fix(file-explorer): open symlink files when stat fails (#11670)

* fix(file-explorer): open symlink files when stat fails

* fix(file-explorer): grant symlink targets path access on activation

Following a symlink out of the workspace was denied by the main-process
path allow-list, so both the stat and the file read failed. Activating the
row is explicit intent, so authorize the target the way terminal links and
Quick Open already do.

---------

Co-authored-by: Brennan Benson <79079362+brennanb2025@users.noreply.github.com>

src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/FileExplorer.tsx

@@ -504,6 +504,7 @@ function FileExplorerFiles(): React.JSX.Element {
       toggleDir: hasNameFilter ? handleToggleNameFilterDir : toggleDir,
       loadDir,
       statPath,
+      authorizeExternalPath: window.api.fs.authorizeExternalPath,
       markPathAsDirectory,
       setSelectedPath: setSingleSelectedPath,
       scrollRef

src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/file-explorer-deferred-dir-toggle.test.ts

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ function renderHandlers(toggleDir: (worktreeId: string, dirPath: string) => void
       toggleDir,
       loadDir: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(true),
       statPath: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ isDirectory: true }),
+      authorizeExternalPath: vi.fn(),
       markPathAsDirectory: vi.fn(),
       setSelectedPath: vi.fn(),
       scrollRef: createRef<HTMLDivElement>()

src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/file-explorer-drag-scroll-marker.test.tsx

@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ function HandlersProbe({ scrollRef }: { scrollRef: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElemen
     toggleDir: vi.fn(),
     loadDir: vi.fn(),
     statPath: vi.fn(),
+    authorizeExternalPath: vi.fn(),
     markPathAsDirectory: vi.fn(),
     setSelectedPath: vi.fn(),
     scrollRef

src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileExplorerHandlers.test.ts

@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ describe('activateFileExplorerNode', () => {
       canToggleDirectories: false,
       loadDir: vi.fn(),
       statPath: vi.fn(),
+      authorizeExternalPath: vi.fn(),
       markPathAsDirectory: vi.fn(),
       setSelectedPath
     })
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ describe('activateFileExplorerNode', () => {
       toggleDir,
       loadDir,
       statPath: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ isDirectory: true }),
+      authorizeExternalPath: vi.fn(),
       markPathAsDirectory,
       setSelectedPath: vi.fn()
     })
@@ -95,6 +97,7 @@ describe('activateFileExplorerNode', () => {
       toggleDir: vi.fn(),
       loadDir: vi.fn(),
       statPath: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ isDirectory: false }),
+      authorizeExternalPath: vi.fn(),
       markPathAsDirectory: vi.fn(),
       setSelectedPath: vi.fn()
     })
@@ -112,6 +115,139 @@ describe('activateFileExplorerNode', () => {
     )
   })
 
+  it('opens a symlink as a file when target stat fails', async () => {
+    const openFile = vi.fn()
+    useAppStore.setState({
+      worktreesByRepo: {
+        'repo-1': [
+          {
+            id: 'wt-1',
+            repoId: 'repo-1',
+            path: '/repo',
+            hostId: 'runtime:runtime-env-1'
+          } as never
+        ]
+      }
+    })
+
+    await activateFileExplorerNode({
+      node: symlinkNode,
+      activeWorktreeId: 'wt-1',
+      runtimeEnvironmentId: 'runtime-env-1',
+      openFile,
+      toggleDir: vi.fn(),
+      loadDir: vi.fn(),
+      statPath: vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('stat failed')),
+      authorizeExternalPath: vi.fn(),
+      markPathAsDirectory: vi.fn(),
+      setSelectedPath: vi.fn()
+    })
+
+    expect(openFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      {
+        filePath: '/repo/linked-docs',
+        relativePath: 'linked-docs',
+        worktreeId: 'wt-1',
+        runtimeEnvironmentId: 'runtime-env-1',
+        language: expect.any(String),
+        mode: 'edit'
+      },
+      { preview: true, focusEditor: true, suppressActiveRuntimeFallback: false }
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('grants the symlink target local path access before resolving it', async () => {
+    const order: string[] = []
+    const authorizeExternalPath = vi.fn(async () => {
+      order.push('authorize')
+    })
+    const statPath = vi.fn(async () => {
+      order.push('stat')
+      return { isDirectory: false }
+    })
+    const openFile = vi.fn()
+    useAppStore.setState({
+      worktreesByRepo: {
+        'repo-1': [{ id: 'wt-1', repoId: 'repo-1', path: '/repo', hostId: 'local' } as never]
+      }
+    })
+
+    await activateFileExplorerNode({
+      node: { ...symlinkNode, operationOwner: { kind: 'local' } },
+      activeWorktreeId: 'wt-1',
+      runtimeEnvironmentId: null,
+      openFile,
+      toggleDir: vi.fn(),
+      loadDir: vi.fn(),
+      statPath,
+      authorizeExternalPath,
+      markPathAsDirectory: vi.fn(),
+      setSelectedPath: vi.fn()
+    })
+
+    // Why: the grant has to land before the stat, or the allow-list denies the
+    // target and the row can never open.
+    expect(order).toEqual(['authorize', 'stat'])
+    expect(authorizeExternalPath).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ targetPath: '/repo/linked-docs' })
+    expect(openFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
+  it('still opens the symlink when the path grant itself fails', async () => {
+    const openFile = vi.fn()
+    useAppStore.setState({
+      worktreesByRepo: {
+        'repo-1': [{ id: 'wt-1', repoId: 'repo-1', path: '/repo', hostId: 'local' } as never]
+      }
+    })
+
+    await activateFileExplorerNode({
+      node: { ...symlinkNode, operationOwner: { kind: 'local' } },
+      activeWorktreeId: 'wt-1',
+      runtimeEnvironmentId: null,
+      openFile,
+      toggleDir: vi.fn(),
+      loadDir: vi.fn(),
+      statPath: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ isDirectory: false }),
+      authorizeExternalPath: vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('ipc unavailable')),
+      markPathAsDirectory: vi.fn(),
+      setSelectedPath: vi.fn()
+    })
+
+    // Why: a rejected grant must degrade to the editor's real error, not a dead click.
+    expect(openFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
+  it('leaves symlink authorization to the host for a remote-owned workspace', async () => {
+    const authorizeExternalPath = vi.fn()
+    useAppStore.setState({
+      worktreesByRepo: {
+        'repo-1': [
+          {
+            id: 'wt-1',
+            repoId: 'repo-1',
+            path: '/repo',
+            hostId: 'runtime:runtime-env-1'
+          } as never
+        ]
+      }
+    })
+
+    await activateFileExplorerNode({
+      node: symlinkNode,
+      activeWorktreeId: 'wt-1',
+      runtimeEnvironmentId: 'runtime-env-1',
+      openFile: vi.fn(),
+      toggleDir: vi.fn(),
+      loadDir: vi.fn(),
+      statPath: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ isDirectory: false }),
+      authorizeExternalPath,
+      markPathAsDirectory: vi.fn(),
+      setSelectedPath: vi.fn()
+    })
+
+    expect(authorizeExternalPath).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
   it('opens local files without runtime fallback when no runtime owner is set', async () => {
     const fileNode: TreeNode = {
       name: 'README.md',
@@ -136,6 +272,7 @@ describe('activateFileExplorerNode', () => {
       toggleDir: vi.fn(),
       loadDir: vi.fn(),
       statPath: vi.fn(),
+      authorizeExternalPath: vi.fn(),
       markPathAsDirectory: vi.fn(),
       setSelectedPath: vi.fn()
     })

