Remove the Ctrl+O command palette overlay

Ctrl+O opened a separate command palette that mixed real registry slash
commands with a handful of demo-only shell actions (fake permissions/
operator/model-picker overlays with hardcoded data, chrome-zone toggles
with no other trigger). That leaked internal vocabulary into the product
surface and duplicated the `/` command list, which already narrowed the
same catalog to registry commands.

Delete palette.ts and consolidate its pure catalog/filter/format helpers
into command-catalog.ts, which now backs `/` on its own. Drop the Ctrl+O
binding, its SHELL_SHORTCUTS row, and the dead residual-action switch in
shell.ts. Point the landing screen's command hint at `/` instead of
Ctrl+O.

permissions/operator/model_picker were demo stubs with no real callers
outside the deleted palette and stay gone. copy_active, toggle_mouse, and
mentions already have their own bindings (Alt+C, Alt+M, @) and are
unaffected. toggle_task/toggle_agents and the subagent-observe action have
no trigger left anywhere in the product; their underlying functions
(setChromeZones, enterSubagentObserve) remain reachable through the shell
API for a host to wire up, just not from any key or command today.

Author: TheGreatAxios

docs/TUI.md

@@ -193,28 +193,29 @@ every picker open — independent of the recents list, which only moves on an
 explicit pick and can go stale (`ProductHostConfig.activeModelId`'s doc
 comment and `annotateCurrent` in `src/tui-opentui/product-host.ts`).
 
-The command palette specifically (`src/tui-opentui/palette.ts`,
+The `/` command list specifically (`src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.ts`,
 `shell.ts:openPalette`/`repaintPalette`): width matches the prompt box — both
 are painted at the geometry resolver's shared `contentWidth`
 (`geometry/resolve.ts:assignRects`, `shell.ts:overlayRowWidth`). There is no
 leading marker column and no per-row kind column; the selected row is marked
 by text color only (`paintPaletteList` in `shell.ts`: "the highlighted row
 already stands out by sitting under the cursor, so a leading `>` and a grey
-block would both be saying the same thing twice"). The palette also paints
-with no title rule — the filter row (`> query`) directly under the box
-already shows what was typed, so a second header line would say nothing new
+block would both be saying the same thing twice"). The list also paints with
+no title rule — the filter row (`> query`) directly under the box already
+shows what was typed, so a second header line would say nothing new
 (`repaintPalette`).
 
 ## Slash commands and pickers
 
-`Ctrl+O` opens the command palette from anywhere in the shell (reclaimed from
-the Ink-era tool-expand chord); `/` at an empty prompt opens the same
-palette narrowed to registry slash commands. Every user-facing slash command
-has a palette twin. Palette entries are either "residual" product actions
-owned by the shell (open permissions, switch model, toggle a chrome zone,
-copy, toggle mouse capture, help, insert a mention, observe a subagent) or
-"command" entries backed by the live command registry
-(`src/tui-opentui/palette.ts`).
+`/` at an empty prompt opens the command list, narrowed by name prefix as
+more is typed; Tab completes the name so arguments can be typed, Enter runs
+it. Every entry is backed by the live command registry
+(`src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.ts:commandItemsFromRegistry`) — there is no
+separate palette overlay and no shell-owned action outside the registry. The
+overlay this reuses is still internally called `"palette"` (`shell.ts`'s
+`PrimaryOverlayKind`), a naming leftover from when a Ctrl+O command palette
+also opened it; that chord is gone (see keybindings.ts), and the identifier
+stayed because renaming an internal overlay tag has no user-facing effect.
 
 The model/provider picker is provider-first
 (`src/tui-opentui/product-host.ts:groupModelsForPicker`/`openLevel`): recent

