~/.t3/userdata/environment-idexists and equals the environment ID that server reports to clients, sogetHomeEnvironmentIdwould match it.
The same bug also happens on Windows 11 with a same-PC t3 serve added as a saved connection. I have not checked whether that server's state directory is the desktop's T3 home there, so I can't say whether this PR covers it. I have not run this PR's build.
Added 1 commit
- Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into pr-2166187b09ef
Thanks @juliusmarminge! Done in 87b09ef75120f26c8a113403ac8eb009ce442e1a: dropped the duplicated getHomeEnvironmentId IPC and reused hostEnvironmentIdAtom from #26324. The PR now only touches the web routing (remote-open resolution, Open in picker in thread details and file preview, the editor list) plus the docs sentence. Desktop and contracts are identical to main.
vp run check:changed origin/main passes on that head.