Centralize terminal history/scrollback/buffer limits into config (no behavior change)

src/config/buffer-limits.ts

@@ -9,29 +9,31 @@
  * - Terminal buffer: 2MB max × 20 = 40MB worst case
  * - Text output: 1MB max × 20 = 20MB worst case
  * - Messages: ~1KB each × 1000 × 20 = 20MB worst case
- * - Total buffer overhead: ~80MB (acceptable for long-running server)
+ * - Total buffer overhead: ~80MB (acceptable for a long-running server)
  *
  * @module config/buffer-limits
  */
 
+import { DEFAULT_TERMINAL_BUFFER_MAX_BYTES, DEFAULT_TERMINAL_BUFFER_TRIM_BYTES } from './terminal-history.js';
+
 // ============================================================================
 // Terminal Buffer Limits
 // ============================================================================
 
 /**
  * Maximum terminal buffer size in characters.
  * Contains raw terminal output with ANSI escape sequences.
- * Reduced from 5MB to 2MB for better render performance.
+ * Sourced from terminal-history config (env/settings overridable).
  * Override: CODEMAN_MAX_TERMINAL_BUFFER (bytes)
  */
-export const MAX_TERMINAL_BUFFER_SIZE = parseInt(process.env.CODEMAN_MAX_TERMINAL_BUFFER || '') || 2 * 1024 * 1024;
+export const MAX_TERMINAL_BUFFER_SIZE = DEFAULT_TERMINAL_BUFFER_MAX_BYTES;
 
 /**
  * Size to trim terminal buffer to when max is exceeded.
  * Keeps the most recent portion to preserve context.
  * Override: CODEMAN_TRIM_TERMINAL_TO (bytes)
  */
-export const TRIM_TERMINAL_TO = parseInt(process.env.CODEMAN_TRIM_TERMINAL_TO || '') || 1.5 * 1024 * 1024;
+export const TRIM_TERMINAL_TO = DEFAULT_TERMINAL_BUFFER_TRIM_BYTES;
 
 // ============================================================================
 // Text Output Buffer Limits

src/config/terminal-history.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+/**
+ * Defaults, bounds, and resolution for terminal history retention.
+ *
+ * Centralizes the terminal scrollback, tmux history-limit, and server PTY buffer
+ * byte caps that were previously scattered as hardcoded literals. Each value is
+ * overridable (env var or the settings object) and clamped to a sane range via
+ * resolveTerminalHistoryConfig(). Defaults intentionally match the prior
+ * hardcoded values, so introducing this module is behavior-neutral.
+ */
+
+export const DEFAULT_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES = 50_000;
+export const DEFAULT_TMUX_HISTORY_LIMIT = 50_000;
+export const DEFAULT_TERMINAL_BUFFER_MAX_BYTES =
+  parseInt(process.env.CODEMAN_MAX_TERMINAL_BUFFER || '', 10) || 2 * 1024 * 1024;
+export const DEFAULT_TERMINAL_BUFFER_TRIM_BYTES =
+  parseInt(process.env.CODEMAN_TRIM_TERMINAL_TO || '', 10) || 1.5 * 1024 * 1024;
+
+export const MIN_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES = 1_000;
+export const MAX_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES = 1_000_000;
+export const MIN_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES = 1024 * 1024;
+export const MAX_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES = 128 * 1024 * 1024;
+
+export interface TerminalHistoryConfig {
+  terminalScrollbackLines: number;
+  tmuxHistoryLimit: number;
+  terminalBufferMaxBytes: number;
+  terminalBufferTrimBytes: number;
+}
+
+function boundedInt(value: unknown, fallback: number, min: number, max: number): number {
+  if (typeof value !== 'number' || !Number.isFinite(value)) return fallback;
+  return Math.max(min, Math.min(max, Math.trunc(value)));
+}
+
+export function resolveTerminalHistoryConfig(settings: Record<string, unknown> = {}): TerminalHistoryConfig {
+  const terminalBufferMaxBytes = boundedInt(
+    settings.terminalBufferMaxBytes,
+    DEFAULT_TERMINAL_BUFFER_MAX_BYTES,
+    MIN_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES,
+    MAX_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES
+  );
+  const terminalBufferTrimBytes = boundedInt(
+    settings.terminalBufferTrimBytes,
+    Math.min(DEFAULT_TERMINAL_BUFFER_TRIM_BYTES, terminalBufferMaxBytes),
+    MIN_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES,
+    terminalBufferMaxBytes
+  );
+
+  return {
+    terminalScrollbackLines: boundedInt(
+      settings.terminalScrollbackLines,
+      DEFAULT_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES,
+      MIN_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES,
+      MAX_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES
+    ),
+    tmuxHistoryLimit: boundedInt(
+      settings.tmuxHistoryLimit,
+      DEFAULT_TMUX_HISTORY_LIMIT,
+      MIN_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES,
+      MAX_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES
+    ),
+    terminalBufferMaxBytes,
+    terminalBufferTrimBytes,
+  };
+}

