pi-pier 0.3.0 → 0.3.1

package/src/subagent-spawn.ts

@@ -1,58 +1,274 @@
 /**
- * Task-tab pane spawn, launch-line construction, and trust-flag decisions.
- *
- * Why: spawn mixed herdr layout I/O with the subagent tool body. Placement
- * races (D26 mutex) and D86 worktree grouping belong in one adapter.
+ * Subagent spawn domain: git/worktree I/O, tab placement, launch line, readiness wait, and the `spawn`
+ * action; placement is serialized by a mutex (concurrent spawns raced on tab lookup).
  */
+import { execFile as nodeExecFile } from 'node:child_process';
+import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto';
+import { mkdirSync, stat as statCb } from 'node:fs';
+import { basename, dirname, join, resolve as pathResolve } from 'node:path';
+import { promisify } from 'node:util';
 import type { HerdrClientLike } from './herdr-client.ts';
-import { pipeNameCandidates, pipeRequest } from './pipe-channel.ts';
+import { pipeNameCandidates, pipeNameFor, pipeRequest, pipeRequestTo } from './pipe-channel.ts';
+import { composeForRole } from './manifest-compose.ts';
+import { platformPaths } from './platform-paths.ts';
+import { planSpawnProfileRow, type RoutingTelemetryRecord } from './routing-telemetry.ts';
 import { runtimePolicy } from './runtime-policy.ts';
+import { toolError } from './tool-error.ts';
+import type { HistoryEntry } from './history-store.ts';
 import {
-  READY_LIVENESS_SAMPLE_MS,
-  READY_TAIL_CHARS,
-  planReadyAttempt,
-  readyFailureText,
-  type ReadyFailure,
-} from './subagent-ready.ts';
-import {
+  FOREGROUND_POLL_MS,
   Semaphore,
+  buildAliveNotice,
+  buildBlockedGateNotice,
+  buildIsolatePreamble,
   buildLaunchLine,
   buildLaunchParts,
   classifyWorktreeZone,
+  formatSubagentResult,
+  formatWorktreeStat,
+  isAlive,
   isPathUnder,
+  makeProgressUpdate,
+  planForegroundTick,
+  planIsolateWorktree,
+  planLaunchValidation,
   planTabPlacement,
+  sleep,
+  type SubEntry,
   type TabPlacementPlan,
   type WorktreeZone,
 } from './subagent-core.ts';
-import { parseShapeTree, pickGridSplit, type PaneCell } from './core/grid-shape.ts';
-import { fromShapeTree, planSpawnSplitRatio, type LayoutNode } from './core/heat-plan.ts';
-import type { GitIo } from './subagent-git-io.ts';
+import { parseShapeTree, pickGridSplit, type PaneCell } from './plugins/grid-shape.ts';
+import { fromShapeTree, planSpawnSplitRatio, type LayoutNode } from './plugins/heat-plan.ts';
+import type { Poller } from './subagent-poller.ts';
+import type { SessionIo } from './subagent-session.ts';
+
+const statAsync = promisify(statCb);
+
+/* ── git adapter ────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+export interface GitResult {
+  readonly stdout: string;
+  readonly stderr: string;
+}
+
+export interface GitError extends Error {
+  readonly code?: string | number;
+  readonly stdout?: string;
+  readonly stderr?: string;
+}
+
+export type GitExecFile = (
+  file: string,
+  args: readonly string[],
+  options: { timeout: number; encoding: 'utf8'; maxBuffer: number },
+) => Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string }>;
+
+/** Output ceiling for one git call: a large checkout blows past execFile's 1MB default (ENOBUFS). */
+const GIT_MAX_BUFFER = 64 * 1024 * 1024;
+
+export interface GitAdapter {
+  listWorktrees(cwd: string): Promise<GitResult>;
+  status(cwd: string): Promise<GitResult>;
+  /** Throws a GitError on failure/timeout; callers wanting "null on error" catch at the call site. */
