release: Code UX 0.9.4

[numnx]

Summary

Promotes dev to main for Code UX 0.9.4.

This release advances main from the merged v0.9.3 release commit 2b925a275976 to release branch commit def028b06cc0b. The package version moves from 0.9.3 to 0.9.4.

Release Snapshot

Item	Details
Version	0.9.4
Base	origin/main at 2b925a275976 (v0.9.3)
Content head	origin/dev at 4fbc0b03aeab
Release branch head	def028b06cc0b
Scope	193 files changed, 7,010 insertions, 1,276 deletions
Commit volume	37 non-merge commits plus 38 merge commits; 11 first-parent dev PRs since v0.9.3
Release branch	release/v0.9.4

Patch Notes

Dashboard Experience

• Refreshes Browser Preview with warmer shared surfaces, a cleaner no-preview state, right-column panels collapsed by default except Launch Container, linked-port visibility while collapsed, and session selection moved below the browser.
• Brings rich runtime widgets into normal chat threads by sharing the invocation transcript view-model for reasoning, tool-call, and planning cards.
• Hardens the Nodes/Memory Map page so canvas controls do not freeze, live-node data refreshes correctly, data loading resists races/thrash, and sidebar/filter controls expose clearer interaction states.
• Fixes the Electron title-bar Update button so it appears only when /api/system/update-status reports a real newer version, while keeping version-aware accessible labels and tests.
• Ensures the dashboard reply route grants its assigned agent full Code UX MCP access, scheduler_code_ux, and the default Playwright MCP server for dashboard chat turns.

Runtime and Orchestration Reliability

• Routes app-owned backend Git operations through containerized project helper containers instead of relying on host Git, improving Windows behavior and Docker-only readiness.
• Reworks workspace patch export/materialization to use direct Git argv calls and NUL pathspec files instead of shell scripts, reducing shell/path fragility.
• Refreshes origin before fresh Docker-backed planning runs in remote Git mode and seeds snapshots from explicit origin/<branch> refs.
• Centralizes Docker invocation workspace preparation across planning, task execution, QA, virtual-worker repair, dashboard/chat replies, worker inbox replies, project setup, and node-flow provider prompts.
• Enforces remote-only branch resolution for fresh REMOTE mode invocations while preserving restart/continue behavior for existing interrupted workspaces.
• Fixes a CLI task completion race where protocol/merge state could advance before CLI Git finalization recorded cli_git_pushed or cli_git_no_changes.
• Keeps temporary-worktree Git metadata valid for later helper-container Git calls.
• Keeps local Git mode dashboard reply and clarification worker snapshots on project-scoped local refs instead of requiring origin/<defaultBranch>.
• Preserves local Git policy through chat management and provider execution boundaries, including mockup CLI chat workers.

CI, E2E, and Release Infrastructure

• Splits Playwright E2E coverage into purpose-grouped projects for navigation, settings, projects/filesystem, tasks/sprints, advanced configuration, accessibility edge cases, and agents.
• Rebuilds Playwright CI to build once per OS, cache artifacts, and run E2E purpose groups in parallel across Linux, macOS, and Windows.
• Adds an npm-installed release smoke lane and a main-PR-only Electron desktop lane for Windows/macOS release coverage.
• Adds a 10-task mockup CI DAG lane for normal Docker-backed Node/npm-build validation.
• Defers Electron imports in the mockup DAG runner unless --runtime electron is requested, keeping normal CI on the Node runtime.
• Splits the Electron binary download cache from broad build caches and hydrates the Electron binary in an explicit CI step so release version bumps do not force the long download inside the Windows DAG run.

Provider and Model Catalog Updates

• Refreshes the vendored models.dev catalog after upstream model metadata changes.
• Keeps provider workspace setup behavior consistent across fresh invocations and continuation/restart paths.

Documentation

• Updates canonical docs and docs-web mirrors for Browser Preview layout, chat-thread rich widgets, Memory Map interaction/performance behavior, Docker-only readiness, containerized helper Git, remote invocation workspace policy, dashboard reply MCP defaults, E2E test organization, release-lane CI behavior, and update-status title-bar behavior.

Fixes

Dashboard Fixes

• Fixed Browser Preview layout friction by moving the session rail below the browser and reducing empty-state chrome.
• Fixed chat threads so provider reasoning/tool/planning widgets render consistently outside the invocation transcript surface.
• Fixed Nodes/Memory Map freezes and data-loading race conditions when interacting with controls.
• Fixed the desktop Update affordance incorrectly showing as available on the current version.
• Fixed assigned dashboard reply agents without saved MCP policy missing the default Playwright MCP server while handling dashboard chat turns.

