fix(claude): support root daemon permissions

[panta82]

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Fixed this in my Paseo fork, offering as PR if there is interest.

The issue: claude didn't work at all in my server setup, where paseo runs as root. This now detects if we're running as root and disables this behavior.

The rest of the text is AI generated.

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Summary

• detect when the Paseo daemon is running as UID 0 and omit Claude Agent SDK's allowDangerouslySkipPermissions launch capability
• expose Claude's Bypass mode as disabled, with an explanation, through the provider catalog
• prevent disabled modes from being selected by composer controls, drafts, workspace setup, schedules, inherited agents, or live mode changes
• preserve protocol compatibility with an optional disabledReason mode field

Why

Claude Code rejects both --dangerously-skip-permissions and --allow-dangerously-skip-permissions under root. Paseo currently always enables the latter SDK capability so that a session can switch into Bypass mode later, which prevents Claude from launching at all when the daemon runs as root.

This keeps Claude available in normal permission modes while making the unsupported Bypass choice visible but inactive. Server-side validation remains authoritative, so stale clients and persisted configurations cannot reintroduce the rejected flag.

Verification

• npx vitest run packages/server/src/server/agent/providers/claude/agent.redesign.test.ts packages/server/src/server/agent/create-agent-mode.test.ts packages/app/src/composer/agent-controls/mode.test.ts packages/app/src/provider-selection/resolve-agent-form.test.ts --bail=1 (113 tests)
• npm run build:server
• npm run typecheck
• npm run lint
• npm run format:check

[greptile-apps]

Greptile Summary

The PR adds runtime-aware Claude mode availability and consistently prevents root-hosted daemons from enabling permission bypass.

• Omits Claude’s dangerous permission-bypass launch capability when the daemon runs as root.
• Publishes the unavailable bypass mode with an explanatory disabled state through the provider catalog and protocol.
• Reconciles disabled modes across composer, workspace setup, drafts, schedules, inherited agents, and server-side validation.
• Updates combobox keyboard navigation so disabled options are skipped and cannot be selected.

Confidence Score: 5/5

The PR appears safe to merge.

No blocking failure remains, and the previously reported disabled-option keyboard-navigation issue is fixed across initial activation, both arrow directions, and Enter selection.

Important Files Changed

Filename	Overview
packages/server/src/server/agent/providers/claude/agent.ts	Detects root execution, disables permission bypass consistently in catalogs and sessions, and omits the unsupported SDK launch capability.
packages/server/src/server/agent/create-agent-mode.ts	Excludes disabled modes from defaults and unattended-mode resolution while rejecting explicit or inherited disabled selections.
packages/server/src/server/agent/provider-registry.ts	Applies Claude runtime mode availability to decorated provider definitions, including derived providers.
packages/protocol/src/messages.ts	Adds the optional disabled-mode explanation to protocol validation without breaking peers that omit it.
packages/app/src/components/ui/combobox-keyboard.ts	Completes the prior keyboard-navigation fix by skipping disabled options in both directions and during initial activation.
packages/app/src/components/ui/combobox.tsx	Prevents disabled options from becoming active or being selected through desktop keyboard handling.
packages/app/src/components/ui/select-field.tsx	Propagates disabled state and explanation into combobox rendering and blocks disabled selections.
packages/app/src/provider-selection/resolve-agent-form.ts	Reconciles persisted and preferred modes against runtime-disabled catalog entries.
packages/app/src/composer/draft/workspace-tab.tsx	Prevents stale draft and auto-submit configuration from restoring a disabled mode.

Flowchart

%%{init: {'theme': 'neutral'}}%%
flowchart LR
  Root[Daemon runs as UID 0] --> Provider[Claude provider]
  Provider --> Catalog[Catalog marks bypass disabled]
  Provider --> Launch[SDK launch omits bypass capability]
  Catalog --> Protocol[Optional disabledReason field]
  Protocol --> UI[Composer and setup controls]
  UI --> Enabled[Select an enabled fallback mode]
  Catalog --> Validation[Server mode validation]
  Validation --> Reject[Reject stale or inherited bypass requests]

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[Copilot]

Pull request overview

This PR updates the Claude provider end-to-end (daemon + protocol + app) to support root-hosted daemon environments by disabling Claude’s “Bypass permissions” mode at runtime (with an explanatory reason) and omitting the Claude SDK launch capability that Claude Code rejects under UID 0, while keeping non-root behavior unchanged.

Changes:

• Server: detect daemon running as root, disable bypassPermissions mode with a disabledReason, reject attempts to select it, and omit allowDangerouslySkipPermissions when root.
• Protocol + UI: add optional disabledReason to agent modes and ensure app workflows don’t auto-select or allow selecting disabled modes (composer, drafts, workspace setup, schedules, provider selection).
• Tests + docs: add coverage for root behavior and document the root restriction in provider docs.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 20 out of 20 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
packages/server/src/server/agent/providers/claude/agent.ts	Root detection, runtime mode availability gating, server-side enforcement, and SDK launch option omission under root.
packages/server/src/server/agent/providers/claude/agent.redesign.test.ts	Adds tests validating root behavior (disabled bypass mode + omitted SDK capability) and catalog reporting.
packages/server/src/server/agent/provider-registry.ts	Ensures runtime mode availability is applied when serving static modes (notably for replacement model scenarios).
packages/server/src/server/agent/create-agent-mode.ts	Filters disabled modes from selection defaults and rejects explicit/inherited disabled mode selection with provider explanation.
packages/server/src/server/agent/create-agent-mode.test.ts	Adds test coverage for disabled-mode rejection in default create-config resolution.
packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-sdk-types.ts	Extends server AgentMode type with optional disabledReason.
packages/protocol/src/messages.ts	Extends protocol AgentMode schema with optional disabledReason for compatibility-safe transport.
packages/protocol/src/agent-types.ts	Extends protocol AgentMode type with optional disabledReason.
packages/app/src/schedules/schedule-form-model.ts	Avoids selecting disabled modes when resolving schedule defaults.
packages/app/src/provider-selection/resolve-agent-form.ts	Avoids preferring/suggesting disabled modes when resolving provider form state.
packages/app/src/provider-selection/resolve-agent-form.test.ts	Adds test ensuring disabled preferred mode falls back appropriately.
packages/app/src/composer/draft/workspace-tab.tsx	Prevents draft submission/snapshot paths from selecting disabled modes.
packages/app/src/composer/agent-controls/mode.ts	Skips disabled modes when cycling modes.
packages/app/src/composer/agent-controls/mode.test.ts	Adds test ensuring mode cycling skips disabled modes.
packages/app/src/composer/agent-controls/mode-control.tsx	Disables UI options and blocks selection for disabled modes, showing the reason as the option description.
packages/app/src/components/workspace-setup-dialog.tsx	Prevents workspace setup from submitting disabled modes.
packages/app/src/components/ui/select-field.tsx	Adds disabled option support via disabledReason, blocks selecting disabled options, and surfaces reason in descriptions.
packages/app/src/components/ui/combobox-options.ts	Extends combobox option model to carry disabledReason.
packages/app/src/components/schedules/schedule-form-sheet.tsx	Threads disabledReason into schedule mode select options.
docs/providers.md	Documents Claude root constraint and reinforces app should rely on catalog-driven disabled state (not local root inference).

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