@j1nn0/pi-input-lock

A small Pi extension that protects interactive input while an agent is running. It is always loaded. Set PI_INPUT_LOCK=1 to start with the lock enabled; without it, the runtime lock starts disabled.

In WATCH, text input, submit, paste, and normal Pi shortcuts are blocked: typed text is not inserted, submit does nothing, and shortcuts do not run. Arrow-key navigation still reaches the focused component, and when a foreign interactive UI (for example a permission dialog from Pi or another extension) has focus, it keeps working and its input is not blocked. The original editor and draft text are restored when the lock is released.

Installation

pi install npm:@j1nn0/pi-input-lock

For local development:

PI_INPUT_LOCK=1 pi -ne -e . --tui-mode fullscreen

Usage

Choose the startup state (optional):

export PI_INPUT_LOCK=1

The extension also loads when PI_INPUT_LOCK is unset. Runtime controls are:

• /input-lock enable enables the lock for the current Pi process.
• /input-lock disable disables the lock for the current Pi process.
• /input-lock status reports the current enabled state and lock details without changing them.

Runtime changes last only for the current Pi process. After a restart, the startup state is derived from PI_INPUT_LOCK again.

The default toggle is ctrl+alt+i. Configure the extension in ~/.pi/agent/pi-input-lock.json:

Option	Type	Default	Description
toggleKey	string	ctrl+alt+i	Shortcut used to toggle the lock.
allowToolExpandInWatch	boolean	false	When enabled, the Pi app.tools.expand keybinding (default Ctrl+O, follows user remaps) still expands/collapses tool output during WATCH.
unlockPolicy	agent-settled | manual	agent-settled	Choose automatic or manual unlock after settlement.

A recommended combined configuration:

{
  "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/j1nn0/pi-input-lock/main/pi-input-lock.schema.json",
  "toggleKey": "ctrl+alt+i",
  "allowToolExpandInWatch": true,
  "unlockPolicy": "manual"
}

JSON-aware editors can use pi-input-lock.schema.json for completion and validation.

The tool-expand exception follows the Pi app.tools.expand keybinding, so a remapped key keeps working; it is not a hardcoded Ctrl+O.

Configuration is cached for the lifetime of the process; restart Pi after changing it.

~/.pi/agent/extensions/pi-input-lock/config.json is still accepted as a legacy fallback, but ~/.pi/agent/pi-input-lock.json is the canonical user config and wins when both files exist (settings are never merged).

WATCH/OVERRIDE: /input-lock also toggles. To turn manual WATCH on/off while the agent is stopped, use the configured toggle key. /input-lock status reports the current lock state, agent activity, unlock policy, tool-expand setting, and toggle key without changing the lock state.

States are lifecycle-aware:

• IDLE: input is available.
• WATCH: input is locked and the status bar shows 🔒 WATCH.
• OVERRIDE: input is available after a manual toggle during an active run.

With the default agent-settled policy, agent start enters WATCH and agent settlement returns from either active state to IDLE. With manual, settlement keeps WATCH (from OVERRIDE it still returns to IDLE) until an inactive toggle restores the editor and draft. Manual mode is not forced on at startup (the extension still starts in IDLE), and session boundaries or reset events always return to IDLE rather than remaining sticky. With the default agent-settled policy, if the runtime cannot confirm that an agent is active, it fails open to IDLE. Under manual, WATCH intentionally persists after settlement until explicitly toggled off.

Known operational limitation (not a bug): with unlockPolicy: manual, WATCH persists after the agent stops, so terminal-injected input (for example Herdr sending the next prompt as key input) is still blocked. Workaround: 1. press the toggle key to return WATCH → IDLE; 2. send the prompt from Herdr; 3. agent_start re-enters WATCH automatically.

Development

pnpm check
pnpm test
pnpm pack:check
PI_INPUT_LOCK=1 pi -ne -e . --tui-mode fullscreen

License

MIT License.

This project is derived in part from @inobit/pi-reader, Copyright (c) 2026 inobit, also licensed under the MIT License.