recodeee · NagyVikt · Apr 30, 2026 · Apr 30, 2026
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+tier: T2
+change: agent-codex-gx-dmux-home-launcher-2026-04-30-11-31
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# gx dmux home launcher task prompt
+
+## Why
+
+Plain `gx` and `gx agents start --panel` should feel like opening dmux first: show the GitGuardex home launcher immediately, then collect the task inside that launcher. The current parser and panel controller require a task before the panel can open, so the operator has to provide text before seeing the home screen.
+
+## What Changes
+
+- Allow `gx agents start --panel` to start without a task when an interactive panel or panel dry-run is requested.
+- Put empty-task panels into a task-input mode where printable keys build the task and Enter launches.
+- Route plain interactive `gx` to the same home panel instead of status output.
+- Preserve existing dry-run, multi-agent, claims, and non-panel start behavior.
+
+## Impact
+
+The change is isolated to agent launcher parsing, panel state handling, and focused CLI tests. It does not alter branch creation, locks, session metadata, finish flow, or non-panel agent startup.
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+## ADDED Requirements
+
+### Requirement: Empty panel prompts for task before launch
+
+`gx agents start --panel` SHALL allow the panel to open without a task and collect the task inside the launcher before creating any agent lane.
+
+#### Scenario: TTY panel starts in task input mode
+
+- **WHEN** an operator runs `gx agents start --panel` in a TTY
+- **THEN** the GitGuardex launcher SHALL render before any branch/worktree is created
+- **AND** the launcher SHALL show a task input prompt
+- **AND** printable keys SHALL update the task shown by the launcher
+- **AND** Enter SHALL launch only after the task is non-empty.
+
+#### Scenario: scripted panel dry-run renders home without task plans
+
+- **WHEN** `gx agents start --panel --dry-run` runs without a TTY and without a task
+- **THEN** the output SHALL render the GitGuardex home panel
+- **AND** the output SHALL not render dry-run branch plans until a task exists.
+
+### Requirement: Plain gx opens the interactive launcher home
+
+Plain interactive `gx` SHALL open the same GitGuardex home launcher instead of status output.
+
+#### Scenario: no-argument interactive gx shows home launcher
+
+- **WHEN** an operator runs `gx` with no arguments in a TTY
+- **THEN** the command SHALL open the interactive GitGuardex launcher
+- **AND** the launcher SHALL ask for the task before launch.
+
+#### Scenario: non-interactive gx keeps status behavior
+
+- **WHEN** `gx` runs with no arguments outside a TTY
+- **THEN** the command SHALL keep the existing status behavior.
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Tasks
+
+## 1. Spec
+
+- [x] 1.1 Capture empty-task launcher behavior.
+
+## 2. Tests
+
+- [x] 2.1 Cover task input reducer behavior for empty panels.
+- [x] 2.2 Cover `gx agents start --panel --dry-run` rendering home without a task.
+- [x] 2.3 Cover interactive empty-panel task entry before launch.
+- [x] 2.4 Cover parser acceptance for empty `--panel` starts.
+
+## 3. Implementation
+
+- [x] 3.1 Allow empty task only for panel starts.
+- [x] 3.2 Add task-input mode to the dmux-style panel controller.
+- [x] 3.3 Route plain interactive `gx` to the launcher home.
+
+## 4. Verification
+
+- [x] 4.1 Run focused Node tests.
+  - Evidence: `node --test test/agents-selection-panel.test.js test/agents-start-dry-run.test.js test/agents-start.test.js test/cli-args-dispatch.test.js test/agents-start-claims.test.js` passed (`33/33`).
+- [x] 4.2 Validate OpenSpec change.
+  - Evidence: `openspec validate agent-codex-gx-dmux-home-launcher-2026-04-30-11-31 --type change --strict` passed.
+- [x] 4.3 Smoke `gx agents start --panel --dry-run`.
+  - Evidence: `node bin/multiagent-safety.js agents --target /home/deadpool/Documents/recodee/gitguardex start --panel --dry-run` rendered the GitGuardex home panel with task input and no dry-run branch plans.
+
+## 5. Cleanup
+
+- [ ] 5.1 Run the finish pipeline: `gx branch finish --branch agent/codex/gx-dmux-home-launcher-2026-04-30-11-31 --base main --via-pr --wait-for-merge --cleanup`.
+- [ ] 5.2 Record PR URL, final `MERGED` state, and sandbox cleanup evidence.
@@ -103,14 +103,18 @@ function createAgentSelectionPanelState(options = {}) {
   const selections = normalizeAgentSelections({ ...options, maxSelected });
   const counts = countsFromSelections(selections);
   const firstSelectedIndex = definitions.findIndex((agent) => (counts[agent.id] || 0) > 0);
+  const task = String(options.task || '');
   return {
-    task: options.task || '',
+    task,
     base: options.base || '',
     claims: Array.isArray(options.claims) ? [...options.claims] : [],
     maxSelected,
     focusIndex: firstSelectedIndex >= 0 ? firstSelectedIndex : 0,
     counts,
-    message: '',
+    taskInputActive: Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(options, 'taskInputActive')
+      ? Boolean(options.taskInputActive)
+      : !task.trim(),
+    message: options.message || '',
   };
 }
 
