fix(terminal): migrate hidden delivery gate default

src/main/ipc/pty-hidden-delivery-gate.ts

@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ const droppedSinceHiddenPtys = new Set<string>()
 let droppedHiddenDeliveryChars = 0
 let droppedHiddenDeliveryChunks = 0
 
-/** Gate kill switches, both read main-side: the gate only operates under main
- *  side-effect authority AND the gate-specific setting (both default on). */
+/** The gate operates only when main side-effect authority and the gate setting are enabled. */
 export function isHiddenPtyDeliveryGateEnabled(
   settings: HiddenPtyDeliveryGateSettings | null | undefined
 ): boolean {

src/main/persistence.test.ts

@@ -7933,6 +7933,43 @@ describe('Store', () => {
     expect(store.getSettings().experimentalActivity).toBe(true)
   })
 
+  it('disables the generated hidden PTY delivery gate for existing profiles', async () => {
+    writeDataFile({
+      schemaVersion: 1,
+      repos: [],
+      worktreeMeta: {},
+      settings: { terminalHiddenDeliveryGate: true },
+      ui: {},
+      githubCache: { pr: {}, issue: {} },
+      workspaceSession: {}
+    })
+
+    const store = await createStore()
+
+    expect(store.getSettings().terminalHiddenDeliveryGate).toBe(false)
+    expect(store.getSettings().terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('preserves hidden PTY delivery gate opt-ins after the default-off migration', async () => {
+    writeDataFile({
+      schemaVersion: 1,
+      repos: [],
+      worktreeMeta: {},
+      settings: {
+        terminalHiddenDeliveryGate: true,
+        terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers: true
+      },
+      ui: {},
+      githubCache: { pr: {}, issue: {} },
+      workspaceSession: {}
+    })
+
+    const store = await createStore()
+
+    expect(store.getSettings().terminalHiddenDeliveryGate).toBe(true)
+    expect(store.getSettings().terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers).toBe(true)
+  })
+
   // ── worktree-card property migration ───────────────────────────────
 
   it('adds split-out default card properties for legacy detailed profiles', async () => {

src/main/persistence.ts

@@ -3290,6 +3290,15 @@ export class Store {
         const migratedExperimentalActivity = experimentalActivityDefaultedOffForAllUsers
           ? (parsed.settings?.experimentalActivity ?? false)
           : false
+        const terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers =
+          parsed.settings?.terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers === true
+        // Why: the old generated true is indistinguishable from an opt-in, so reset it once before preserving later overrides.
+        const migratedTerminalHiddenDeliveryGate = terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers
+          ? (parsed.settings?.terminalHiddenDeliveryGate ?? false)
+          : false
+        if (!terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers) {
+          this.loadNeedsSave = true
+        }
         const autoRenameBranchFromWorkDefaultedOn =
           parsed.settings?.autoRenameBranchFromWorkDefaultedOn === true
         // Why: default-on rollout activates old profiles once, but a later Settings opt-out survives reloads.
@@ -3503,6 +3512,8 @@ export class Store {
             ...migratedTerminalTuiScrollSensitivity.settings,
             experimentalActivity: migratedExperimentalActivity,
             experimentalActivityDefaultedOffForAllUsers: true,
+            terminalHiddenDeliveryGate: migratedTerminalHiddenDeliveryGate,
+            terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers: true,
             // Why: compact worktree cards graduated from Experimental; preserve the old opt-in for rollout-era profiles.
             compactWorktreeCards: loadedCompactWorktreeCards,
             experimentalCompactWorktreeCards: undefined,

src/shared/constants.test.ts

@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ describe('getDefaultSettings', () => {
     expect(getDefaultSettings('/tmp').terminalCursorStyleDefaultedToBlock).toBe(true)
   })
 
+  it('keeps hidden PTY bytes flowing to the renderer by default', () => {
+    expect(getDefaultSettings('/tmp').terminalHiddenDeliveryGate).toBe(false)
+    expect(getDefaultSettings('/tmp').terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers).toBe(true)
+  })
+
   it('allows OSC 52 clipboard writes by default for new settings', () => {
     expect(getDefaultSettings('/tmp').terminalAllowOsc52Clipboard).toBe(true)
     expect(getDefaultSettings('/tmp').terminalAllowOsc52ClipboardDefaultedOnForAllUsers).toBe(true)

src/shared/constants.ts

@@ -311,17 +311,9 @@ export function getDefaultSettings(homedir: string): GlobalSettings {
     terminalHiddenWorktreeRetentionBudget: true,
     browserGuestWorktreeRetentionBudget: true,
     terminalMainSideEffectAuthority: true,
-    // Why default off: dropping renderer-bound bytes leaves the renderer's xterm
-    // a second emulator that has seen a different stream than the model, and a
-    // gap can strand any carried state — a swallowed `ESC[22m` leaves bold on
-    // every later cell, a swallowed `ESC(B` leaves line-drawing on (STA-4042).
-    // Every recovery path then has to reconstruct state it cannot actually know.
-    // Feeding the emulator unconditionally and suspending only the *rendering*
-    // (pane-manager suspendRendering + WebGL retention already do this) removes
-    // the gap class outright rather than repairing it after the fact. The gate
-    // stays available for anyone who needs to trade that correctness for the
-    // hidden-pane IPC/parse saving.
+    // Why: keep hidden-pane xterm state synchronized while rendering remains suspended.
     terminalHiddenDeliveryGate: false,
+    terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers: true,
     terminalModelQueryAuthority: true,
     defaultTuiAgent: null,
     disabledTuiAgents: [...DEFAULT_DISABLED_TUI_AGENTS],

src/shared/types.ts

@@ -3009,6 +3009,8 @@ export type GlobalSettings = {
   terminalMainSideEffectAuthority?: boolean
   /** Kill switch for main's hidden-delivery gate (Phase 4): drops PTY bytes to hidden views after model ingestion; requires terminalMainSideEffectAuthority. */
   terminalHiddenDeliveryGate?: boolean
+  /** One-shot guard for defaulting the hidden-delivery gate off for existing profiles. */
+  terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers?: boolean
   /** Kill switch for main's model query responder (Phase 5); active only when both Phase-4 gates are also on. */
   terminalModelQueryAuthority?: boolean
   /** Which agent to pre-select in the new-workspace composer.