src/mux-interface.ts

@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ export interface CreateSessionOptions {
   envOverrides?: Record<string, string>;
   /** Claude CLI effort level, injected as a `--settings` soft default (overridable via /effort in-session) */
   effort?: EffortLevel;
+  /** tmux history-limit (scrollback lines) to set for this session. */
+  historyLimit?: number;
 }
 
 /** Options for respawning a dead pane. */
@@ -92,6 +94,8 @@ export interface RespawnPaneOptions {
   envOverrides?: Record<string, string>;
   /** Claude CLI effort level (preserved across respawns, injected via `--settings`) */
   effort?: EffortLevel;
+  /** tmux history-limit (scrollback lines) to set for this session after respawn. */
+  historyLimit?: number;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -170,6 +174,9 @@ export interface TerminalMultiplexer extends EventEmitter {
   /** Update Ralph enabled state for a session */
   updateRalphEnabled(sessionId: string, enabled: boolean): void;
 
+  /** Apply a tmux history-limit to all tracked sessions. */
+  setHistoryLimit(limit: number): Promise<void>;
+
   // ========== Discovery ==========
 
   /**

src/session.ts

@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ import {
   MAX_MESSAGES,
   MAX_LINE_BUFFER_SIZE,
 } from './config/buffer-limits.js';
+import { DEFAULT_TMUX_HISTORY_LIMIT } from './config/terminal-history.js';
 import { EXEC_TIMEOUT_MS } from './config/exec-timeout.js';
 import {
   buildInteractiveArgs,
@@ -381,6 +382,9 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
   // the CLAUDE_CODE_EFFORT_LEVEL env var, which would hard-lock the session.
   private _effort: EffortLevel | undefined;
 
+  // tmux history-limit (scrollback lines) applied to this session's pane.
+  private readonly _tmuxHistoryLimit: number;
+
   // Session color for visual differentiation
   private _color: import('./types.js').SessionColor = 'default';
 
@@ -448,6 +452,8 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
       envOverrides?: Record<string, string>;
       /** Claude CLI effort level (soft default via --settings, switchable in-session via /effort) */
       effort?: EffortLevel;
+      /** tmux history-limit (scrollback lines) for this session's pane. */
+      tmuxHistoryLimit?: number;
       /** Restored per-session attachment history. May include server-private external paths. */
       attachmentHistory?: SessionAttachmentHistoryItem[];
     }
@@ -521,6 +527,7 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
     if (config.effort && isEffortLevel(config.effort)) {
       this._effort = config.effort;
     }
+    this._tmuxHistoryLimit = config.tmuxHistoryLimit ?? DEFAULT_TMUX_HISTORY_LIMIT;
     if (config.attachmentHistory && config.attachmentHistory.length > 0) {
       this.restoreAttachmentHistory(config.attachmentHistory);
     }
@@ -1274,6 +1281,7 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
             resumeSessionId: this._resumeSessionId,
             envOverrides: this._envOverrides,
             effort: this._effort,
+            historyLimit: this._tmuxHistoryLimit,
           },
           createSessionOptions: {
             sessionId: this.id,
@@ -1290,6 +1298,7 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
             resumeSessionId: this._resumeSessionId,
             envOverrides: this._envOverrides,
             effort: this._effort,
+            historyLimit: this._tmuxHistoryLimit,
           },
           spawnErrLabel: 'mux attachment',
         });
@@ -1627,6 +1636,7 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
             mode: 'shell',
             niceConfig: this._niceConfig,
             envOverrides: this._envOverrides,
+            historyLimit: this._tmuxHistoryLimit,
           },
           createSessionOptions: {
             sessionId: this.id,
@@ -1635,6 +1645,7 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
             name: this._name,
             niceConfig: this._niceConfig,
             envOverrides: this._envOverrides,
+            historyLimit: this._tmuxHistoryLimit,
           },
           spawnErrLabel: 'shell mux attachment',
         });

src/tmux-manager.ts

@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ import type {
 // ============================================================================
 
 import { EXEC_TIMEOUT_MS } from './config/exec-timeout.js';
+import { DEFAULT_TMUX_HISTORY_LIMIT } from './config/terminal-history.js';
 
