fix(terminal): keep Claude scrollback reachable — strip alt-screen/3J/mouse for claude mode (v1.1.7)

Terminal scroll-up intermittently broke for Claude sessions (most visible on
iPhone). Claude Code periodically emits alt-screen switches (?1049h/?47h/?1047h),
scrollback-erase (3J), and mouse-tracking enables for full-screen UIs, which move
xterm.js to the scrollback-less alt buffer / wipe saved lines / hijack the wheel.
Codeman stripped these but only for codex mode.

Share the strip via isAltScreenStripMode(mode) = codex || claude, applied at both
sites that were codex-only: the live PTY stream (Session._handleTerminalOutput,
incl. the chunk-boundary carry) and the /terminal buffer replay. shell stays
excluded (vim/less/htop need the alt screen); opencode unchanged.

Tests: test/claude-scrollback-strip.test.ts (8 new); codex strip tests unchanged.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,45 @@
 # aicodeman
 
+## 1.1.7
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- Fix: terminal scroll-up (scrollback) intermittently breaking for **Claude** sessions — most visible on iPhone, where you suddenly "can't scroll up the Claude console."
+
+  Root cause: Claude Code periodically emits alternate-screen switches (`\x1b[?1049h`/`\x1b[?47h`/`\x1b[?1047h`), scrollback-erase (`\x1b[3J`), and mouse-tracking enables — typically when it draws a full-screen UI (pickers/dialogs, the boot welcome). xterm.js obeys these by moving to the scrollback-less alternate buffer (or wiping saved lines / hijacking the wheel), so the conversation history becomes unreachable until Claude returns to its normal view. Codeman already stripped these sequences so history stays scrollable, but the strip was gated to **Codex mode only** — Claude (and the equivalent buffer-replay path) let them through.
+
+  The strip is now shared via a single `isAltScreenStripMode(mode)` predicate (`codex || claude`) applied at BOTH sites that were Codex-only: the live PTY stream (`Session._handleTerminalOutput`, including the split-across-chunks carry reassembly) and the `/terminal` buffer replay used on tab-switch/reconnect. `shell` is deliberately excluded so full-screen TUIs run from a shell (vim/less/htop) keep their alternate screen; `opencode` is also unchanged.
+
+  Verified end-to-end on an isolated instance against a real Claude session: the replayed buffer and live stream now carry zero alt-screen/scrollback-erase/mouse sequences, the terminal stays in the normal buffer with scrollback intact, and touch swipe-up scrolls correctly. Covered by new unit tests (`test/claude-scrollback-strip.test.ts`); the existing Codex strip tests are unchanged.
+
+## 1.1.6
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- Fix: ultracode floating run windows now pop on a fresh device/browser that loads while a run is already active.
+
+  `ultracodeFloatingWindows` syncs from the server (it's a non-display setting), but on a first-time device the SSE `getLightState` run snapshot can seed the run list BEFORE the async settings load resolves — so the floating-window gate read `false` at that instant and skipped any already-active run, leaving the window un-popped until the next ~10s watcher tick. The app now re-runs `syncAllUltracodeFloatingWindows()` once server settings finish loading (in the `loadAppSettingsFromServer().then()` callback), so an in-flight run pops its window immediately. Idempotent: open windows are left as-is, and if the setting is off any premature windows are torn down. Verified end-to-end against a real in-flight run on an isolated instance — a pristine browser (empty localStorage) seeds the setting from the server and pops the active run's window ~0.4s after first paint.
+
+  Also corrected a stale `@fileoverview` comment in `ultracode-windows.js` that claimed the floating windows are gated on `showUltracodeAgents`; they are gated on the dedicated `ultracodeFloatingWindows` toggle (only the docked "Ultracode Agents" panel uses `showUltracodeAgents`).
+
+## 1.1.5
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- Fix: the Ultracode Agents panel's (×) Close button now fully hides the panel.
+
+  `closeUltracodeAgentsPanel()` only removed the `open` class, which drops the bottom-docked drawer to its collapsed _peek_ state (the 36px header strip stays visible) rather than closing it — so clicking (×) looked like it did nothing. It now also adds the `hidden` class (`display:none`), mirroring `closeSubagentsPanel()`. It deliberately does NOT flip the `showUltracodeAgents` setting (that also gates the run watcher and floating windows); the header launcher button reopens the panel. Verified in a real browser: after (×) the panel computes `display:none`.
+
+## 1.1.4
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- Fix: ultracode floating run windows (and the live dock panel) now appear DURING an in-flight Workflow/ultracode run, not only after it finishes.
+
+  The Workflow runtime writes the run-state file `…/workflows/wf_<id>.json` only at completion (always a terminal status); while a run is live, its only on-disk state is the sibling `…/subagents/workflows/wf_<id>/` transcript tree. `workflow-run-watcher` previously scanned only the completion file, so it never observed a run until it was already terminal — and the floating-window auto-pop is gated on an ACTIVE run, so it never fired for a live run (the feature was effectively dead for in-flight runs).
+
+  The watcher now ALSO scans the `subagents/workflows/wf_<id>/` transcript tree and synthesizes a minimal ACTIVE run (status `running`, agent slots keyed by their `agentId` so the agent-card → live-transcript click still works, `lastActivityAt` from the newest agent/journal mtime, per-agent done/running derived from the run journal's `result` events) when no completion file exists yet. When the run finishes, the real `wf_<id>.json` supersedes the synthesized record (same runId), restoring full phase/token detail and the normal finish → 8s-grace auto-close flow. The watcher stays standalone (it never imports subagent-watcher). Verified end-to-end against a real in-flight run; adds unit coverage for live synthesis, agentId preservation, journal-derived state, empty-dir skipping, and completion-file precedence.
+
 ## 1.1.3
 