src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.test.ts

@@ -1,55 +1,12 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
 import {
-  buildCommandCatalog,
   commandItemsFromRegistry,
+  filterPaletteCommands,
+  paletteLabels,
 } from "./command-catalog"
-import { DEFAULT_PALETTE_COMMANDS, paletteDispatchOf } from "./palette"
-
-describe("buildCommandCatalog", () => {
-  test("maps listCommands-shaped entries to dispatch command names", () => {
-    const catalog = buildCommandCatalog([
-      { name: "compact", description: "Compact history" },
-      { name: "model", description: "Open model picker" },
-    ])
-
-    const compact = catalog.find((c) => c.id === "compact")
-    expect(compact).toBeDefined()
-    expect(compact!.dispatch).toBe("command")
-    expect(compact!.label).toContain("/compact")
-    expect(compact!.label).toContain("Compact history")
-    expect(paletteDispatchOf(compact!)).toBe("command")
-
-    const model = catalog.find((c) => c.id === "model")
-    expect(model?.dispatch).toBe("command")
-  })
-
-  test("includes residual openers alongside registry commands", () => {
-    const catalog = buildCommandCatalog([
-      { name: "compact", description: "Compact history" },
-    ])
-    expect(catalog.some((c) => c.id === "permissions")).toBe(true)
-    expect(catalog.some((c) => c.id === "compact")).toBe(true)
-    expect(catalog.length).toBeGreaterThan(DEFAULT_PALETTE_COMMANDS.length)
-  })
-
-  test("preferRegistry drops residual when registry reuses id", () => {
-    const catalog = buildCommandCatalog([
-      { name: "help", description: "Slash help" },
-    ])
-    const helps = catalog.filter((c) => c.id === "help")
-    expect(helps.length).toBe(1)
-    expect(helps[0]!.dispatch).toBe("command")
-  })
-
-  test("empty registry still yields residual catalog", () => {
-    const catalog = buildCommandCatalog([])
-    expect(catalog.length).toBe(DEFAULT_PALETTE_COMMANDS.length)
-    expect(catalog.every((c) => c.dispatch === "residual")).toBe(true)
-  })
-})
 
 describe("commandItemsFromRegistry", () => {
-  test("registry-only items all dispatch as command", () => {
+  test("maps listCommands-shaped entries to `/`-prefixed labels", () => {
     const items = commandItemsFromRegistry([
       { name: "tasks", description: "Show work list" },
       { name: "clear", description: "Clear screen" },
@@ -59,14 +16,45 @@ describe("commandItemsFromRegistry", () => {
         id: "tasks",
         label: "/tasks — Show work list",
         keywords: ["tasks", "slash", "command"],
-        dispatch: "command",
       },
       {
         id: "clear",
         label: "/clear — Clear screen",
         keywords: ["clear", "slash", "command"],
-        dispatch: "command",
       },
     ])
   })
 })
+
+describe("filterPaletteCommands", () => {
+  const catalog = commandItemsFromRegistry([
+    { name: "compact", description: "Compact history" },
+    { name: "model", description: "Open model picker" },
+  ])
+
+  test("empty query returns the full catalog", () => {
+    expect(filterPaletteCommands("", catalog)).toEqual(catalog)
+  })
+
+  test("matches by id, label, or keyword substring", () => {
+    expect(filterPaletteCommands("compact", catalog).map((c) => c.id)).toEqual([
+      "compact",
+    ])
+    expect(filterPaletteCommands("picker", catalog).map((c) => c.id)).toEqual([
+      "model",
+    ])
+  })
+
+  test("no match returns an empty list", () => {
+    expect(filterPaletteCommands("zzzz", catalog)).toEqual([])
+  })
+})
+
+describe("paletteLabels", () => {
+  test("returns just the display labels", () => {
+    const catalog = commandItemsFromRegistry([
+      { name: "tasks", description: "Show work list" },
+    ])
+    expect(paletteLabels(catalog)).toEqual(["/tasks — Show work list"])
+  })
+})

src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.ts

@@ -1,47 +1,78 @@
 /**
- * Registry → palette catalog bridge for OpenTUI production host.
+ * Registry → `/` command list catalog (pure).
  *
  * Pure: host injects `listCommands()` results (or fixtures). No registry import
  * here — avoids circular / heavy deps from `src/tui/commands`.
  *
- *   setPaletteCatalog(shell, buildCommandCatalog(listCommands()))
+ *   setPaletteCatalog(shell, commandItemsFromRegistry(listCommands()))
  */
 
-import {
-  buildPaletteCatalog,
-  commandsToPaletteItems,
-  type BuildPaletteCatalogOpts,
-  type PaletteCommand,
-  type RegistryCommandSource,
-} from "./palette.js"
+import { sliceToWidth, stringWidth } from "../tui/view/height.js"
 
-export type { PaletteCommand, RegistryCommandSource }
+/** Minimal registry shape — matches `listCommands()` entries without importing them. */
+export type RegistryCommandSource = {
+  readonly name: string
+  readonly description: string
+}
 
