Meanwhile v0.1.3 — prove the attention loop

[tcballard]

Summary

Implements docs/v0.1.3-prove-the-loop.md.

Adds:

• a clearly labelled six-second attention test for the status item and optional reminder
• observable freshness and manual recovery for review and failing-CI sources
• persisted in-app controls for review and failing-CI interruptions
• in-context repair for agent hooks and GitHub authentication
• failure-safe agent and browser handoffs that keep the interruption active
• deterministic state, cache-bypass, and source-transition coverage

Scope

Included

• Native Settings controls for testing the attention loop
• Real-work pre-emption and stale-expiry protection for tests
• Independent source states for disabled, never checked, refreshing, successful, and failed
• Agent requests permanently enabled, with Reviews and Failing CI independently switchable at runtime
• Manual source refresh that bypasses the idle polling gate and cache without bypassing presentation policy
• Copy Link and Open Settings recovery when a handoff fails
• Version 0.1.3, build 6, README and release-contract updates

Excluded

• Queue, session roster, history, or work counts
• Floating island or Perch-style presence UI
• New work sources or repeated reminders
• Automatic updating
• Changes to the waiting-first GitHub presentation gate

Product / Architecture Decisions

• The attention test is separate from WorkItem, agent sessions, recent signals, and notification receipts, so test state cannot be mistaken for real work.
• Real work always pre-empts test presentation; a test cannot start while any real interruption is active.
• Manual GitHub refresh bypasses source scheduling and cache only. MeanwhileEngine remains authoritative for whether work may appear.
• Source freshness records actual GitHub command attempts rather than frequent cached runtime requests.
• JSON configuration seeds the first-run source choice; persisted in-app preferences are authoritative afterward.
• AppKit remains limited to status-item rendering, notifications, workspace routing, and native alerts; Settings composition remains SwiftUI.

User-Facing Contract

Settings

• Run Attention Test shows a labelled red menu-bar test for six seconds.
• When reminders are enabled and authorized, the test also posts a labelled notification that returns to Settings.
• Connection health shows review and failing-CI freshness with Refresh/Retry actions.
• Attention sources lets users enable Reviews and Failing CI independently without relaunching; agent requests remain always on.
• Missing hooks expose Repair; missing GitHub authentication exposes Copy Login Command.

Handoffs

• A failed GitHub open retains the interruption and offers Copy Link.
• A failed agent return retains the interruption and offers Open Settings.

Verification

Ran

• swift test --disable-sandbox --scratch-path /tmp/Meanwhile-v013-build
• swift build --disable-sandbox --scratch-path /tmp/Meanwhile-v013-build --product Meanwhile
• GITHUB_REPOSITORY=tcballard/Meanwhile ./Scripts/release-unsigned.sh with isolated HOME, module caches, build path, and output path
• strict deep codesign verification of the packaged app and the app extracted from Meanwhile-0.1.3-unsigned.zip
• Computer Use inspection of the packaged Settings window and accessibility tree

Covered

• 113 tests pass with zero failures.
• Attention tests cover real-work pre-emption, duplicate starts, and stale expiry.
• Source tests cover source-specific success/failure state, disabled sources, cache behavior, and forced cache bypass.
• Preference and engine tests cover persistence, runtime selection, agents-only behavior, and agent-request invariance.
• Production app and helper both link successfully.
• The unsigned release ZIP and Homebrew cask generate successfully for version 0.1.3.
• Packaged Settings renders cleanly at 620×680 with version 0.1.3 (6), native controls, labelled disclosures, button hints, and independently updating source health.
• Packaged Attention sources renders cleanly with accessible switch labels; disabling Failing CI immediately changed the section summary and Connection health, and re-enabling it restored refresh behavior without relaunching.
• Clicking Run Attention Test while real work was active preserved that interruption and showed the expected refusal inline.
• macOS keyboard navigation reached the repository filter under the machine’s current text-controls-only keyboard-navigation policy; every new action is exposed as a labelled native button in the accessibility tree.

Review Path

1. AttentionTestState, test notification delivery, and AppDelegate presentation routing
2. SourceRefreshSnapshot and forced-refresh behavior in MeanwhileRuntime
3. Settings model and Connection health recovery controls
4. State/source tests
5. Version, README, and release contract

Notes For Reviewer

• The successful no-work attention-test transition is covered deterministically in core tests; the live QA machine currently has real waiting sessions, and the product correctly refuses to replace them for testing.
• Production Developer ID signing, notarization, stapling, stable cask generation, and final extracted-ZIP Gatekeeper verification remain post-merge release steps.