src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileExplorerHandlers.ts

@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ type UseFileExplorerHandlersParams = {
     options?: { force?: boolean; failOnError?: boolean }
   ) => Promise<boolean>
   statPath: (path: string) => Promise<{ isDirectory: boolean }>
+  authorizeExternalPath: (args: { targetPath: string }) => Promise<void>
   markPathAsDirectory: (path: string) => void
   setSelectedPath: (path: string) => void
   scrollRef: RefObject<HTMLDivElement | null>
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ export async function activateFileExplorerNode(args: {
   canToggleDirectories?: boolean
   loadDir: UseFileExplorerHandlersParams['loadDir']
   statPath: UseFileExplorerHandlersParams['statPath']
+  authorizeExternalPath: UseFileExplorerHandlersParams['authorizeExternalPath']
   markPathAsDirectory: (path: string) => void
   setSelectedPath: (path: string) => void
 }): Promise<void> {
@@ -75,6 +77,7 @@ export async function activateFileExplorerNode(args: {
     canToggleDirectories = true,
     loadDir,
     statPath,
+    authorizeExternalPath,
     markPathAsDirectory,
     setSelectedPath
   } = args
@@ -94,15 +97,16 @@ export async function activateFileExplorerNode(args: {
     // them only after the user explicitly activates the row.
     let targetIsDirectory = false
     try {
+      // Why: activation is explicit intent to follow the link, so grant its target the
+      // access a terminal-link click already grants. Remote owners skip it — the
+      // relay/runtime is their security boundary.
+      if (node.operationOwner?.kind === 'local') {
+        await authorizeExternalPath({ targetPath: node.path })
+      }
       targetIsDirectory = (await statPath(node.path)).isDirectory
     } catch {
-      toast.error(
-        translate(
-          'auto.components.right.sidebar.useFileExplorerHandlers.32cd9fd991',
-          'Cannot open symlink target'
-        )
-      )
-      return
+      // Why: an unresolvable target can't be proven to be a directory; fall through so
+      // the editor reports the real error instead of the click dead-ending here.
     }
     if (targetIsDirectory) {
       const loadedAsDirectory = await loadDir(node.path, node.depth, {
@@ -163,6 +167,7 @@ export function useFileExplorerHandlers({
   canToggleDirectories = true,
   loadDir,
   statPath,
+  authorizeExternalPath,
   markPathAsDirectory,
   setSelectedPath,
   scrollRef
@@ -228,6 +233,7 @@ export function useFileExplorerHandlers({
         canToggleDirectories,
         loadDir,
         statPath,
+        authorizeExternalPath,
         markPathAsDirectory,
         setSelectedPath
       })
@@ -241,6 +247,7 @@ export function useFileExplorerHandlers({
       markPathAsDirectory,
       openFile,
       statPath,
+      authorizeExternalPath,
       toggleDir,
       setSelectedPath
     ]