improvement(desktop): make file consent clearer and easier to control (#8835)

* test(desktop): cover quiet navigation and full access consent

* improvement(desktop): add explicit full file access from folder consent

* fix(desktop): clarify consent actions and await native test readiness

Author: waleedlatif1

apps/desktop/e2e/browser-page-dialogs.spec.ts

@@ -364,6 +364,48 @@ createRoot(document.getElementById('root')).render(createElement(Fixture));`,
     await panelAction({ action: 'reload' })
     await expect.poll(() => pageTitle()).toBe('form')
 
+    await check('clean reloads and navigation never ask to discard changes', async () => {
+      await inPage("document.documentElement.dataset.reloadProbe = 'before'")
+      await panelAction({ action: 'reload' })
+      await expect
+        .poll(() => inPage<string | undefined>('document.documentElement.dataset.reloadProbe'))
+        .toBeUndefined()
+      await expect.poll(() => pageTitle()).toBe('form')
+      expect(await pageDialog()).toBeNull()
+      await panelAction({ action: 'navigate', url: `${site}/next` })
+      await expect.poll(pageUrl).toBe(`${site}/next`)
+      expect(await pageDialog()).toBeNull()
+      await panelAction({ action: 'back' })
+      await expect.poll(pageUrl).toBe(`${site}/form`)
+      expect(await pageDialog()).toBeNull()
+    })
+
+    await check('clearing a draft removes the leave warning', async () => {
+      await userInput('#draft', 'temporary draft')
+      await inPage("document.getElementById('draft').value = ''")
+      await panelAction({ action: 'navigate', url: `${site}/next` })
+      await expect.poll(pageUrl).toBe(`${site}/next`)
+      expect(await pageDialog()).toBeNull()
+      await panelAction({ action: 'navigate', url: `${site}/form` })
+      await expect.poll(pageUrl).toBe(`${site}/form`)
+    })
+
+    await check('same-page navigation preserves a draft without a leave warning', async () => {
+      await userInput('#draft', 'same-page draft')
+      await panelAction({ action: 'navigate', url: `${site}/form#section` })
+      await expect.poll(pageUrl).toBe(`${site}/form#section`)
+      expect(await pageDialog()).toBeNull()
+      expect(await inPage<string>("document.getElementById('draft').value")).toBe('same-page draft')
+      await panelAction({ action: 'back' })
+      await expect.poll(pageUrl).toBe(`${site}/form`)
+      expect(await pageDialog()).toBeNull()
+      await inPage(`setTimeout(() => { location.href = ${JSON.stringify(`${site}/next`)} })`)
+      await expect.poll(pageUrl).toBe(`${site}/next`)
+      expect(await pageDialog()).toBeNull()
+      await panelAction({ action: 'navigate', url: `${site}/form` })
+      await expect.poll(pageUrl).toBe(`${site}/form`)
+    })
+
     await check('leaving a draft from the URL bar asks, and Stay keeps it', async () => {
       await userInput('#draft', 'draft')
       await expect
@@ -391,6 +433,12 @@ createRoot(document.getElementById('root')).render(createElement(Fixture));`,
       await userInput('#draft')
       await panelAction({ action: 'reload' })
       await expect(shell.getByRole('button', { name: 'Stay', exact: true })).toBeFocused()
+      await shell.getByRole('dialog').screenshot({
+        path: test.info().outputPath('leave-page-modal.png'),
+        animations: 'allow',
+        caret: 'initial',
+      })
+      await expect(shell.getByRole('button', { name: 'Stay', exact: true })).toBeFocused()
       await shell.keyboard.press('Escape')
       await expect.poll(pageDialog).toBeNull()
       await expect

apps/desktop/e2e/executor-sim.ts

@@ -462,6 +462,7 @@ export async function launch(
   app.context().pages().forEach(leaveDialogsToDesktop)
   app.context().on('page', leaveDialogsToDesktop)
   const window = await app.firstWindow()
+  await window.waitForURL((url) => url.origin === sim.origin, { waitUntil: 'load' })
   return { app, window }
 }
 