@@ -144,17 +148,57 @@ function withCount(state, agentId, count, message = '') {
   };
 }
 
-function normalizePanelKey(value) {
+function rawPanelKey(value) {
   if (!value) return '';
-  const raw = Buffer.isBuffer(value) ? value.toString('utf8') : String(value);
+  return Buffer.isBuffer(value) ? value.toString('utf8') : String(value);
+}
+
+function normalizePanelKey(value) {
+  const raw = rawPanelKey(value);
   if (raw === '\u0003') return 'ctrl-c';
+  if (raw === '\u0015') return 'ctrl-u';
   if (raw === '\u001b') return 'escape';
   if (raw === '\r' || raw === '\n') return 'enter';
+  if (raw === '\u007f' || raw === '\b') return 'backspace';
   if (raw === '\u001b[A') return 'up';
   if (raw === '\u001b[B') return 'down';
   return raw.toLowerCase();
 }
 
+function printableTaskInput(value) {
+  const raw = rawPanelKey(value);
+  if (raw.length !== 1) return '';
+  const code = raw.charCodeAt(0);
+  if (code < 32 || code > 126) return '';
+  return raw;
+}
+
+function taskLaunchState(state) {
+  const task = String(state.task || '').trim();
+  if (!task) {
+    return {
+      state: {
+        ...state,
+        taskInputActive: true,
+        message: 'Type a task before launch.',
+      },
+      action: 'render',
+    };
+  }
+  if (selectedCountFromPanelState(state) <= 0) {
+    return { state: { ...state, message: 'Select at least one agent before launch.' }, action: 'render' };
+  }
+  return {
+    state: {
+      ...state,
+      task,
+      taskInputActive: false,
+      message: '',
+    },
+    action: 'launch',
+  };
+}
+
 function applyAgentSelectionKey(state = {}, rawKey) {
   const definitions = getAgentDefinitions();
   const current = {
@@ -165,14 +209,45 @@ function applyAgentSelectionKey(state = {}, rawKey) {
   };
   const key = normalizePanelKey(rawKey);
 
-  if (key === 'ctrl-c' || key === 'escape' || key === 'q') {
+  if (key === 'ctrl-c' || key === 'escape' || (!current.taskInputActive && key === 'q')) {
     return { state: current, action: 'cancel' };
   }
-  if (key === 'enter' || key === 'n') {
-    if (selectedCountFromPanelState(current) <= 0) {
-      return { state: { ...current, message: 'Select at least one agent before launch.' }, action: 'render' };
+
+  if (current.taskInputActive) {
+    if (key === 'enter') {
+      return taskLaunchState(current);
+    }
+    if (key === 'backspace') {
+      return {
+        state: {
+          ...current,
+          task: String(current.task || '').slice(0, -1),
+          message: '',
+        },
+        action: 'render',
+      };
     }
-    return { state: current, action: 'launch' };
+    if (key === 'ctrl-u') {
+      return { state: { ...current, task: '', message: '' }, action: 'render' };
+    }
+
+    const input = printableTaskInput(rawKey);
+    if (input) {
+      return {
+        state: {
+          ...current,
+          task: `${current.task || ''}${input}`,
+          message: '',
+        },
+        action: 'render',
+      };
+    }
+
+    return { state: current, action: 'render' };
+  }
+
+  if (key === 'enter' || key === 'n') {
+    return taskLaunchState(current);
   }
   if (key === 'up' || key === 'k') {
     return {
@@ -289,6 +364,7 @@ function renderSidebarRows(options, selections, definitions, width, height) {
     ? options.claims.join(', ')
     : 'none';
   const topBars = '█'.repeat(Math.max(0, width - 13));
+  const taskText = options.task ? options.task : (options.taskInputActive ? '_' : '-');
   const rows = [
     `─ gx ${'─'.repeat(Math.max(0, width - 5))}`,
     `▦ gitguardex ${topBars}`.slice(0, width),
@@ -306,11 +382,13 @@ function renderSidebarRows(options, selections, definitions, width, height) {
     }),
     '',
     '  Settings',
-    `  task: ${options.task || '-'}`,
+    `  task: ${taskText}`,
     `  base: ${options.base || 'current branch'}`,
     `  Codex accounts: ${codexAccounts}`,
     `  claims: ${claims}`,
-    options.message ? `  status: ${options.message}` : '',
+    options.message
+      ? `  status: ${options.message}`
+      : (options.taskInputActive ? '  status: Type task, then Enter.' : ''),
   ];
 