 ### Patch Changes

CLAUDE.md

@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ When user says "COM":
 
 CI runs `npm run check:lockfile` on every push/PR, so lockfile drift fails the build even if the `version-packages` script is bypassed.
 
-**Version**: 1.1.3 (must match `package.json`)
+**Version**: 1.1.7 (must match `package.json`)
 
 ## Project Overview
 

package-lock.json

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "aicodeman",
-  "version": "1.1.3",
+  "version": "1.1.7",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "aicodeman",
-      "version": "1.1.3",
+      "version": "1.1.7",
       "hasInstallScript": true,
       "license": "MIT",
       "workspaces": [

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "aicodeman",
-  "version": "1.1.3",
+  "version": "1.1.7",
   "description": "Mission control for AI coding agents - run 20 autonomous agents with real-time monitoring and session persistence",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "dist/index.js",

src/session.ts

@@ -136,6 +136,21 @@ export function isExternalCliMode(mode: SessionMode): boolean {
   return mode === 'opencode' || mode === 'codex';
 }
 
+/**
+ * Modes whose TUI emits alt-screen / scrollback-erase / mouse-tracking sequences
+ * that we strip so the browser keeps everything in the main buffer with scrollback
+ * reachable (the strip runs on both the live stream and the buffer replay).
+ *
+ * Codex and Claude Code are known, controlled TUIs that repaint via cursor
+ * positioning, so dropping the alt-screen switch is safe — content stays in the
+ * normal buffer. Excluded: `shell` (arbitrary programs like vim/less/htop
+ * legitimately need the alt screen) and `opencode` (renders its own TUI that
+ * may rely on it). Keep parity with the replay-side strip in session-routes.ts.
+ */
+export function isAltScreenStripMode(mode: SessionMode): boolean {
+  return mode === 'codex' || mode === 'claude';
+}
+
 // Note: Claude CLI PATH resolution moved to session-cli-builder.ts (buildClaudeEnv)
 
 /** PTY fallback geometry when tmux can't be queried (matches pre-#80 hardcoded values). */
@@ -265,9 +280,10 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
   private _messages: ClaudeMessage[] = [];
   private _lineBuffer: string = '';
   private _lineBufferFlushTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null;
-  // Codex only: trailing partial CSI held back so sequences split across PTY
-  // chunks can't slip past the alt-screen/scrollback strip (see _handleTerminalOutput)
-  private _codexSeqCarry: string = '';
+  // Alt-screen-strip modes (Codex/Claude): trailing partial CSI held back so
+  // sequences split across PTY chunks can't slip past the alt-screen/scrollback
+  // strip (see _handleTerminalOutput / isAltScreenStripMode)
+  private _altScreenSeqCarry: string = '';
   private resolvePromise: ((value: { result: string; cost: number }) => void) | null = null;
   private rejectPromise: ((reason: Error) => void) | null = null;
   private _promptResolved: boolean = false; // Guard against race conditions in runPrompt
@@ -1134,35 +1150,40 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   private _handleTerminalOutput(data: string): void {
-    // Codex emits sequences that wipe xterm.js scrollback, plus mouse-tracking
-    // enables that hijack the scroll wheel so the user can't reach scrollback:
+    // Codex AND Claude Code emit sequences that wipe xterm.js scrollback, plus
+    // mouse-tracking enables that hijack the scroll wheel so the user can't reach
+    // scrollback. Claude Code does this intermittently (e.g. full-screen pickers /
+    // dialogs), which is why terminal scroll-up "randomly" breaks for Claude
+    // sessions on mobile and desktop until the dialog closes:
     //   - \x1b[?1049h / \x1b[?47h / \x1b[?1047h: switch to the alt buffer (no
     //     scrollback) — \x1b[?...l switches back.
     //   - \x1b[3J: erase saved lines (scrollback). (\x1b[2J / \x1b[J — erase
     //     the visible viewport — are left intact; the TUI repaints those rows.)
     //   - \x1b[?1000h / 1002h / 1003h / 1005h / 1006h / 1007h: mouse-tracking
     //     modes (X10, button-event, any-event, UTF-8, SGR, alt-scroll). Once on,
-    //     xterm.js forwards wheel events to codex instead of scrolling the
+    //     xterm.js forwards wheel events to the CLI instead of scrolling the
     //     viewport, so the conversation is in scrollback but unreachable.
     //     (Focus events at ?1004 are left alone — codeman uses them for
     //     active-tab detection.)
     // Strip them at the source so neither the persisted buffer nor the live
     // SSE/WS stream carries them, keeping everything in the main buffer with
-    // scrollback intact. Codex's cursor-positioned redraws overwrite only the
-    // cells they actually target, so the non-erased rows keep their content.
-    if (this.mode === 'codex') {
+    // scrollback intact. These are controlled TUIs whose cursor-positioned
+    // redraws overwrite only the cells they target, so non-erased rows keep
+    // their content. Gated to Codex/Claude (isAltScreenStripMode) — shell must
+    // keep the alt screen for vim/less/htop.
+    if (isAltScreenStripMode(this.mode)) {
       // Reassemble sequences split across PTY chunk boundaries first: a chunk
       // ending mid-sequence ('\x1b[?104' now, '9h' next) would slip past the
       // strip below and leave xterm stuck in the scrollback-less alt buffer
       // until the next buffer replay. Hold back an incomplete digit-only CSI
       // tail (≤7 chars — the longest strippable intro is '\x1b[?1049') and
       // prepend it to the next chunk; complete sequences are never held.
-      data = this._codexSeqCarry + data;
-      this._codexSeqCarry = '';
+      data = this._altScreenSeqCarry + data;
+      this._altScreenSeqCarry = '';
       // eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex
       const splitTail = data.match(/\x1b(?:\[\??[0-9]{0,4})?$/);
       if (splitTail) {
-        this._codexSeqCarry = splitTail[0];
+        this._altScreenSeqCarry = splitTail[0];
         data = data.slice(0, -splitTail[0].length);
         if (!data) return;
       }
@@ -1809,7 +1830,7 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
     this._errorBuffer = '';
     this._messages = [];
     this._lineBuffer = '';
-    this._codexSeqCarry = '';
+    this._altScreenSeqCarry = '';
     this._lastActivityAt = Date.now();
   }
 