-export type BuildCommandCatalogOpts = Omit<BuildPaletteCatalogOpts, "commands">
+/** One entry in the `/` command list: registry command name + display label. */
+export type PaletteCommand = {
+  readonly id: string
+  readonly label: string
+  /** Optional keywords for name-prefix / substring filter. */
+  readonly keywords?: readonly string[]
+}
+
+/** Map registry command definitions to `/` list items. */
+export function commandItemsFromRegistry(
+  commands: readonly RegistryCommandSource[],
+): PaletteCommand[] {
+  return commands.map((c) => ({
+    id: c.name,
+    label: `/${c.name} — ${c.description}`,
+    keywords: [c.name, "slash", "command"],
+  }))
+}
 
 /**
- * Map `listCommands()`-shaped entries into a palette catalog for setPaletteCatalog.
- *
- * Includes residual product openers (permissions, model picker, …) plus registry
- * slash commands with `dispatch: "command"` and `id` = command name. Registry
- * names win over residual openers with the same id (preferRegistry default).
+ * Case-insensitive substring filter over label + keywords.
+ * Empty query returns the full catalog (stable order).
  */
-export function buildCommandCatalog(
-  commands: readonly RegistryCommandSource[],
-  opts?: BuildCommandCatalogOpts,
+export function filterPaletteCommands(
+  query: string,
+  catalog: readonly PaletteCommand[],
 ): readonly PaletteCommand[] {
-  return buildPaletteCatalog({
-    ...opts,
-    commands,
+  const q = query.trim().toLowerCase()
+  if (q.length === 0) return catalog
+  return catalog.filter((cmd) => {
+    if (cmd.label.toLowerCase().includes(q)) return true
+    if (cmd.id.toLowerCase().includes(q)) return true
+    return (cmd.keywords ?? []).some((k) => k.toLowerCase().includes(q))
   })
 }
 
-/**
- * Registry slash entries only (no residual openers). Each item has
- * `dispatch: "command"` and `id` equal to the command name.
- */
-export function commandItemsFromRegistry(
-  commands: readonly RegistryCommandSource[],
-): PaletteCommand[] {
-  return commandsToPaletteItems(commands)
+/** Labels for the shared list viewport. */
+export function paletteLabels(
+  commands: readonly PaletteCommand[],
+): readonly string[] {
+  return commands.map((c) => c.label)
+}
+
+function fitLabel(label: string, width: number): string {
+  if (width <= 0) return ""
+  const columns = stringWidth(label)
+  // padEnd counts code units, so a label carrying a wide glyph has to be padded
+  // by the column shortfall rather than to a code-unit length.
+  if (columns <= width) return label + " ".repeat(width - columns)
+  if (width === 1) return "…"
+  const cut = `${sliceToWidth(label, width - 1)}…`
+  return cut + " ".repeat(Math.max(0, width - stringWidth(cut)))
+}
+
+/** Render labels to exactly `width` columns each, ellipsizing long ones. */
+export function formatPaletteRows(
+  labels: readonly string[],
+  width: number,
+): readonly string[] {
+  return labels.map((label) => fitLabel(label, width))
 }

src/tui-opentui/index.ts

@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ export {
 export * from "./live-session-port"
 export * from "./overlays"
 export * from "./long-log"
-export * from "./palette"
 export * from "./command-catalog"
 export * from "./model-catalog"
 export * from "./copy-path"

src/tui-opentui/keybindings.test.ts

@@ -17,10 +17,7 @@ import { EventEmitter } from "node:events"
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
 
 import { PROMPT_KEY_BINDINGS } from "./prompt-input.js"
-import { SHELL_SHORTCUTS, shortcutForPaletteId } from "./keybindings.js"
-import { isResidualActionId } from "./palette.js"
-import { listCommands } from "../tui/commands/registry.js"
-import { registerBuiltInCommands } from "../tui/commands/built-in.js"
+import { SHELL_SHORTCUTS } from "./keybindings.js"
 import { createHarness, withTestRenderer, type Harness } from "./harness.js"
 import { mountRunnerHost } from "./runner-host.js"
 import { focusOwner } from "./focus/focus-state.js"
@@ -271,15 +268,6 @@ const PROBES: Readonly<Record<string, { readonly group: Group; readonly probe: P
     },
   },
 