+  run(cwd: string, args: readonly string[]): Promise<GitResult>;
+}
+
+const execFile = promisify(nodeExecFile);
+
+export class NodeGitAdapter implements GitAdapter {
+  private readonly gitExecutable: string;
+  private readonly timeoutMs: number;
+  private readonly exec: GitExecFile;
+
+  constructor(
+    gitExecutable: string = 'git',
+    timeoutMs: number = runtimePolicy.gitTimeoutMs,
+    exec: GitExecFile = execFile as unknown as GitExecFile,
+  ) {
+    this.gitExecutable = gitExecutable;
+    this.timeoutMs = timeoutMs;
+    this.exec = exec;
+  }
+
+  listWorktrees(cwd: string): Promise<GitResult> {
+    return this.run(cwd, ['worktree', 'list', '--porcelain']);
+  }
+
+  status(cwd: string): Promise<GitResult> {
+    return this.run(cwd, ['status', '--short']);
+  }
+
+  async run(cwd: string, args: readonly string[]): Promise<GitResult> {
+    try {
+      const { stdout, stderr } = await this.exec(
+        this.gitExecutable,
+        ['-C', cwd, ...args],
+        { timeout: this.timeoutMs, encoding: 'utf8', maxBuffer: GIT_MAX_BUFFER },
+      );
+      return { stdout, stderr };
+    } catch (err) {
+      const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      throw Object.assign(err instanceof Error ? err : new Error(), {
+        message: `Git ${args[0] ?? 'command'} failed: ${message}`,
+      }) as GitError;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+export const defaultGitAdapter = new NodeGitAdapter();
+
+/* ── git I/O used by spawn, isolate, GC and settlement stat lines ── */
+
+const WORKTREES_CACHE_MS = 5000;
+
+export interface GitIo {
+  listWorktrees(cwd: string): Promise<string[]>;
+  runGit(cwd: string, args: string[]): Promise<string | null>;
+  worktreeStatLine(entry: SubEntry): Promise<string | null>;
+  invalidateWorktreesCache(): void;
+}
+
+export function createGitIo(git: GitAdapter = defaultGitAdapter): GitIo {
+  let worktreesCache: { at: number; list: string[] } | null = null;
+
+  async function listWorktrees(cwd: string): Promise<string[]> {
+    if (worktreesCache && Date.now() - worktreesCache.at < WORKTREES_CACHE_MS) return worktreesCache.list;
+    let list: string[] = [];
+    try {
+      const { stdout } = await git.listWorktrees(cwd);
+      for (const line of String(stdout).split('\n')) {
+        const m = /^worktree (.+)$/.exec(line.trim());
+        if (m) list.push(m[1]!);
+      }
+    } catch {
+      list = [];
+    }
+    worktreesCache = { at: Date.now(), list };
+    return list;
+  }
+
+  async function runGit(cwd: string, args: string[]): Promise<string | null> {
+    try {
+      const { stdout } = await git.run(cwd, args);
+      return stdout == null ? null : String(stdout);
+    } catch {
+      return null;
+    }
+  }
+
+  function lastStatLine(out: string | null): string | null {
+    if (!out) return null;
+    const lines = out.replace(/\r/g, '').split('\n').map((l) => l.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+    return lines.length ? lines[lines.length - 1]! : null;
+  }
+
+  async function worktreeStatLine(entry: SubEntry): Promise<string | null> {
+    const porcelain = await runGit(entry.cwd, ['status', '--porcelain']);
+    if (porcelain === null) return null;
+    const dirtyCount = porcelain.split('\n').filter((l) => l.trim() !== '').length;
+    if (entry.isolate) {
+      const statOut = await runGit(entry.cwd, ['diff', '--stat', `${entry.isolate.baseSha}...HEAD`]);