src/web/public/app.js

@@ -665,6 +665,16 @@ class CodemanApp {
       this.applySkin();
       this.applyTabWrapSettings();
       this.applyMonitorVisibility();
+      // ultracodeFloatingWindows syncs from the server (non-display key), but on a
+      // FRESH device the getLightState run snapshot can seed workflowRuns BEFORE this
+      // async settings load resolves — so the floating-window gate read false then and
+      // skipped any already-active run. Re-sync now that the real setting is loaded so
+      // an in-flight run pops its window immediately instead of waiting for the next
+      // ~10s SSE tick. Idempotent: open windows are left as-is; if the setting is off
+      // it tears any premature windows down.
+      if (typeof this.syncAllUltracodeFloatingWindows === 'function') {
+        this.syncAllUltracodeFloatingWindows();
+      }
     });
     // Hide loading skeleton now that the app shell is ready
     document.body.classList.add('app-loaded');

src/web/public/ultracode-panel.js

@@ -78,8 +78,15 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
     if (panel.classList.contains('open')) this.renderUltracodeAgentsPanel();
   },
   closeUltracodeAgentsPanel() {
+    // The X must FULLY hide the panel. Removing only `open` drops it to the
+    // collapsed peek state (header strip still visible), so add `hidden`
+    // (display:none) too — mirrors closeSubagentsPanel. Not the showUltracodeAgents
+    // setting: that also gates the watcher + floating windows; the launcher reopens.
     const panel = document.getElementById('ultracodeAgentsPanel');
-    if (panel) panel.classList.remove('open');
+    if (panel) {
+      panel.classList.remove('open');
+      panel.classList.add('hidden');
+    }
   },
 
   // ----- Selection -----

src/web/public/ultracode-windows.js

@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
  *
  * This is the "floating thing" companion to the docked master-detail panel in
  * `ultracode-panel.js` (the dock panel stays — these windows are ADDITIONAL).
- * When the `showUltracodeAgents` setting is on, a small floating window pops up
+ * When the `ultracodeFloatingWindows` setting is on (a DEDICATED toggle, separate
+ * from the dock panel's `showUltracodeAgents` — see `_ultracodeFloatingEnabled`),
+ * a small floating window pops up
  * for each ACTIVE ultracode/Workflow run (status not completed/killed/failed),
  * mirroring the live agent grid, and is connected by a glowing line to the
  * Codeman tab whose `claudeSessionId` matches the run's `sessionUuid` — the same

src/web/routes/session-routes.ts

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
   type ApiResponse,
   type SessionColor,
 } from '../../types.js';
-import { Session } from '../../session.js';
+import { Session, isAltScreenStripMode } from '../../session.js';
 import { SseEvent } from '../sse-events.js';
 import {
   CreateSessionSchema,
@@ -79,12 +79,13 @@ const LEADING_WHITESPACE_PATTERN = /^[\s\r\n]+/;
  *   (1049 also saves cursor and clears the alt buffer).
  * - CSI 3 J = erase saved lines (scrollback).
  *
- * Codex emits `\x1b[?1049h` and clear-scrollback sequences during startup and
- * on repaint. xterm.js obeys them by switching to the alt buffer (no native
- * scrollback) and wiping saved lines, so the user's conversation history
- * disappears on every tab switch / pane refresh. Stripping these from the
- * replayed byte stream keeps everything in the main buffer with scrollback
- * intact. Mirrors the live-stream strip in Session._handleTerminalOutput.
+ * Codex AND Claude Code emit `\x1b[?1049h` and clear-scrollback sequences (the
+ * latter intermittently, e.g. full-screen pickers/dialogs). xterm.js obeys them
+ * by switching to the alt buffer (no native scrollback) and wiping saved lines,
+ * so the user's conversation history disappears on every tab switch / pane
+ * refresh (and scroll-up breaks live). Stripping these from the replayed byte
+ * stream keeps everything in the main buffer with scrollback intact. Mirrors the
+ * live-stream strip in Session._handleTerminalOutput (isAltScreenStripMode).
  */
 // eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex
 const ALT_SCREEN_TOGGLE_PATTERN = /\x1b\[\?(?:47|1047|1049)[hl]/g;
@@ -989,10 +990,11 @@ export function registerSessionRoutes(
     // the terminal appears empty when switching tabs.
     let strippedBuffer = stripInkRedrawBloat(rawBuffer);
 