apps/desktop/e2e/local-files.spec.ts

@@ -304,7 +304,36 @@ createRoot(document.getElementById('settings')).render(
         .click({ noWaitAfter: true })
       expect(await survivor).toMatchObject({ ok: true, data: { text: 'shared contents' } })
     })
+    await test.step('expired requests cannot enable Full file access from a confirmation', async () => {
+      if (!app) throw new Error('Desktop app is not running')
+      calls.expiringFullAccess = {
+        toolName: 'read_local_file',
+        args: { path: join(outside, 'private.txt') },
+      }
+      const permission = await requestPermission({
+        operation: 'read',
+        toolCallId: 'expiringFullAccess',
+      })
+      const shown = app.waitForEvent('window')
+      await permission.prompt
+        .getByRole('button', { name: 'Full file access', exact: true })
+        .click({ noWaitAfter: true })
+      const confirmation = await shown
+      calls.expiringFullAccess = undefined
+      await confirmation
+        .getByRole('button', { name: 'Enable', exact: true })
+        .click({ noWaitAfter: true })
+      expect(await permission.result).toMatchObject({ ok: false })
+      expect(
+        await window.evaluate(async () =>
+          (
+            globalThis as typeof globalThis & { simDesktop: SimDesktopApi }
+          ).simDesktop.settings.getPreferences()
+        )
+      ).toMatchObject({ fullFileAccess: false })
+    })
     await test.step('Full file access is opt-in, survives restart, and stops granting access when disabled', async () => {
+      if (!app) throw new Error('Desktop app is not running')
       const fullFolder = join(root, 'Full access')
       mkdirSync(fullFolder)
       writeFileSync(join(fullFolder, 'file.txt'), 'full access contents')
@@ -315,7 +344,40 @@ createRoot(document.getElementById('settings')).render(
       await expect(
         window.getByRole('switch', { name: 'Full file access', exact: true })
       ).not.toBeChecked()
-      await window.getByRole('switch', { name: 'Full file access', exact: true }).click()
+      const permission = await requestPermission({ operation: 'read', toolCallId: 'fullAccess' })
+      const confirmationShown = app.waitForEvent('window')
+      await permission.prompt
+        .getByRole('button', { name: 'Full file access', exact: true })
+        .click({ noWaitAfter: true })
+      const confirmation = await confirmationShown
+      await expect(confirmation.getByRole('button', { name: 'Cancel', exact: true })).toBeFocused()
+      const returnedPrompt = app.waitForEvent('window')
+      await confirmation
+        .getByRole('button', { name: 'Cancel', exact: true })
+        .click({ noWaitAfter: true })
+      const folderPrompt = await returnedPrompt
+      expect(
+        await window.evaluate(async () =>
+          (
+            globalThis as typeof globalThis & { simDesktop: SimDesktopApi }
+          ).simDesktop.settings.getPreferences()
+        )
+      ).toMatchObject({ fullFileAccess: false })
+      const acceptedConfirmation = app.waitForEvent('window')
+      await folderPrompt
+        .getByRole('button', { name: 'Full file access', exact: true })
+        .click({ noWaitAfter: true })
+      const allowAll = await acceptedConfirmation
+      await allowAll.screenshot({
+        path: test.info().outputPath('full-file-access-confirmation.png'),
+      })
+      await allowAll
+        .getByRole('button', { name: 'Enable', exact: true })
+        .click({ noWaitAfter: true })
+      expect(await permission.result).toMatchObject({
+        ok: true,
+        data: { text: 'full access contents' },
+      })
       await expect(
         window.getByRole('switch', { name: 'Full file access', exact: true })
       ).toBeChecked()
@@ -383,11 +445,11 @@ createRoot(document.getElementById('settings')).render(
       await expect(
         window.getByRole('switch', { name: 'Full file access', exact: true })
       ).not.toBeChecked()
-      const permission = await requestPermission({ operation: 'read', toolCallId: 'fullAccess' })
-      await permission.prompt
+      const revoked = await requestPermission({ operation: 'read', toolCallId: 'fullAccess' })
+      await revoked.prompt
         .getByRole('button', { name: "Don't allow", exact: true })
         .click({ noWaitAfter: true })
-      expect(await permission.result).toMatchObject({ ok: false })
+      expect(await revoked.result).toMatchObject({ ok: false })
     })
     await test.step('a folder grant works in another chat but does not permit symlink escapes', async () => {
       expect(await invoke({ operation: 'read', toolCallId: 'otherChat' })).toMatchObject({
@@ -877,8 +939,12 @@ createRoot(document.getElementById('settings')).render(
         try {
           await toggle.click()
           await expect(
-            window.getByText('Could not update file access', { exact: true })
+            window.getByText(
+              'Could not save file access settings. Your previous setting may return after restarting Sim.',
+              { exact: true }
+            )
           ).toBeVisible()
+          await expect(toggle).not.toBeChecked()
           expect(
             await window.evaluate(async () =>
               (

apps/desktop/e2e/smoke.spec.ts

@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ test.describe('desktop shell smoke', () => {
   test('OAuth popups share the session without inheriting the privileged preload', async () => {
     app = await launchApp(origin)
     const window = await app.firstWindow()
+    await window.waitForURL(`${origin}/home`, { waitUntil: 'load' })
     await window.evaluate(() => {
       document.cookie = 'sim-e2e-session=shared; Path=/; SameSite=Lax'
     })
@@ -319,7 +320,7 @@ test.describe('desktop shell smoke', () => {
     await window.locator('#server').click()
     const picker = await pickerPromise
 