 /** Delay after tmux session creation — enough for detached tmux to be queryable */
 const TMUX_CREATION_WAIT_MS = 100;
@@ -1057,6 +1058,7 @@ export class TmuxManager extends EventEmitter implements TerminalMultiplexer {
       resumeSessionId,
       envOverrides,
       effort,
+      historyLimit = DEFAULT_TMUX_HISTORY_LIMIT,
     } = options;
     const muxName = `codeman-${sessionId.slice(0, 8)}`;
 
@@ -1201,7 +1203,9 @@ export class TmuxManager extends EventEmitter implements TerminalMultiplexer {
           }),
         // Raise tmux scrollback from its 2000-line default so re-attach preserves
         // more context. Matches the xterm-side default in constants.js.
-        execAsync(`${this.tmux()} set-option -t "${muxName}" history-limit 50000`, { timeout: EXEC_TIMEOUT_MS })
+        execAsync(`${this.tmux()} set-option -t "${muxName}" history-limit ${historyLimit}`, {
+          timeout: EXEC_TIMEOUT_MS,
+        })
           .then(() => {})
           .catch(() => {
             /* Non-critical — falls back to tmux default */
@@ -1324,13 +1328,24 @@ export class TmuxManager extends EventEmitter implements TerminalMultiplexer {
       resumeSessionId,
       envOverrides,
       effort,
+      historyLimit = DEFAULT_TMUX_HISTORY_LIMIT,
     } = options;
     const session = this.sessions.get(sessionId);
     if (!session) return null;
     const muxName = session.muxName;
 
     if (!isValidMuxName(muxName) || !isValidPath(workingDir)) return null;
 
+    // Re-apply the configured tmux history-limit after respawn (kept in sync
+    // with the live setting via setHistoryLimit()).
+    if (!IS_TEST_MODE) {
+      await execAsync(`${this.tmux()} set-option -t ${shellescape(muxName)} history-limit ${historyLimit}`, {
+        timeout: EXEC_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      }).catch(() => {
+        /* Non-critical — keeps existing tmux history-limit */
+      });
+    }
+
     // Resolve CLI binary directory based on mode
     const { pathExport } = this.buildPathExport(mode);
 
@@ -1935,6 +1950,26 @@ export class TmuxManager extends EventEmitter implements TerminalMultiplexer {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Apply a tmux history-limit to all tracked sessions (e.g. when the user
+   * changes the terminal-history setting). Invalid limits fall back to the
+   * default. Best-effort per session.
+   */
+  async setHistoryLimit(limit: number): Promise<void> {
+    const safeLimit = Number.isSafeInteger(limit) && limit > 0 ? Math.trunc(limit) : DEFAULT_TMUX_HISTORY_LIMIT;
+
+    if (IS_TEST_MODE) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const updates = Array.from(this.sessions.values()).map((session) =>
+      execAsync(`${this.tmux()} set-option -t ${shellescape(session.muxName)} history-limit ${safeLimit}`, {
+        timeout: EXEC_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      })
+    );
+    await Promise.allSettled(updates);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Send input directly to a tmux session using `send-keys`.
    *

src/web/ports/config-port.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import type { ClaudeMode, NiceConfig } from '../../types.js';
 import type { StateStore } from '../../state-store.js';
+import type { TerminalHistoryConfig } from '../../config/terminal-history.js';
 
 export interface ConfigPort {
   readonly store: StateStore;
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ export interface ConfigPort {
   getGlobalNiceConfig(): Promise<NiceConfig | undefined>;
   getModelConfig(): Promise<{ defaultModel?: string; agentTypeOverrides?: Record<string, string> } | null>;
   getClaudeModeConfig(): Promise<{ claudeMode?: ClaudeMode; allowedTools?: string }>;
+  getTerminalHistoryConfig(): Promise<TerminalHistoryConfig>;
   getDefaultClaudeMdPath(): Promise<string | undefined>;
   getLightState(): unknown;
   getLightSessionsState(): unknown[];