-    // Strip alt-screen toggles and scrollback-erase from codex byte streams.
-    // xterm.js obeys them by switching to its scrollback-less alt buffer and
-    // wiping saved lines, so conversation history disappears on tab switch.
-    if (session.mode === 'codex') {
+    // Strip alt-screen toggles and scrollback-erase from Codex/Claude byte
+    // streams. xterm.js obeys them by switching to its scrollback-less alt
+    // buffer and wiping saved lines, so conversation history disappears on tab
+    // switch. Same gate as the live-stream strip in session.ts.
+    if (isAltScreenStripMode(session.mode)) {
       strippedBuffer = strippedBuffer
         .replace(ALT_SCREEN_TOGGLE_PATTERN, '')
         .replace(ERASE_SCROLLBACK_PATTERN, '')

src/workflow-run-watcher.ts

@@ -1,19 +1,33 @@
 /**
  * @fileoverview Workflow (ultracode) Run Watcher
  *
- * Watches `~/.claude/projects/<projHash>/<sessionUuid>/workflows/wf_*.json` —
- * the run-state JSON the Workflow tool writes for each ultracode run — and emits
- * events powering the master-detail "working agents" view (tasks/phases on the
- * LEFT, per-agent tokens/tool-calls on the RIGHT).
+ * Emits events powering the master-detail "working agents" view (tasks/phases on
+ * the LEFT, per-agent tokens/tool-calls on the RIGHT) AND the floating run
+ * windows, from TWO disk sources per run:
  *
- * Deliberately STANDALONE: it never imports from or touches subagent-watcher.ts.
- * It globs the run-state tree (`.../workflows/wf_*.json`); subagent-watcher globs
- * the disjoint, deeper transcript tree (`.../subagents/workflows/wf_<id>/agent-*`).
- * Separate singletons, disjoint directories, no shared mutable state.
+ *   1. COMPLETION artifact — `…/workflows/wf_<id>.json`. The Workflow runtime
+ *      writes this with the FULL run state (phases, per-agent tokens/tool-calls,
+ *      result), but — as of the mid-2026 runtime — only when the run FINISHES
+ *      (always a terminal status). It is the authoritative, detailed record.
+ *   2. LIVE transcript dir — `…/subagents/workflows/wf_<id>/` (agent-*.jsonl +
+ *      journal.jsonl). This appears WHILE a run is in flight, before any
+ *      `wf_<id>.json` exists. From it we synthesize a minimal ACTIVE run
+ *      (status 'running', agent slots keyed by agentId, lastActivityAt from file
+ *      mtimes) so the floating window pops DURING the run instead of only after.
+ *
+ * Precedence: when a completion `wf_<id>.json` exists it ALWAYS supersedes the
+ * synthesized live record (same runId), so a finished run shows full detail and
+ * the normal finish→auto-close flow runs. Without source 2 the floating-window
+ * feature is dead for live runs (the completion file only lands at the end, so
+ * the watcher would never see a run while it is active).
+ *
+ * Still STANDALONE: it never imports from or touches subagent-watcher.ts. It
+ * independently reads the same `subagents/workflows/` tree subagent-watcher uses,
+ * but as a separate singleton with no shared mutable state.
  *
  * Discovery is dual: a periodic poll (catches new run dirs + removals) plus a
- * per-run-dir chokidar watcher (live within-run updates). A per-file mtime skip
- * keeps the hot path cheap — the run JSON is rewritten on every agent tick.
+ * per-dir chokidar watcher (live updates). A per-source mtime skip keeps the hot
+ * path cheap — the completion JSON / live dir is re-read only when its mtime moves.
  *
  * @module workflow-run-watcher
  */
@@ -34,8 +48,11 @@ import {
 } from './config/workflow-config.js';
 
 const WORKFLOWS_SUBDIR = 'workflows';
+const SUBAGENTS_SUBDIR = 'subagents';
 const RUN_FILE_PREFIX = 'wf_';
 const RUN_FILE_SUFFIX = '.json';
+const LIVE_JOURNAL_FILE = 'journal.jsonl';
+const LIVE_AGENT_PREFIX = 'agent-';
 
 /** Hard caps on the largest per-agent strings so a 28-agent run stays compact. */
 const PROMPT_PREVIEW_MAX = 200;
@@ -60,6 +77,14 @@ interface DiscoveredRun {
   runId: string;
 }
 