-    expect(picker.url()).toBe('sim-shell://pages/server.html')
+    await expect(picker).toHaveURL('sim-shell://pages/server.html')
     await expect(picker.getByRole('dialog', { name: 'Sim server', exact: true })).toBeVisible()
     await expect(picker.getByLabel('Server URL')).toHaveValue('http://127.0.0.1:1')
     await expect(picker.getByLabel('Server URL')).toBeFocused()

apps/desktop/src/main/desktop-settings.ts

@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ export interface DesktopSettingsService {
 
 interface DesktopSettingsServiceDeps {
   config: ConfigStore
+  onFullFileAccessChanged?: (preferences: DesktopPreferences) => void
   getMainWindow: () => BrowserWindow | null
   openMainWindowAt: (route?: string) => void
   setAutoDownloadUpdates: (enabled: boolean) => void
@@ -185,9 +186,14 @@ export function createDesktopSettingsService(
       deps.config.set('fullFileAccess', enabled)
       if (!deps.config.flush()) {
         deps.config.set('fullFileAccess', false)
-        throw new Error('Could not save file access settings')
+        deps.onFullFileAccessChanged?.(read())
+        throw new Error(
+          'Could not save file access settings. Your previous setting may return after restarting Sim.'
+        )
       }
-      return read()
+      const preferences = read()
+      deps.onFullFileAccessChanged?.(preferences)
+      return preferences
     },
     setPreventSleepWhileRunning(enabled) {
       deps.config.set('preventSleepWhileRunning', enabled)

apps/desktop/src/main/index.ts

@@ -172,7 +172,10 @@ function main(): void {
   })
   const localFilePermissions = new LocalFilePermissions(
     localFilesystem,
-    () => config.get('fullFileAccess') === true
+    () => config.get('fullFileAccess') === true,
+    () => {
+      desktopSettings.setFullFileAccess(true)
+    }
   )
   const clearLocalFileAccess = async () => {
     config.set('fullFileAccess', false)
@@ -546,6 +549,9 @@ function main(): void {
 
   const desktopSettings = createDesktopSettingsService({
     config,
+    onFullFileAccessChanged: (preferences) => {
+      broadcast('desktop:settings:full-file-access-changed', preferences)
+    },
     getMainWindow,
     openMainWindowAt: (route) => void openMainWindowAt(route),
     setAutoDownloadUpdates: (enabled) => updater?.setAutoDownload(enabled),

apps/desktop/src/main/local-file-permissions.ts

@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ export class LocalFilePermissions {
 
   constructor(
     private readonly filesystem: LocalFilesystemService,
-    private readonly fullFileAccess: () => boolean = () => false
+    private readonly fullFileAccess: () => boolean = () => false,
+    private readonly enableFullFileAccess?: () => void
   ) {}
 
   async authorize(
@@ -71,18 +72,7 @@ export class LocalFilePermissions {
       throw new Error('A valid destination workspace and folder are required for imports.')
     const path = await realpath(nativePath(authorization.args.path))
     if (this.fullFileAccess()) {
-      const info = await stat(path)
-      const folder = info.isDirectory() ? path : dirname(path)
-      const identity = await stat(folder, { bigint: true })
-      return this.authorizedAccess(
-        {
-          path,
-          resolve: realpath,
-          open: (requested, directory = false) =>
-            openNativeFile(folder, relative(folder, requested), identity, directory),
-        },
-        { ...context, isCurrent: () => context.isCurrent() && this.fullFileAccess() }
-      )
+      return this.unrestrictedAccess(path, context)
     }
     const existing = await this.filesystem.nativeAccess(path)
     if (existing) return this.authorizedAccess(existing, context)
@@ -114,11 +104,30 @@ export class LocalFilePermissions {
     }
     pending.contexts.add(context)
     await this.waitForDecision(pending, context)
+    if (this.fullFileAccess()) return this.unrestrictedAccess(path, context)
     const access = await this.filesystem.nativeAccess(path)
     if (!access) throw new Error('The approved folder is no longer available.')
     return this.authorizedAccess(access, context)
   }
 