src/web/routes/session-routes.ts

@@ -406,6 +406,7 @@ export function registerSessionRoutes(
               ? modelConfig?.defaultModel || undefined
               : undefined;
     const claudeModeConfig = await ctx.getClaudeModeConfig();
+    const terminalHistoryConfig = await ctx.getTerminalHistoryConfig();
     const session = new Session({
       workingDir,
       mode,
@@ -422,6 +423,7 @@ export function registerSessionRoutes(
       resumeSessionId: validatedResumeId,
       envOverrides: body.envOverrides,
       effort: body.effort,
+      tmuxHistoryLimit: terminalHistoryConfig.tmuxHistoryLimit,
     });
 
     ctx.addSession(session);
@@ -1362,6 +1364,7 @@ export function registerSessionRoutes(
               ? qsModelConfig?.defaultModel || undefined
               : undefined;
     const qsClaudeModeConfig = await ctx.getClaudeModeConfig();
+    const qsTerminalHistoryConfig = await ctx.getTerminalHistoryConfig();
     const session = new Session({
       workingDir: casePath,
       mux: ctx.mux,
@@ -1376,6 +1379,7 @@ export function registerSessionRoutes(
       geminiConfig: mode === 'gemini' ? geminiConfig : undefined,
       envOverrides,
       effort,
+      tmuxHistoryLimit: qsTerminalHistoryConfig.tmuxHistoryLimit,
     });
 
     // Auto-detect completion phrase from CLAUDE.md BEFORE broadcasting

src/web/routes/system-routes.ts

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ import type { SessionPort, EventPort, ConfigPort, InfraPort, AuthPort } from '..
 import { AUTH_COOKIE_NAME } from '../middleware/auth.js';
 import { QR_AUTH_FAILURE_MAX } from '../../config/tunnel-config.js';
 import { AUTH_SESSION_TTL_MS } from '../../config/auth-config.js';
+import { resolveTerminalHistoryConfig } from '../../config/terminal-history.js';
 
 // Maximum screenshot upload size (10MB)
 const MAX_SCREENSHOT_SIZE = 10 * 1024 * 1024;
@@ -624,6 +625,11 @@ export function registerSystemRoutes(
       const merged = { ...existing, ...settingsToStore };
       await fs.writeFile(SETTINGS_PATH, JSON.stringify(merged, null, 2));
 
+      // Apply a changed tmux history-limit to all live sessions immediately.
+      if (settings.tmuxHistoryLimit !== undefined) {
+        await ctx.mux.setHistoryLimit(resolveTerminalHistoryConfig(merged).tmuxHistoryLimit);
+      }
+
       // Handle subagent tracking toggle dynamically
       toggleService((settings.subagentTrackingEnabled as boolean) ?? true, subagentWatcher, 'Subagent watcher');
 

src/web/schemas.ts

@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@
 
 import { z } from 'zod';
 import { SAFE_PATH_PATTERN, isSafePushEndpoint } from '../utils/index.js';
+import {
+  MAX_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES,
+  MAX_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES,
+  MIN_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES,
+  MIN_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES,
+} from '../config/terminal-history.js';
 
 // ========== Path Validation ==========
 
@@ -412,6 +418,16 @@ export const SettingsUpdateSchema = z
     allowedTools: z.string().max(2000).optional(),
     // Codex CLI settings
     codexDangerouslyBypassApprovals: z.boolean().optional(),
+    // Terminal history and retention
+    terminalScrollbackLines: z
+      .number()
+      .int()
+      .min(MIN_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES)
+      .max(MAX_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES)
+      .optional(),
+    tmuxHistoryLimit: z.number().int().min(MIN_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES).max(MAX_TERMINAL_SCROLLBACK_LINES).optional(),
+    terminalBufferMaxBytes: z.number().int().min(MIN_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES).max(MAX_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES).optional(),
+    terminalBufferTrimBytes: z.number().int().min(MIN_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES).max(MAX_TERMINAL_BUFFER_BYTES).optional(),
     // CPU priority
     nice: z
       .object({
@@ -480,7 +496,20 @@ export const SettingsUpdateSchema = z
       .max(20)
       .optional(),
   })
-  .strict();
+  .strict()
+  .superRefine((settings, ctx) => {
+    if (
+      settings.terminalBufferMaxBytes !== undefined &&
+      settings.terminalBufferTrimBytes !== undefined &&
+      settings.terminalBufferTrimBytes > settings.terminalBufferMaxBytes
+    ) {
+      ctx.addIssue({
+        code: z.ZodIssueCode.custom,
+        path: ['terminalBufferTrimBytes'],
+        message: 'terminalBufferTrimBytes must be less than or equal to terminalBufferMaxBytes',
+      });
+    }
+  });
 
 /**
  * Schema for POST /api/sessions/:id/input with length limit