-  "Ctrl+O": {
-    group: "surfaces",
-    probe: ({ h, shell, chords }) => {
-      press(h, chords[0])
-      expect(shell.overlayKind).toBe("palette")
-      press(h, chords[0])
-      expect(shell.overlayKind).toBeNull()
-    },
-  },
   "Alt+C": {
     group: "surfaces",
     probe: ({ h, shell, chords }) => {
@@ -336,11 +324,16 @@ const PROBES: Readonly<Record<string, { readonly group: Group; readonly probe: P
   Esc: {
     group: "surfaces",
     probe: async ({ h, shell, chords }) => {
-      press(h, "\x0f") // Ctrl+O opens something to close
+      setPaletteCatalog(shell, [{ id: "cost", label: "cost" }])
+      shellFocusPrompt(shell)
+      shell.prompt.value = ""
+      shell.prompt.cursorOffset = 0
+      press(h, "/") // opens the / command popup, something Esc must close
       expect(shell.overlayKind).toBe("palette")
       press(h, chords[0])
       await escapeSettles()
       expect(shell.overlayKind).toBeNull()
+      shell.prompt.value = ""
     },
   },
   "?": {
@@ -386,7 +379,7 @@ const PROBES: Readonly<Record<string, { readonly group: Group; readonly probe: P
   "/": {
     group: "surfaces",
     probe: async ({ h, shell, chords }) => {
-      setPaletteCatalog(shell, [{ id: "cost", label: "cost", dispatch: "command" }])
+      setPaletteCatalog(shell, [{ id: "cost", label: "cost" }])
       shellFocusPrompt(shell)
 
       shell.prompt.value = "note"
@@ -685,25 +678,3 @@ describe("the runner host does not shadow the prompt bindings the catalog claims
   })
 })
 
-describe("palette chords", () => {
-  test("every mapped entry id is a real palette action or registered command", () => {
-    registerBuiltInCommands()
-    const commands = new Set(listCommands().map((c) => c.name))
-    for (const id of PALETTE_IDS) {
-      expect(isResidualActionId(id) || commands.has(id)).toBe(true)
-    }
-  })
-
-  test("every mapped chord is a chord the catalog proved", () => {
-    for (const id of PALETTE_IDS) {
-      expect(shortcutForPaletteId(id)).toBeString()
-    }
-  })
-})
-
-/**
- * PALETTE_CHORDS is private, so the ids it maps are listed here. A new mapping
- * without an entry here is caught by the palette test in wave7, which walks the
- * painted rows.
- */
-const PALETTE_IDS = ["help", "mentions", "copy_active", "toggle_mouse", "paste-image"] as const

src/tui-opentui/keybindings.ts

@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ export const SHELL_SHORTCUTS: readonly ShellShortcut[] = [
   { keys: "Alt+Enter", description: "steer at the next tool boundary; does nothing unless a run is busy" },
   { keys: "Ctrl+C", description: "interrupt the run, or clear the prompt when idle; press twice to exit" },
   { keys: "Ctrl+G", description: "cancel the most recently queued or steered message before it dispatches" },
-  { keys: "Ctrl+O", description: "open the command palette; press again to close it" },
   { keys: "Alt+C", description: "copy mode: pick a message, tool output, or diff; press again to close it" },
   { keys: "Alt+M", description: "release the mouse to the terminal for native drag-select and copy; on by default for wheel scroll and click-to-expand" },
   { keys: "Alt+E", description: "expand or collapse every collapsible row (tool call, diff, skill, reasoning)" },
@@ -51,26 +50,3 @@ export const SHELL_SHORTCUTS: readonly ShellShortcut[] = [
       "insert a newline instead of sending (Shift+Enter also works on terminals that report the modifier)",
   },
 ] as const
-
-/**
- * Palette entry id (residual action id or registry command name) → the chord
- * that reaches the same surface without the palette.
- */
-const PALETTE_CHORDS: Readonly<Record<string, string>> = {
-  help: "?",
-  mentions: "@",
-  copy_active: "Alt+C",
-  toggle_mouse: "Alt+M",
-  "paste-image": "Ctrl+V / Ctrl+P",
-}
-
-/**
- * Chord to advertise for a palette row, or undefined when the entry has none.
- * Resolved against SHELL_SHORTCUTS so the palette can never print a binding the
- * shell does not actually implement.
- */
-export function shortcutForPaletteId(id: string): string | undefined {
-  const keys = PALETTE_CHORDS[id]
-  if (keys === undefined) return undefined
-  return SHELL_SHORTCUTS.some((s) => s.keys === keys) ? keys : undefined
-}

src/tui-opentui/landing.ts

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export const LANDING_HINTS: readonly {
   readonly key: string
   readonly rest: string
 }[] = [
-  { key: "ctrl+o", rest: "for commands" },
+  { key: "/", rest: "for commands" },
   { key: "?", rest: "for shortcuts" },
 ]