Runtime Fixes

• Fixed host-Git and shell assumptions in backend Git paths that could fail on Windows or with host-shaped temporary paths.
• Fixed fresh remote-mode Docker invocations seeding from local branches/current checkout instead of explicit remote refs.
• Fixed inconsistent workspace preparation across provider invocation call paths by moving them through one shared preparer.
• Fixed CLI orchestration merge-state timing so merge/conflict state is not reported before branch materialization/finalization finishes.
• Fixed local Git mode chat worker invocations failing when origin/<defaultBranch> is absent by preserving project-scoped local Git policy through provider workspace preparation.
• Fixed provider execution dropping the prepared Git policy before Docker snapshot setup, which could make local mockup CLI chat workers behave like remote-only workers.
• Fixed dashboard chat dependency wiring so chat workers resolve project-scoped dashboard settings instead of default system settings.

CI and Test Fixes

• Fixed mockup CI DAG runtime loading so normal DAG validation no longer imports Electron dependencies at module load.
• Fixed Playwright release coverage organization by using explicit purpose groups and cross-OS cache reuse.
• Fixed workflow-health coverage for release, Playwright, cache, audit, Electron binary cache, and Electron lane invariants.
• Fixed Electron CI DAG caching so the Electron binary cache is keyed independently from version-changing package metadata.

Validation

Local validation on release/v0.9.4:

pnpm run lint
pnpm run test:backend
pnpm run build

Result: passed.

• pnpm run lint: passed (tsc --noEmit).
• pnpm run test:backend: passed, 389 test files, 4,884 tests passed, 7 skipped.
• pnpm run build: passed, server and dashboard production build completed.
• Focused regression tests passed for dashboard factory scoped settings, dashboard reply MCP defaults, chat runtime MCP forwarding, and workflow-health Electron cache invariants.

GitHub validation is pending on this release PR and must pass before merge, including Typecheck & Lint, Backend Tests & Coverage, Dashboard Tests, Build, Security Audit, Playwright E2E, Release Checks, CodeQL, and release-version gates.

Risk and Rollback

• Primary risk is concentrated in Docker-backed workspace preparation, remote Git materialization, orchestration finalization timing, dashboard reply MCP defaults, and the expanded E2E/release workflow shape.
• Rollback path: revert this release promotion PR from main and keep dev available for targeted follow-up fixes.
• Operational follow-up: monitor approved local test-project sprints through fresh remote invocation, restart/continue, QA follow-up, final Git materialization, and CI DAG completion after merge.

Full Merged PR Patch Log

• Sprint 195: Rich Widgets Chat Threads — merge feature/CODUX-195-rich-widgets-chat-threads into dev #2748 Sprint 195: Rich Widgets Chat Threads — Sprint 195: Rich Widgets Chat Threads — merge feature/CODUX-195-rich-widgets-chat-threads into dev #2748
• Sprint 194: Enhance Browser Preview — merge feature/CODUX-194-enhance-browser-preview into dev #2750 Sprint 194: Enhance Browser Preview — Sprint 194: Enhance Browser Preview — merge feature/CODUX-194-enhance-browser-preview into dev #2750
• fix: route git through project helper containers #2757 fix: route git through project helper containers — fix: route git through project helper containers #2757
• Sprint 197: Nodes page — merge feature/CODUX-197-nodes-page into dev #2761 Sprint 197: Nodes page — Sprint 197: Nodes page — merge feature/CODUX-197-nodes-page into dev #2761
• chore: sync main fixes into dev #2763 chore: sync main fixes into dev — chore: sync main fixes into dev #2763
• Sprint 196: Extend e2e Tests — merge feature/CODUX-196-extend-e2e-tests into dev #2764 Sprint 196: Extend e2e Tests — Sprint 196: Extend e2e Tests — merge feature/CODUX-196-extend-e2e-tests into dev #2764
• chore: update models.dev catalogue #2749 chore: update models.dev catalogue — chore: update models.dev catalogue #2749
• fix: refresh remote planning snapshots #2768 fix: refresh remote planning snapshots — fix: refresh remote planning snapshots #2768
• Sprint 199: Fix Update Button — merge feature/CODUX-199-fix-update-button into dev #2774 Sprint 199: Fix Update Button — Sprint 199: Fix Update Button — merge feature/CODUX-199-fix-update-button into dev #2774
• fix: unify remote invocation workspaces #2773 fix: unify remote invocation workspaces — fix: unify remote invocation workspaces #2773
• fix: harden CI DAG orchestration race #2775 fix: harden CI DAG orchestration race — fix: harden CI DAG orchestration race #2775

Release Branch Commits

• def028b06 2026-07-09 fix: scope dashboard chat runtime defaults
• bc088f59a 2026-07-09 fix: preserve local git policy for chat workers
• 055ba3faf 2026-07-09 fix: harden local git release paths
• 82624e5a0 2026-07-09 release: Code UX 0.9.4