+      const commitsOut = await runGit(entry.cwd, ['rev-list', '--count', `${entry.isolate.baseSha}..HEAD`]);
+      const commits = commitsOut != null && /^\d+$/.test(commitsOut.trim()) ? Number(commitsOut.trim()) : null;
+      return formatWorktreeStat({ branch: entry.isolate.branch, commits, statLine: lastStatLine(statOut), dirtyCount });
+    }
+    return formatWorktreeStat({
+      branch: null,
+      commits: null,
+      statLine: lastStatLine(await runGit(entry.cwd, ['diff', '--stat', 'HEAD'])),
+      dirtyCount,
+    });
+  }
+
+  return {
+    listWorktrees,
+    runGit,
+    worktreeStatLine,
+    invalidateWorktreesCache: () => { worktreesCache = null; },
+  };
+}
+
+/* ── readiness wait (pure planners) ─────────────────────────────── */
+
+const READY_BASE_INTERVAL_MS = 500;
+const READY_MAX_INTERVAL_MS = 4000;
+/** Liveness/agent sampling is far more expensive than a ping, so it runs on its own cadence. */
+const READY_LIVENESS_SAMPLE_MS = 2500;
+/** Enough of the pane tail to carry a stack trace head into the failure text. */
+const READY_TAIL_CHARS = 1200;
+
+interface ReadyFailure {
+  readonly paneId: string;
+  readonly reason: 'pane-gone' | 'timeout';
+  readonly elapsedMs: number;
+  readonly timeoutMs: number;
+  readonly lastStatus?: string | null;
+  readonly tail?: string | null;
+  readonly hint?: string | null;
+}
 
-export interface SpawnEnv {
+type ReadyAttemptPlan =
+  | { readonly kind: 'ready' }
+  | { readonly kind: 'retry'; readonly delayMs: number }
+  | { readonly kind: 'give-up'; readonly reason: 'pane-gone' | 'timeout' };
+
+/** Decide one readiness attempt. `alive` is tri-state on purpose: an unavailable liveness probe
+ * (`null`) must not be read as death, or a slow herdr socket fails spawns that are merely slow. */
+export function planReadyAttempt(opts: {
+  elapsedMs: number;
+  attempt: number;
+  timeoutMs: number;
+  alive: boolean | null;
+  ready: boolean;
+}): ReadyAttemptPlan {
+  if (opts.ready) return { kind: 'ready' };
+  if (opts.alive === false) return { kind: 'give-up', reason: 'pane-gone' };
+  if (opts.elapsedMs >= opts.timeoutMs) return { kind: 'give-up', reason: 'timeout' };
+  return { kind: 'retry', delayMs: readyBackoffMs(opts.attempt) };
+}
+
+/** Exponential backoff with a cap: 500ms, 1s, 2s, 4s, 4s, … */
+export function readyBackoffMs(attempt: number, baseMs = READY_BASE_INTERVAL_MS, capMs = READY_MAX_INTERVAL_MS): number {
+  const n = Math.max(0, Math.floor(attempt));
+  return Math.min(capMs, baseMs * 2 ** n);
+}
+
+/** Failure text for the model; the three cases stay distinguishable: pane died (the tail carries the
+ * reason), pane alive but never opened its pipe, pane alive and just slower than the timeout. */
+export function readyFailureText(failure: ReadyFailure): string {
+  const seconds = Math.round(failure.elapsedMs / 1000);
+  const head = failure.reason === 'pane-gone'
+    ? `subagent pane ${failure.paneId} exited before its pipe became ready (waited ${seconds}s)`
+    : `subagent pane ${failure.paneId} pipe not ready within ${seconds}s (limit ${Math.round(failure.timeoutMs / 1000)}s)`;
+  const why = failure.reason === 'pane-gone'
+    ? 'The child process is gone — its last output below usually carries the reason.'
+    : failure.lastStatus === 'working'
+      ? 'The pane is alive and working, so the prompt may simply be slow to boot; retrying the same call is safe.'