+/** An in-flight run discovered from its `subagents/workflows/wf_<id>/` transcript dir. */
+interface DiscoveredLiveRun {
+  dirPath: string;
+  projectHash: string;
+  sessionUuid: string;
+  runId: string;
+}
+
 /** A `workflowProgress[]` entry as it appears on disk (loosely typed for defensive parsing). */
 interface RawProgressEntry {
   type?: string;
@@ -94,7 +119,11 @@ export class WorkflowRunWatcher extends EventEmitter {
   private fileMtimes = new Map<string, number>();
   /** runId -> absolute run-file path (for mtime cleanup on removal). */
   private runIdToPath = new Map<string, string>();
-  /** workflows-dir absolute path -> chokidar watcher (one per live run dir). */
+  /** absolute live transcript-dir path -> newest member mtimeMs (skip unchanged live runs). */
+  private liveDirMtimes = new Map<string, number>();
+  /** runId -> absolute live transcript-dir path (for mtime cleanup on removal). */
+  private runIdToLiveDir = new Map<string, string>();
+  /** watched-dir absolute path -> chokidar watcher (workflows/ + subagents/workflows/). */
   private dirWatchers = new Map<string, ChokidarWatcher>();
 
   constructor(projectsDir?: string) {
@@ -129,6 +158,8 @@ export class WorkflowRunWatcher extends EventEmitter {
     this.runs.clear();
     this.fileMtimes.clear();
     this.runIdToPath.clear();
+    this.liveDirMtimes.clear();
+    this.runIdToLiveDir.clear();
   }
 
   /** All cached runs (no recency filter), most-recently-active first. */
@@ -180,42 +211,65 @@ export class WorkflowRunWatcher extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   private async pollAsync(): Promise<void> {
-    const { files, dirs } = await this.discover();
+    const { files, liveDirs, watchDirs } = await this.discover();
 
-    // Install a live watcher for each run dir; tear down watchers for dirs that vanished.
-    for (const dir of dirs) this.ensureDirWatcher(dir);
+    // Install a live watcher for each watched dir; tear down watchers for dirs that vanished.
+    for (const dir of watchDirs) this.ensureDirWatcher(dir);
     for (const dir of Array.from(this.dirWatchers.keys())) {
-      if (!dirs.has(dir)) this.removeDirWatcher(dir);
+      if (!watchDirs.has(dir)) this.removeDirWatcher(dir);
     }
 
     const seenRunIds = new Set<string>();
+    const realRunIds = new Set<string>();
     for (const file of files) {
       seenRunIds.add(file.runId);
+      realRunIds.add(file.runId);
       await this.maybeParse(file);
     }
 
-    // Removal by set-diff: a cached run whose file disappeared.
+    // In-flight runs: synthesize from the transcript tree ONLY while no completion
+    // wf_*.json exists yet — the real file (full detail + terminal status) supersedes.
+    for (const live of liveDirs) {
+      if (realRunIds.has(live.runId)) continue;
+      seenRunIds.add(live.runId);
+      await this.maybeParseLive(live);
+    }
+
+    // Removal by set-diff: a cached run discoverable from neither source.
     for (const runId of Array.from(this.runs.keys())) {
       if (!seenRunIds.has(runId)) {
         this.runs.delete(runId);
         const path = this.runIdToPath.get(runId);
         if (path) this.fileMtimes.delete(path);
         this.runIdToPath.delete(runId);
+        const liveDir = this.runIdToLiveDir.get(runId);
+        if (liveDir) this.liveDirMtimes.delete(liveDir);
+        this.runIdToLiveDir.delete(runId);
         this.emit('run_removed', { runId });
       }
     }
   }
 
-  /** Walk projects/<projHash>/<sessionUuid>/workflows/ for wf_*.json files. */
-  private async discover(): Promise<{ files: DiscoveredRun[]; dirs: Set<string> }> {
+  /**
+   * Walk projects/<projHash>/<sessionUuid>/ for both run sources:
+   *   - completion files: `workflows/wf_*.json`
+   *   - in-flight runs:   `subagents/workflows/wf_<id>/` (transcript dirs)
+   * Returns the dirs to chokidar-watch (so a new run/file is caught sub-poll).
+   */
+  private async discover(): Promise<{
+    files: DiscoveredRun[];
+    liveDirs: DiscoveredLiveRun[];
+    watchDirs: Set<string>;
+  }> {
     const files: DiscoveredRun[] = [];
-    const dirs = new Set<string>();
+    const liveDirs: DiscoveredLiveRun[] = [];
+    const watchDirs = new Set<string>();
 
     let projectHashes: string[];
     try {
       projectHashes = await readdir(this.projectsDir);
     } catch {
-      return { files, dirs };
+      return { files, liveDirs, watchDirs };
     }
 