   while (rows.length < height - 5) {
@@ -345,7 +423,9 @@ function renderLogoCardRows(options, selections, width) {
     centerLine('gitguardex', innerWidth),
     centerLine('AI developer agent guardrail multiplexer', innerWidth),
     centerLine(`Select Agent(s) · Selected: ${total}/${maxSelected}`, innerWidth),
-    centerLine('Press [n] or Enter to create a new agent', innerWidth),
+    centerLine(options.taskInputActive
+      ? 'Type task, then press Enter'
+      : 'Press [n] or Enter to create a new agent', innerWidth),
   ];
 
   return [
@@ -393,7 +473,10 @@ function renderDmuxAgentSelectionPanel(options = {}) {
   const mainWidth = Math.max(42, width - sidebarWidth - 1);
   const sidebar = renderSidebarRows({ ...options, maxSelected }, selections, definitions, sidebarWidth, height);
   const main = renderMainRows({ ...options, maxSelected }, selections, mainWidth, height);
-  const keyLine = padLine(' ↑/↓ navigate · Space toggle · +/- Codex accounts · [n]/Enter launch · ESC cancel ', width);
+  const keyText = options.taskInputActive
+    ? ' Type task · Backspace edit · Enter launch · ESC cancel '
+    : ' ↑/↓ navigate · Space toggle · +/- Codex accounts · [n]/Enter launch · ESC cancel ';
+  const keyLine = padLine(keyText, width);
   const lines = [];
 
   for (let index = 0; index < height; index += 1) {
@@ -438,7 +521,9 @@ function renderAgentSelectionPanel(options = {}) {
     `claims: ${claims}`,
     options.message ? `status: ${options.message}` : null,
     '',
-    '↑/↓ navigate · Space toggle · +/- Codex accounts · [n]/Enter launch · ESC cancel',
+    options.taskInputActive
+      ? 'Type task · Backspace edit · Enter launch · ESC cancel'
+      : '↑/↓ navigate · Space toggle · +/- Codex accounts · [n]/Enter launch · ESC cancel',
   ].filter((row) => row !== null);
   return `${framePanel('Select Agent(s)', rows)}\n`;
 }
@@ -452,6 +537,7 @@ function renderInteractiveAgentSelectionPanel(state = {}, options = {}) {
     selections: selectionsFromPanelState(state),
     focusedAgentId: focusedAgent(state)?.id,
     message: state.message,
+    taskInputActive: state.taskInputActive,
     ...options,
   });
 }