+      : 'The pane is alive but never registered its pipe — the child pi process may still be starting, or it failed to load the pier extension.';
+  const tail = failure.tail ? `\nlast output of ${failure.paneId}:\n${failure.tail}` : '';
+  const hint = failure.hint ? `\n${failure.hint}` : '';
+  return `${head}\n${why}${hint}${tail}`;
+}
+
+/* ── spawner ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+interface SpawnEnv {
   paneId: string;
   tabId: string;
   workspaceId: string;
 }
 
-export interface SpawnRuntime {
-  nodePath: string;
-  cliPath: string;
-  extPath: string;
-}
-
-export interface SpawnerHost {
+interface SpawnerHost {
   client: HerdrClientLike;
   env: SpawnEnv | null;
-  runtime: SpawnRuntime;
+  runtime: { nodePath: string; cliPath: string; extPath: string };
   git: GitIo;
   /** Test override. Production reads `runtimePolicy.readinessTimeoutMs`. */
   readinessTimeoutMs?: number;
 }
 
-/** A14: readiness outcome — failures explain themselves instead of collapsing into `false`. */
-export type ReadyOutcome =
-  | { ok: true }
-  | { ok: false; failure: ReadyFailure; message: string };
+type ReadyOutcome = { ok: true } | { ok: false; message: string };
 
 export interface Spawner {
   spawnPaneInTaskTab(
@@ -64,7 +280,6 @@ export interface Spawner {
   launchLine(resumeFile?: string | null, roleModel?: string | null, approve?: boolean): string;
   approveFor(cwd: string, masterCwd: string): Promise<boolean>;
   waitSubReady(cwd: string, paneId: string): Promise<ReadyOutcome>;
-  liveTabs(): Promise<Array<{ tabName: string; tabId: string }>>;
   findExistingPane(sessionFile: string | null): Promise<{ paneId: string; tabId: string } | null>;
 }
 
@@ -93,11 +308,8 @@ export function createSpawner(h: SpawnerHost): Spawner {
     return zone.zone === 'worktree';
   }
 
-  /**
-   * A14: wait for the child's pipe with backoff, and give up early when the pane
-   * itself is gone from pane.list. Screen tail is sampled while the pane exists
-   * so a crash that leaves a shell still explains itself on timeout.
-   */
+  /** Wait for the child's pipe with backoff; give up early when the pane is gone. The screen tail
+   * is sampled while the pane exists so a crash that leaves a shell still explains itself. */
   async function waitSubReady(cwd: string, paneId: string): Promise<ReadyOutcome> {
     const names = pipeNameCandidates(cwd, paneId);
     const startedAt = Date.now();
@@ -110,7 +322,6 @@ export function createSpawner(h: SpawnerHost): Spawner {
     while (true) {
       const now = Date.now();
       const elapsedMs = now - startedAt;
-      // Liveness/agent sampling is much more expensive than a ping, so it runs on its own cadence.
       if (now - lastProbeAt >= READY_LIVENESS_SAMPLE_MS || attempt === 0) {
         lastProbeAt = now;
         const probe = await probeChildPane(paneId);
@@ -136,7 +347,7 @@ export function createSpawner(h: SpawnerHost): Spawner {
               if (parts.length > 0) explainHint = `Herdr detection diagnosis: ${parts.join('; ')}`;
             }
           } catch {
-            /* Best effort diagnostics; failures never mask the root error. */
+            /* diagnostics never mask the root error */
           }
         }
         const defaultHint = plan.reason === 'timeout' && lastStatus === 'working'
@@ -152,10 +363,10 @@ export function createSpawner(h: SpawnerHost): Spawner {
           tail,
           hint,
         };
-        return { ok: false, failure, message: readyFailureText(failure) };
+        return { ok: false, message: readyFailureText(failure) };
       }
       attempt += 1;
-      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, plan.delayMs));
+      await sleep(plan.delayMs);
     }
   }
 
@@ -165,26 +376,22 @@ export function createSpawner(h: SpawnerHost): Spawner {
       try {
         const res = await pipeRequest(name, { type: 'ping', id: `ping-${Date.now()}` }, 3000);
         if (res.type === 'ok') return true;
-      } catch {
-        /* not ready on this name */
-      }
+      } catch { /* not ready on this name */ }
     }
     return false;
   }
 
-  /** Pane liveness + last visible output; socket failures degrade to "unknown" rather than "dead". */
+  /** Pane liveness + last visible output; socket failures degrade to "unknown", never "dead". */
   async function probeChildPane(paneId: string): Promise<{ alive: boolean | null; status: string | null; tail: string | null }> {
     let alive: boolean | null = null;
     let status: string | null = null;
     try {
-      // pane.list includes unknown shells; agent.list does not (herdr 0.9.1 live probe).