     for (const projectHash of projectHashes) {
@@ -226,28 +280,50 @@ export class WorkflowRunWatcher extends EventEmitter {
         continue;
       }
       for (const sessionUuid of sessions) {
-        const workflowsDir = join(this.projectsDir, projectHash, sessionUuid, WORKFLOWS_SUBDIR);
-        let names: string[];
+        const sessionDir = join(this.projectsDir, projectHash, sessionUuid);
+
+        // (1) Completion artifacts: workflows/wf_*.json
+        const workflowsDir = join(sessionDir, WORKFLOWS_SUBDIR);
         try {
-          names = await readdir(workflowsDir);
+          const names = await readdir(workflowsDir);
+          let hasRun = false;
+          for (const name of names) {
+            if (!name.startsWith(RUN_FILE_PREFIX) || !name.endsWith(RUN_FILE_SUFFIX)) continue;
+            hasRun = true;
+            files.push({
+              filePath: join(workflowsDir, name),
+              projectHash,
+              sessionUuid,
+              runId: name.slice(0, -RUN_FILE_SUFFIX.length),
+            });
+          }
+          if (hasRun) watchDirs.add(workflowsDir);
         } catch {
-          continue; // no workflows dir for this session — normal
+          // no workflows dir for this session — normal
         }
-        let hasRun = false;
-        for (const name of names) {
-          if (!name.startsWith(RUN_FILE_PREFIX) || !name.endsWith(RUN_FILE_SUFFIX)) continue;
-          hasRun = true;
-          files.push({
-            filePath: join(workflowsDir, name),
-            projectHash,
-            sessionUuid,
-            runId: name.slice(0, -RUN_FILE_SUFFIX.length),
-          });
+
+        // (2) In-flight runs: subagents/workflows/wf_*/
+        const liveParent = join(sessionDir, SUBAGENTS_SUBDIR, WORKFLOWS_SUBDIR);
+        try {
+          const names = await readdir(liveParent);
+          let hasLive = false;
+          for (const name of names) {
+            if (!name.startsWith(RUN_FILE_PREFIX) || name.endsWith(RUN_FILE_SUFFIX)) continue; // wf_<id> dir, not a file
+            hasLive = true;
+            liveDirs.push({
+              dirPath: join(liveParent, name),
+              projectHash,
+              sessionUuid,
+              runId: name,
+            });
+          }
+          if (hasLive) watchDirs.add(liveParent);
+        } catch {
+          // no subagents/workflows dir for this session — normal
         }
-        if (hasRun) dirs.add(workflowsDir);
       }
     }
-    return { files, dirs };
+    return { files, liveDirs, watchDirs };
   }
 
   private async maybeParse(file: DiscoveredRun): Promise<void> {
@@ -269,6 +345,101 @@ export class WorkflowRunWatcher extends EventEmitter {
     this.emit(existed ? 'run_updated' : 'run_discovered', info);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Re-synthesize an in-flight run from its transcript dir when its newest member
+   * mtime moved (skip otherwise so we don't re-emit run_updated on idle polls).
+   */
+  private async maybeParseLive(live: DiscoveredLiveRun): Promise<void> {
+    const info = await this.parseLiveDir(live);
+    if (!info) return;
+    if (this.liveDirMtimes.get(live.dirPath) === info.lastActivityAt) return;
+    this.liveDirMtimes.set(live.dirPath, info.lastActivityAt);
+
+    const existed = this.runs.has(info.runId);
+    this.runs.set(info.runId, info);
+    this.runIdToLiveDir.set(info.runId, live.dirPath);
+    this.emit(existed ? 'run_updated' : 'run_discovered', info);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Build a minimal ACTIVE WorkflowRunInfo from `subagents/workflows/wf_<id>/`.
+   * The transcript tree carries no phases/tokens — those arrive with the
+   * completion wf_*.json — so we expose: the agent slots (keyed by agentId, so the
+   * card→transcript click still works), each marked done/running from journal
+   * `result` lines, and lastActivityAt from the newest agent/journal mtime.
+   */
+  private async parseLiveDir(live: DiscoveredLiveRun): Promise<WorkflowRunInfo | null> {
+    let entries: string[];
+    try {
+      entries = await readdir(live.dirPath);
+    } catch {
+      return null; // vanished between discover and read
+    }
+
+    const agentIds = new Set<string>();
+    let newestMtime = 0;
+    for (const name of entries) {
+      if (name.startsWith(LIVE_AGENT_PREFIX)) {
+        const stem = name.slice(LIVE_AGENT_PREFIX.length).replace(/\.(meta\.json|jsonl)$/, '');
+        if (stem) agentIds.add(stem);
+      }
+      if (name === LIVE_JOURNAL_FILE || name.startsWith(LIVE_AGENT_PREFIX)) {
+        try {
+          const m = (await stat(join(live.dirPath, name))).mtimeMs;
+          if (m > newestMtime) newestMtime = m;
+        } catch {
+          // entry vanished — ignore
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    if (agentIds.size === 0) return null; // nothing to show yet
+
+    const doneIds = await this.readJournalDoneAgents(join(live.dirPath, LIVE_JOURNAL_FILE));
+    const agents: WorkflowAgentInfo[] = Array.from(agentIds)
+      .sort()
+      .map((id, i) => ({
+        index: i + 1,
+        label: `agent ${i + 1}`,
+        phaseIndex: 1,
+        phaseTitle: '',
+        model: '',
+        state: doneIds.has(id) ? 'done' : 'progress',
+        agentId: id,
+      }));
+
+    return {
+      runId: live.runId,
+      status: 'running',
+      agentCount: agents.length,
+      phases: [],
+      agents,
+      sessionUuid: live.sessionUuid,
+      projectHash: live.projectHash,
+      lastActivityAt: newestMtime || 0,
+    };
+  }
+
+  /** Agent ids that already emitted a `result` event in the run journal. */
+  private async readJournalDoneAgents(journalPath: string): Promise<Set<string>> {
+    const done = new Set<string>();
+    let text: string;
+    try {
+      text = await readFile(journalPath, 'utf-8');
+    } catch {
+      return done; // journal not written yet — all agents still in progress
+    }
+    for (const line of text.split('\n')) {
+      if (!line) continue;
+      try {
+        const ev = JSON.parse(line) as { type?: string; agentId?: string };
+        if (ev && ev.type === 'result' && typeof ev.agentId === 'string') done.add(ev.agentId);
+      } catch {
+        // tolerate a partially-written trailing line
+      }
+    }
+    return done;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Parse a wf_<runId>.json into WorkflowRunInfo, STRIPPING the heavyweight
    * `script`/`scriptPath`/`result`/`logs` fields (the embedded script alone is
@@ -360,6 +531,9 @@ export class WorkflowRunWatcher extends EventEmitter {
       watcher.on('add', handler);
       watcher.on('change', handler);
       watcher.on('unlink', handler);
+      // subagents/workflows/ children are wf_<id>/ DIRS — catch their add/remove too.
+      watcher.on('addDir', handler);
+      watcher.on('unlinkDir', handler);
       watcher.on('error', () => {
         // chokidar surfaced an error for this dir — drop the watcher; poll still covers it.
         this.removeDirWatcher(workflowsDir);