@@ -157,6 +157,17 @@ function renderDryRunPlan(plan) {
 }
 
 function dryRunStart(options, repoRoot) {
+  const hasTask = Boolean(String(options.task || '').trim());
+  if (options.panel && !hasTask && !options.json) {
+    return renderAgentSelectionPanel({
+      task: '',
+      base: options.base,
+      claims: options.claims,
+      selections: normalizeAgentSelections(options),
+      taskInputActive: true,
+    });
+  }
+
   const launchOptions = buildLaunchOptions(options);
   const plans = launchOptions.map((launchOption) => buildStartPlan(launchOption, repoRoot));
   if (options.json) {
@@ -196,6 +207,7 @@ function panelOptions(options, state) {
   const first = selectionsFromPanelState(state)[0];
   return {
     ...options,
+    task: String(state.task || '').trim(),
     agent: first ? first.agent.id : options.agent,
     count: 1,
     agentSelectionSpecs: specs,
@@ -204,6 +216,13 @@ function panelOptions(options, state) {
 
 function executePanelSelection(repoRoot, options, state, deps = {}) {
   const selectedOptions = panelOptions(options, state);
+  if (!selectedOptions.task) {
+    return {
+      status: 1,
+      stdout: '',
+      stderr: `[${TOOL_NAME}] Agent launch requires a task.\n`,
+    };
+  }
   if (selectedOptions.dryRun) {
     return {
       status: 0,
@@ -222,7 +241,7 @@ function writeStream(stream, value) {
 }
 
 function shouldUseInteractivePanel(options = {}, stdin = process.stdin, stdout = process.stdout) {
-  return Boolean(options.panel && options.task && stdin && stdin.isTTY && stdout && stdout.isTTY);
+  return Boolean(options.panel && stdin && stdin.isTTY && stdout && stdout.isTTY);
 }
 
 function startInteractiveAgentPanel(repoRoot, options, deps = {}) {

@@ -515,17 +515,18 @@ function parseAgentsArgs(rawArgs) {
   if (options.dryRun && !['start', 'cleanup-sessions'].includes(options.subcommand)) {
     throw new Error('--dry-run is only supported with `gx agents start|cleanup-sessions`');
   }
-  if (options.subcommand === 'start' && options.dryRun && !options.task) {
+  if (options.subcommand === 'start' && options.dryRun && !options.task && !(options.panel && !options.json)) {
     throw new Error('gx agents start --dry-run requires a task');
   }
   if (
     options.subcommand === 'start' &&
     !options.task &&
-    (options.agentSelectionSpecs.length > 0 || options.count !== 1 || options.panel)
+    !options.panel &&
+    (options.agentSelectionSpecs.length > 0 || options.count !== 1)
   ) {
-    throw new Error('gx agents start --agents|--count|--panel requires a task');
+    throw new Error('gx agents start --agents|--count requires a task');
   }
-  if (options.claims.length > 0 && !options.task) {
+  if (options.claims.length > 0 && !options.task && !options.panel) {
     throw new Error('gx agents start --claim requires a task');
   }
   if (['files', 'diff', 'locks'].includes(options.subcommand) && !options.branch) {

@@ -2673,7 +2673,7 @@ function agents(rawArgs) {
   }
 
   if (options.subcommand === 'start') {
-    if (options.task && agentsStart.shouldUseInteractivePanel(options, process.stdin, process.stdout)) {
+    if (agentsStart.shouldUseInteractivePanel(options, process.stdin, process.stdout)) {
       agentsStart.startInteractiveAgentPanel(repoRoot, options, {
         onDone(result) {
           process.exitCode = result.status;
@@ -2687,6 +2687,11 @@ function agents(rawArgs) {
       process.exitCode = 0;
       return;
     }
+    if (options.panel && !options.task) {
+      process.stderr.write('[gitguardex] gx agents start --panel requires an interactive terminal when no task is provided.\n');
+      process.exitCode = 1;
+      return;
+    }
     if (options.task) {
       const result = agentsStart.startAgentLane(repoRoot, options);
       if (result.stdout) process.stdout.write(result.stdout);
@@ -3744,6 +3749,16 @@ async function main() {
   const args = process.argv.slice(2);
 
   if (args.length === 0) {
+    if (isInteractiveTerminal()) {
+      const options = parseAgentsArgs(['start', '--panel']);
+      const repoRoot = resolveRepoRoot(options.target);
+      agentsStart.startInteractiveAgentPanel(repoRoot, options, {
+        onDone(result) {
+          process.exitCode = result.status;
+        },
+      });
+      return;
+    }
     toolchainModule.maybeSelfUpdateBeforeStatus();
     toolchainModule.maybeOpenSpecUpdateBeforeStatus();
     const statusPayload = status([]);
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
		@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
		tier: T2
		change: agent-codex-gx-dmux-home-launcher-2026-04-30-11-31