-      // A fresh split is absent from agent.list until pi is identified — that is boot, not death.
-      const panes = await h.client.listPanes();
-      const pane = panes.find((p) => p.paneId === paneId);
+      // pane.list includes unknown shells; agent.list does not. A fresh split is absent from
+      // agent.list until pi is identified — that is boot, not death.
+      const pane = (await h.client.listPanes()).find((p) => p.paneId === paneId);
       alive = pane != null;
       status = pane?.agentStatus ?? null;
     } catch {
-      /* keep null: an unreachable socket must not be read as a dead child */
     }
     let tail: string | null = null;
     try {
@@ -205,8 +412,7 @@ export function createSpawner(h: SpawnerHost): Spawner {
     const release = await tabMutex.acquire();
     try {
       const allPanes = await h.client.listPanes();
-      const mainTabId = allPanes.find((p) => p.paneId === h.env?.paneId)?.tabId
-        ?? (h.env?.tabId ? h.env.tabId : null);
+      const mainTabId = allPanes.find((p) => p.paneId === h.env?.paneId)?.tabId ?? (h.env?.tabId ? h.env.tabId : null);
       let plan: TabPlacementPlan = planTabPlacement({
         desiredTab: placement.desiredTab,
         description: placement.description,
@@ -283,19 +489,291 @@ export function createSpawner(h: SpawnerHost): Spawner {
     }
   }
 
+  /** D94: reuse a pane that already runs the same session instead of competing on one transcript. */
   async function findExistingPane(sessionFile: string | null): Promise<{ paneId: string; tabId: string } | null> {
     if (!sessionFile) return null;
     try {
       const agents = await h.client.listAgents();
       const match = agents.find((a) => a.session === sessionFile && a.status !== 'unknown');
       if (!match) return null;
-      const panes = await h.client.listPanes();
-      const pane = panes.find((p) => p.paneId === match.paneId);
+      const pane = (await h.client.listPanes()).find((p) => p.paneId === match.paneId);
       return pane ? { paneId: match.paneId, tabId: pane.tabId } : null;
     } catch {
       return null;
     }
   }
 
-  return { spawnPaneInTaskTab, launchLine, approveFor, waitSubReady, liveTabs, findExistingPane };
+  return { spawnPaneInTaskTab, launchLine, approveFor, waitSubReady, findExistingPane };
+}
+
+/* ── spawn action ───────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+interface SpawnActionHost {
+  client: HerdrClientLike;
+  env: SpawnEnv | null;
+  subSemaphore: Semaphore;
+  subs: Map<string, SubEntry>;
+  persistSubs(): void;
+  writeHistory(entry: SubEntry, patch?: Partial<HistoryEntry>, via?: string): void;
+  pendingIsolateBranches: Set<string>;
+  lastMachineInjectAt: Map<string, number>;
+  lastRequestIdByPane: Map<string, string>;
+  git: GitIo;
+  session: SessionIo;
+  spawn: Spawner;
+  poller: Poller;
+  /** Phase 0 routing telemetry (RFC rfc-jev-role-routing §8): best-effort spawn profile; absent in tests. */
+  logRouting?: (row: RoutingTelemetryRecord) => void;
+}
+
+export function createSpawnAction(h: SpawnActionHost) {
+  const { client, env, git, subs } = h;
+  const { resolveSessionFile, collectFinalText, readAskFlag, probeAlive, subSessionState } = h.session;
+  const { spawnPaneInTaskTab, launchLine, waitSubReady } = h.spawn;
+  const { startPoller } = h.poller;
+
+  return async function executeSubagentSpawn(
+    params: Record<string, unknown> | undefined,
+    toolCtx: unknown,
+    onUpdate?: (update: unknown) => void,
+  ): Promise<unknown> {
+    const launch = planLaunchValidation(params, client.available);
+    if (launch.kind === 'error') return toolError(launch.text);
+    const { spec, background, isolate, cwdParam, roleKind: kind, suggested, manifestRole, tab } = launch;
+    const masterCwd = (toolCtx as { cwd?: string })?.cwd ?? process.cwd();
+    const taskId = randomUUID();
+    // Validate the role before any isolate worktree exists: this early return has no cleanup path.