test/claude-scrollback-strip.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { Session, isAltScreenStripMode } from '../src/session.js';
+
+type SessionInternals = {
+  _handleTerminalOutput(data: string): void;
+};
+
+function handleOutput(session: Session, data: string): void {
+  (session as unknown as SessionInternals)._handleTerminalOutput(data);
+}
+
+describe('isAltScreenStripMode', () => {
+  it('strips for the controlled TUIs (codex + claude), not shell/opencode', () => {
+    expect(isAltScreenStripMode('codex')).toBe(true);
+    expect(isAltScreenStripMode('claude')).toBe(true);
+    expect(isAltScreenStripMode('shell')).toBe(false);
+    expect(isAltScreenStripMode('opencode')).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('Claude terminal scrollback strip', () => {
+  it('strips alt-screen toggles, scrollback-erase, and mouse-tracking', () => {
+    const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'claude' });
+    const emitted: string[] = [];
+    session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
+
+    handleOutput(session, '\x1b[?1049h\x1b[55;1Hdialog\x1b[3J\x1b[?1006h\x1b[?1049l');
+
+    expect(emitted[0]).toBe('\x1b[55;1Hdialog');
+    expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe('\x1b[55;1Hdialog');
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the visible-screen erase (2J / [J) — only scrollback-erase (3J) is dropped', () => {
+    const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'claude' });
+
+    handleOutput(session, '\x1b[?1049h\x1b[2Jvisible\x1b[3Jscrollback\x1b[?1049l');
+
+    expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe('\x1b[2Jvisiblescrollback');
+  });
+
+  it('preserves an ordinary erase-display redraw (no scrollback sequences)', () => {
+    const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'claude' });
+
+    handleOutput(session, '\x1b[H\x1b[Jclaude redraw');
+
+    expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe('\x1b[H\x1b[Jclaude redraw');
+  });
+
+  it('strips sequences split across PTY chunk boundaries (carry reassembly)', () => {
+    const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'claude' });
+    const emitted: string[] = [];
+    session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
+
+    handleOutput(session, 'before\x1b[?104');
+    handleOutput(session, '9h\x1b[2Jafter\x1b[3');
+    handleOutput(session, 'Jtail');
+
+    expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe('before\x1b[2Jaftertail');
+    expect(emitted).toEqual(['before', '\x1b[2Jafter', 'tail']);
+  });
+
+  it('emits nothing for a chunk that is only a partial CSI, then completes it', () => {
+    const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'claude' });
+    const emitted: string[] = [];
+    session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
+
+    handleOutput(session, '\x1b[?100'); // pure partial — held, nothing emitted
+    handleOutput(session, '6h done'); // completes ?1006h (stripped); rest passes
+
+    expect(emitted).toEqual([' done']);
+    expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe(' done');
+  });
+
+  it('does not touch ordinary Claude conversation output', () => {
+    const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'claude' });
+
+    const text = 'Here is line one\r\nHere is line two\r\n\x1b[2mdim status\x1b[0m';
+    handleOutput(session, text);
+
+    expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe(text);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('Shell terminal output is NOT stripped (vim/less/htop need the alt screen)', () => {
+  it('leaves alt-screen toggles, scrollback-erase, and mouse-tracking intact for shell', () => {
+    const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'shell' });
+
+    const vimLike = '\x1b[?1049h\x1b[?1002h\x1b[2J~ editing\x1b[3J\x1b[?1002l\x1b[?1049l';
+    handleOutput(session, vimLike);
+
+    expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe(vimLike);
+  });
+});