+  private async unrestrictedAccess(
+    path: string,
+    context: LocalFilePermissionContext
+  ): Promise<LocalFileAccess> {
+    const info = await stat(path)
+    const folder = info.isDirectory() ? path : dirname(path)
+    const identity = await stat(folder, { bigint: true })
+    return this.authorizedAccess(
+      {
+        path,
+        resolve: realpath,
+        open: (requested, directory = false) =>
+          openNativeFile(folder, relative(folder, requested), identity, directory),
+      },
+      { ...context, isCurrent: () => context.isCurrent() && this.fullFileAccess() }
+    )
+  }
+
   private waitForDecision(
     pending: PendingFolderDecision,
     context: LocalFilePermissionContext
@@ -170,7 +179,7 @@ export class LocalFilePermissions {
     signal: AbortSignal
   ): Promise<void> {
     const context = await this.currentContext(contexts, signal)
-    if (await this.filesystem.nativeAccess(folder)) return
+    if (this.fullFileAccess() || (await this.filesystem.nativeAccess(folder))) return
     const root = await lstat(folder, { bigint: true })
     if (!root.isDirectory()) throw new Error('The folder is no longer available.')
     const displayedPath = JSON.stringify(folder).replace(
@@ -184,16 +193,42 @@ export class LocalFilePermissions {
       signal,
       title: 'Allow access to this folder?',
       message: displayedPath,
-      detail: `Sim can read files in this folder and its subfolders, use them across chats, and import them into your workspaces on ${context.origin}.\n\nManage or remove access in File → Folder Access.`,
-      buttons: ['Allow folder', "Don't allow"],
+      detail: `Sim can read and import files from this folder and its subfolders across chats on ${context.origin}.\n\nManage access in File → Folder Access.`,
+      buttons: [
+        'Allow folder',
+        "Don't allow",
+        ...(this.enableFullFileAccess ? ['Full file access'] : []),
+      ],
       defaultId: 1,
       cancelId: 1,
     }
-    const result = await (parent ? showShellDialog(parent, options) : showShellDialog(options))
-    signal.throwIfAborted()
-    if (result.response !== 0) throw new Error('The user did not allow this local file access.')
-    const current = await this.currentContext(contexts, signal)
-    await this.filesystem.grantDirectory({ path: folder }, current.generation, root)
+    while (true) {
+      await this.currentContext(contexts, signal)
+      const result = await (parent ? showShellDialog(parent, options) : showShellDialog(options))
+      signal.throwIfAborted()
+      if (result.response === 2 && this.enableFullFileAccess) {
+        const confirmation = {
+          signal,
+          title: 'Enable full file access?',
+          message: `Sim can read and import files from any folder on this computer across chats on ${context.origin}.`,
+          detail: 'Turn this off in Settings → Desktop → Full file access.',
+          buttons: ['Enable', 'Cancel'],
+          defaultId: 1,
+          cancelId: 1,
+        }
+        const answer = await (parent
+          ? showShellDialog(parent, confirmation)
+          : showShellDialog(confirmation))
+        await this.currentContext(contexts, signal)
+        if (answer.response !== 0) continue
+        this.enableFullFileAccess()
+        return
+      }
+      if (result.response !== 0) throw new Error('The user did not allow this local file access.')
+      const current = await this.currentContext(contexts, signal)
+      await this.filesystem.grantDirectory({ path: folder }, current.generation, root)
+      return
+    }
   }
 
   private async authorizedAccess(

apps/desktop/src/preload/index.ts

@@ -181,6 +181,13 @@ const api: SimDesktopApi = {
       ipcRenderer.invoke('desktop:settings:set', key, value),
     setFullFileAccess: (enabled: boolean): Promise<DesktopPreferences> =>
       ipcRenderer.invoke('desktop:settings:set-full-file-access', enabled),
+    onFullFileAccessChanged: (
+      callback: (preferences: DesktopPreferences) => void
+    ): (() => void) => {
+      const listener = (_event: unknown, preferences: DesktopPreferences) => callback(preferences)
+      ipcRenderer.on('desktop:settings:full-file-access-changed', listener)
+      return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener('desktop:settings:full-file-access-changed', listener)
+    },
     setPreventSleepWhileRunning: (enabled: boolean): Promise<DesktopPreferences> =>
       ipcRenderer.invoke('desktop:settings:set-prevent-sleep', enabled),
     setBrowserSearchSuggestionsEnabled: (enabled: boolean): Promise<DesktopPreferences> =>

apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-page-dialog.tsx

@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ export function BrowserPageDialogModal({ dialog, open, onAnswer }: BrowserPageDi
     <ChipConfirmModal
       open={open}
       onOpenChange={(nextOpen) => !nextOpen && answer(false)}
-      title='Leave site?'
-      text='Changes you made may not be saved.'
+      title='Leave page?'
+      text='Changes on this page may not be saved.'
       defaultAction='dismiss'
       dismissLabel='Stay'
       confirm={{ label: 'Leave', onClick: () => answer(true) }}