+    let roleManifestEnv: Record<string, string> = {};
+    let roleModel: string | null = null;
+    try {
+      const { role, manifest } = composeForRole(manifestRole ?? 'worker-default', suggested, { loadRoleOpts: { baseDir: masterCwd } });
+      roleManifestEnv = {
+        PI_HERDR_ROLE_MANIFEST: JSON.stringify({
+          role: role.role,
+          version: role.version,
+          tools: manifest.tools,
+          permissions: manifest.permissions,
+          unknownTools: manifest.unknownTools,
+          services: role.services ?? {},
+          // Without guidelines parseRuntimeManifest yields none and the pier-role prompt section silently no-ops.
+          ...(role.guidelines?.length ? { guidelines: role.guidelines } : {}),
+        }),
+        // Role base: /pier-role and the pipe switch resolve .pi-herdr/roles/ against the MASTER's checkout.
+        PI_HERDR_ROLE_BASE: masterCwd,
+      };
+      if (typeof role.model === 'string' && role.model.trim()) roleModel = role.model.trim();
+      h.logRouting?.(
+        planSpawnProfileRow({
+          now: Date.now(),
+          roleExplicit: typeof manifestRole === 'string' && manifestRole.trim() !== '',
+          role: role.role,
+          allowedTools: suggested,
+          manifestTools: manifest.tools,
+          task: spec.prompt,
+        }),
+      );
+    } catch (err) {
+      const msg = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      return toolError(`Error: role "${manifestRole}" manifest invalid — ${msg}`);
+    }
+    // D98: create the isolate through pier's execFile git path, not herdr's socket worktree.create
+    // (bootstrap races, missing root-pane env, linked_worktree_source rejection).
+    let isolateMeta: SubEntry['isolate'] | null = null;
+    let cwd = masterCwd;
+    if (isolate) {
+      const baseSha = await git.runGit(masterCwd, ['rev-parse', 'HEAD']);
+      if (baseSha == null) return toolError('Error: isolate requires a git repository with at least one commit');
+      const sha = baseSha.trim();
+      const pierBranches = new Set(
+        ((await git.runGit(masterCwd, ['for-each-ref', '--format=%(refname:short)', 'refs/heads/pier/'])) ?? '')
+          .split('\n').filter(Boolean),
+      );
+      const repoName = basename((await git.listWorktrees(masterCwd))[0] ?? masterCwd);
+      const plan = planIsolateWorktree({
+        description: spec.description,
+        taskHex: taskId.slice(0, 6),
+        existingPierBranches: pierBranches,
+      });
+      const wtPath = join(platformPaths.worktreeBaseDir, repoName, plan.worktreeDirName);
+      try {
+        // git worktree add does not create its parent directory, so a first run would fail.
+        mkdirSync(dirname(wtPath), { recursive: true });
+      } catch { /* existing directory or permissions failure is handled by worktree add */ }
+      // Keep the branch pending between worktree add and subs.set: the readiness wait lets the
+      // ticker scan, which could otherwise reclaim a new clean =HEAD-ancestor worktree as an orphan.