test/workflow-run-watcher.test.ts

@@ -210,3 +210,110 @@ describe('WorkflowRunWatcher', () => {
     expect(summaries[0].agentCount).toBe(3);
   });
 });
+
+/**
+ * In-flight runs: the Workflow runtime writes the completion wf_<id>.json only when
+ * a run FINISHES, so while it is live the only on-disk state is its
+ * subagents/workflows/wf_<id>/ transcript dir. The watcher synthesizes a minimal
+ * ACTIVE run from that dir so the floating window pops DURING the run.
+ */
+describe('WorkflowRunWatcher — in-flight (live) runs', () => {
+  const LIVE_RUN_ID = 'wf_live5678-xyz';
+  let projectsDir: string;
+  let liveDir: string;
+  let watcher: WorkflowRunWatcher;
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    projectsDir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'wfw-live-'));
+    liveDir = join(projectsDir, PROJECT_HASH, SESSION_UUID, 'subagents', 'workflows', LIVE_RUN_ID);
+    await mkdir(liveDir, { recursive: true });
+    // Two agents started; one already produced a result (journal `result` line).
+    await writeFile(
+      join(liveDir, 'agent-aaa111.meta.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({ agentType: 'workflow-subagent' }),
+      'utf-8'
+    );
+    await writeFile(join(liveDir, 'agent-aaa111.jsonl'), '{"type":"assistant"}\n', 'utf-8');
+    await writeFile(
+      join(liveDir, 'agent-bbb222.meta.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({ agentType: 'workflow-subagent' }),
+      'utf-8'
+    );
+    await writeFile(join(liveDir, 'agent-bbb222.jsonl'), '{"type":"assistant"}\n', 'utf-8');
+    await writeFile(
+      join(liveDir, 'journal.jsonl'),
+      '{"type":"started","agentId":"aaa111"}\n{"type":"started","agentId":"bbb222"}\n{"type":"result","agentId":"aaa111","result":{}}\n',
+      'utf-8'
+    );
+    watcher = new WorkflowRunWatcher(projectsDir);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    watcher.stop();
+    await rm(projectsDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  function firstRun(): Promise<WorkflowRunInfo> {
+    return new Promise<WorkflowRunInfo>((resolve, reject) => {
+      const timer = setTimeout(() => reject(new Error('timed out waiting for run_discovered')), 5000);
+      watcher.once('run_discovered', (info: WorkflowRunInfo) => {
+        clearTimeout(timer);
+        resolve(info);
+      });
+      watcher.start();
+    });
+  }
+
+  it('synthesizes an ACTIVE run from the transcript dir when no completion file exists', async () => {
+    const info = await firstRun();
+    expect(info.runId).toBe(LIVE_RUN_ID);
+    expect(info.status).toBe('running'); // active → frontend pops a floating window
+    expect(info.sessionUuid).toBe(SESSION_UUID);
+    expect(info.projectHash).toBe(PROJECT_HASH);
+    expect(info.agents).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(info.agentCount).toBe(2);
+    expect(info.lastActivityAt).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+
+  it('preserves agentId per slot (so the card→transcript click join still works)', async () => {
+    const info = await firstRun();
+    const ids = info.agents.map((a) => a.agentId).sort();
+    expect(ids).toEqual(['aaa111', 'bbb222']);
+  });
+
+  it('marks an agent done/progress from journal result lines', async () => {
+    const info = await firstRun();
+    expect(info.agents.find((a) => a.agentId === 'aaa111')!.state).toBe('done'); // has a result line
+    expect(info.agents.find((a) => a.agentId === 'bbb222')!.state).toBe('progress'); // started, no result yet
+  });
+
+  it('counts the live run as running in getStats', async () => {
+    await firstRun();
+    expect(watcher.getStats().running).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it('does NOT surface a live dir that has no agent files yet', async () => {
+    const empty = join(projectsDir, PROJECT_HASH, SESSION_UUID, 'subagents', 'workflows', 'wf_empty0000-noo');
+    await mkdir(empty, { recursive: true });
+    await firstRun(); // resolves on the real (populated) live run
+    // The empty run id must never enter the cache.
+    expect(watcher.getRun('wf_empty0000-noo')).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(watcher.getAllRuns().map((r) => r.runId)).toEqual([LIVE_RUN_ID]);
+  });
+
+  it('a completion wf_*.json supersedes the live dir for the same runId (real status wins)', async () => {
+    const workflowsDir = join(projectsDir, PROJECT_HASH, SESSION_UUID, 'workflows');
+    await mkdir(workflowsDir, { recursive: true });
+    await writeFile(
+      join(workflowsDir, `${LIVE_RUN_ID}.json`),
+      JSON.stringify({ runId: LIVE_RUN_ID, status: 'completed', durationMs: 1234, phases: [], workflowProgress: [] }),
+      'utf-8'
+    );
+    const info = await firstRun();
+    expect(info.runId).toBe(LIVE_RUN_ID);
+    expect(info.status).toBe('completed'); // real completion file wins, not synthesized 'running'
+    expect(info.durationMs).toBe(1234);
+    // Only one cached entry for the runId — no live/real duplication.
+    expect(watcher.getAllRuns()).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+});