+      h.pendingIsolateBranches.add(plan.branch);
+      const added = await git.runGit(masterCwd, ['worktree', 'add', '-b', plan.branch, wtPath, sha]);
+      if (added === null) {
+        h.pendingIsolateBranches.delete(plan.branch);
+        return toolError(`Error: failed to create worktree ${wtPath} (branch ${plan.branch}) — run \`git worktree prune\` and retry if it reports stale entries`);
+      }
+      git.invalidateWorktreesCache(); // so the zone classifier sees the new worktree immediately
+      cwd = wtPath;
+      isolateMeta = { worktreePath: wtPath, branch: plan.branch, baseSha: sha, releasedAt: null, retainNotified: false };
+      spec.prompt = `${buildIsolatePreamble({ worktreePath: wtPath, branch: plan.branch, baseShort: sha.slice(0, 7) })}\n\n${spec.prompt}`;
+    } else if (cwdParam) {
+      cwd = pathResolve(masterCwd, cwdParam);
+      try {
+        if (!(await statAsync(cwd)).isDirectory()) throw new Error('not a directory');
+      } catch {
+        return toolError(`Error: \`cwd\` is not an existing directory: ${cwdParam}`);
+      }
+    }
+    // D86 R1: group by the git worktree containing cwd (main checkout → main tab; other → its tab).
+    const zone = classifyWorktreeZone({ cwd, masterCwd, worktrees: await git.listWorktrees(masterCwd) });
+    // D86 trust: pass -a only for the master's checkout/worktrees; external dirs stay behind pi's Trust dialog.
+    const approve = isPathUnder(cwd, masterCwd) || zone.zone === 'worktree';
+
+    const release = await h.subSemaphore.acquire();
+    let paneId = '';
+    try {
+      const spawnedAt = Date.now();
+      const spawned = await spawnPaneInTaskTab(
+        { desiredTab: tab, description: spec.description, zone },
+        cwd,
+        { PI_HERDR_SUBAGENT: '1', ...roleManifestEnv },
+        launchLine(null, roleModel, approve),
+      );
+      paneId = spawned.paneId;
+      const entry: SubEntry = {
+        taskId,
+        kind,
+        paneId,
+        tabId: spawned.tabId,
+        tabName: spawned.tabName,
+        cwd,
+        description: spec.description,
+        background,
+        status: 'running',
+        sessionFile: null,
+        launchCommand: [launchLine(null, roleModel, approve)],
+        createdAt: Date.now(),
+        revivedFrom: null,
+        ...(isolateMeta ? { isolate: isolateMeta } : {}),
+      };
+      const ready = await waitSubReady(cwd, paneId);
+      if (!ready.ok) throw new Error(ready.message);
+      // herdr's per-pane report lags right after spawn, so the mtime fallback would otherwise adopt
+      // the newest PRE-EXISTING session in cwd; only a file written after the pane existed counts.
+      entry.sessionFile = await resolveSessionFile(paneId, cwd, undefined, { minMtimeMs: spawnedAt - 2_000 });
+      subs.set(paneId, entry);
+      h.persistSubs();
+      onUpdate?.(makeProgressUpdate(`subagent ready in pane ${paneId}; injecting prompt via pipe…`));
+      // M11: inject through the extension pipe, reserving the PTY keyboard channel for the human;
+      // injection and injectTs must stay together or the spawn leaves a ghost running ledger entry.
+      const injectTs = Date.now();
+      const injected = await pipeRequestTo(cwd, paneId, {
+        type: 'prompt',
+        id: `prompt-${taskId}`,
+        text: spec.prompt,
+        // The pipe name MUST be scoped by the MASTER's cwd: the server binds pipeNameFor(master
+        // session cwd, own paneId); the worker's cwd names a pipe nobody listens on.
+        from: pipeNameFor(masterCwd, env?.paneId ?? ''),
+        push: background,
+      });
+      if (injected.type !== 'ok') {
+        throw new Error(`pipe prompt rejected: ${injected.type === 'error' ? injected.message : 'unknown response'}`);
+      }
+      h.lastMachineInjectAt.set(paneId, injectTs); // attribute working state during the observation window
+      const handToPoller = (requestId: string): void => {
+        entry.background = true;
+        h.lastRequestIdByPane.set(paneId, requestId);
+        void startPoller(paneId, cwd, injectTs, spec.description, requestId);
+        h.persistSubs();
+        h.writeHistory(entry, undefined, 'to-background');
+      };
+
+      if (background) {
+        handToPoller(`prompt-${taskId}`);
+        return {
+          content: [{ type: 'text', text: `started subagent ${paneId} (task ${taskId})` }],
+          details: { paneId, taskId, background: true, role: kind },
+        };
+      }
+
+      // Foreground waiting: content gate + patience threshold before backgrounding an idle pane.
+      const patienceDeadline = Date.now() + runtimePolicy.foregroundPatienceMs;
+      let text: string | null = null;
+      let settledKind: 'settled' | 'timeout' = 'timeout';
+      while (Date.now() < Math.min(patienceDeadline, spawnedAt + runtimePolicy.subagentTimeoutMs)) {
+        const state = await client.waitAgent(paneId, ['idle', 'done', 'blocked'], 30_000);
+        const session = (state === 'idle' || state === 'done')
+          ? await subSessionState(paneId, cwd, injectTs)
+          : { text: null, pendingTool: false, activity: false };
+        const tick = planForegroundTick({ state, session });
+        if (tick.kind === 'blocked') {
+          const question = await readAskFlag(paneId);
+          handToPoller(`prompt-${taskId}`);
+          return {
+            content: [{ type: 'text', text: buildBlockedGateNotice({ paneId, description: spec.description, question }) }],
+            details: { paneId, taskId, background: true, blocked: true, role: kind },
+          };
+        }
+        if (tick.kind === 'settled') {
+          text = tick.text;
+          settledKind = 'settled';
+          break;
+        }
+        if (tick.kind === 'wait') {
+          await sleep(tick.delayMs);
+          continue;
+        }
+        if (tick.kind === 'collect-final') {
+          text = await collectFinalText(paneId, cwd, injectTs, 6);
+          if (text) { settledKind = 'settled'; break; }
+          await sleep(FOREGROUND_POLL_MS);
+        }
+      }
+      if (!text) {
+        const probe = await probeAlive(paneId, cwd);
+        if (isAlive(probe, Date.now())) {
+          handToPoller(`prompt-${taskId}`);
+          return {
+            content: [{ type: 'text', text: buildAliveNotice({ paneId, description: spec.description, scenario: 'moved-to-bg', probe }, Date.now()) }],
+            details: { paneId, taskId, background: true, movedToBackground: true, role: kind },
+          };
+        }
+        settledKind = 'timeout';
+      }
+      const outcome =
+        settledKind === 'timeout' ? { kind: 'timeout' as const, text: text ?? '' }
+          : text ? { kind: 'completed' as const, text }
+            : { kind: 'no-output' as const, text: '' };
+      entry.status = 'consumed';
+      entry.consumedAt = Date.now();
+      h.persistSubs();
+      h.writeHistory(entry, { outcome: outcome.kind === 'completed' ? text : null }, 'fg-settle');
+      return {
+        content: [{ type: 'text', text: formatSubagentResult(outcome, spec.description) }],
+        details: { paneId, taskId, background, role: kind },
+      };
+    } catch (err) {
+      // A mid-spawn failure must remove the ledger entry and close its pane, or a ghost entry never settles.
+      if (paneId) {
+        subs.delete(paneId);
+        h.persistSubs();
+        void client.closePane(paneId).catch(() => { /* GC covers board exceptions */ });
+      }
+      // D98: an isolate whose startup never became ready has no work to preserve.
+      if (isolateMeta) {
+        const { branch, worktreePath } = isolateMeta;
+        void git.runGit(masterCwd, ['worktree', 'remove', '--force', worktreePath])
+          .then(() => git.runGit(masterCwd, ['branch', '-D', branch]))
+          .catch(() => { /* best effort only */ });
+      }
+      return {
+        content: [{
+          type: 'text',
+          text: formatSubagentResult(
+            { kind: 'spawn-failed', text: String((err as Error)?.message ?? err) },
+            spec.description,
+          ),
+        }],
+        details: {},
+      };
+    } finally {
+      release();
+      if (isolateMeta) h.pendingIsolateBranches.delete(isolateMeta.branch);
+    }
+  };
 }