fix: container mount permissions, terminal shift, ESC capture

Bug 1 — in-container repo mounting:
- docker-compose.yml: added /data/working-copies:/data/working-copies mount
  to API container so workspace dirs are visible on host filesystem
- Dockerfile: create /data/working-copies dir in image

Bug 2 — /home/user not writable:
- workspace_manager.py: chmod 777 workspace dirs + 666 files after clone
  and after sync, so any container user can write
- manifest_compiler.py: explicit mkdir + chown + chmod 755 for home dir
  in generated Dockerfile

Bug 3 — terminal text shifts left on typing:
- terminal.tsx: removed manual term.refresh() after fit (caused reflow)
- Track lastSentCols/lastSentRows and only send resize when dimensions
  actually changed, preventing resize feedback loops

Bug 4 — ESC key captured by terminal:
- terminal.tsx: attachCustomKeyEventHandler allows ESC to propagate to
  browser when not in alternate buffer (vim/tmux), so modals/navigation
  work; ESC still sent to PTY when in vim/tmux alternate screen

Quality gates: ruff clean, tsc --noEmit clean, pytest workspaces (9 passed)

apps/api/Dockerfile

@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ ENV PATH=/root/.local/bin:$PATH
 # Copy application code
 COPY --chown=appuser:appgroup . .
 
-# Create directories for repo and instance storage
+# Create directories for repo, instance, and workspace storage
-RUN mkdir -p /data/repos /data/instances && chown -R appuser:appgroup /data
+RUN mkdir -p /data/repos /data/instances /data/working-copies && chown -R appuser:appgroup /data
 
 # Copy wait-for-db script
 COPY wait-for-db.sh /usr/local/bin/wait-for-db.sh

apps/api/src/services/manifest_compiler.py

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def resolve_base(manifest: dict) -> dict:
     result = deepcopy(manifest)
 
     base_definition_id = result.pop("base_definition_id", None)
-    base_version = result.pop("base_version", "latest")
+    result.pop("base_version", None)
 
     if base_definition_id:
         # This will be provided by the caller (they have the DB session)
@@ -167,8 +167,11 @@ def compile_dockerfile(manifest: dict) -> str:
         lines.append(f"ENV HOME={home}")
         lines.append(f"ENV USER={name}")
         lines.append("")
+        # Ensure home directory exists and is writable by the user
+        lines.append(f"RUN mkdir -p {home} && chown {name}:{name} {home} && chmod 755 {home}")
+        lines.append("")
 
-    # Build scripts
+        # Build scripts
     build_scripts = manifest.get("scripts", {}).get("build", [])
     for script in build_scripts:
         # Normalize multi-line scripts into single RUN command

apps/api/src/services/workspace_manager.py

@@ -73,7 +73,13 @@ class WorkspaceManager:
             RuntimeError: If git clone fails.
         """
         path = self._workspace_path(repo.id, name)
-        os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(path), exist_ok=True)
+        parent = os.path.dirname(path)
+        os.makedirs(parent, exist_ok=True)
+        # Ensure container users (various UIDs) can write to workspace dirs
+        try:
+            os.chmod(parent, 0o777)
+        except OSError:
+            pass
 
         logger.info(
             "Creating workspace: name=%s, repo=%s, branch=%s", name, repo.id, branch
@@ -99,6 +105,23 @@ class WorkspaceManager:
 
         await GitService.clone(repo.remote_url, branch, path, ssh_key=ssh_key)
 
+        # Make workspace writable for any container user
+        try:
+            os.chmod(path, 0o777)
+            for root, dirs, files in os.walk(path):
+                for d in dirs:
+                    try:
+                        os.chmod(os.path.join(root, d), 0o777)
+                    except OSError:
+                        pass
+                for f in files:
+                    try:
+                        os.chmod(os.path.join(root, f), 0o666)
+                    except OSError:
+                        pass
+        except OSError:
+            logger.warning("Failed to chmod workspace path: %s", path)
+
         workspace = Workspace(
             name=name,
             repo_id=repo.id,
@@ -190,6 +213,24 @@ class WorkspaceManager:
             return SyncResult(branch_deleted=True)
 
         await GitService.pull(workspace.path, workspace.branch, ssh_key=ssh_key)
+
+        # Re-apply permissive permissions after sync
+        try:
+            os.chmod(workspace.path, 0o777)
+            for root, dirs, files in os.walk(workspace.path):
+                for d in dirs:
+                    try:
+                        os.chmod(os.path.join(root, d), 0o777)
+                    except OSError:
+                        pass
+                for f in files:
+                    try:
+                        os.chmod(os.path.join(root, f), 0o666)
+                    except OSError:
+                        pass
+        except OSError:
+            logger.warning("Failed to chmod workspace after sync: %s", workspace.path)
+
         workspace.last_sync_at = datetime.now()
         logger.info("Workspace synced: %s", workspace.id)
         return SyncResult(branch_deleted=False)

apps/web/src/components/start-tool-fab.tsx

@@ -71,16 +71,12 @@ export function StartToolFAB() {
 							</p>
 						) : !selectedWorkspace ? (
 							<div className="form-group">
-								<label htmlFor="fab-workspace-select">
+								<label htmlFor="fab-workspace-select">Select a workspace</label>
-									Select a workspace
-								</label>
 								<select
 									id="fab-workspace-select"
 									value=""
 									onChange={(e) => {
-										const ws = workspaces.find(
+										const ws = workspaces.find((w) => w.id === e.target.value);
-											(w) => w.id === e.target.value,
-										);
 										if (ws) setSelectedWorkspace(ws);
 									}}
 								>
@@ -97,8 +93,7 @@ export function StartToolFAB() {
 								<div className="tool-starter-header">
 									<h4>
 										{selectedWorkspace.project_name} /{" "}
-										{selectedWorkspace.repo_name} /{" "}
+										{selectedWorkspace.repo_name} / {selectedWorkspace.name}
-										{selectedWorkspace.name}
 									</h4>
 									<button
 										className="ghost-button small"

apps/web/src/components/terminal.tsx

@@ -285,6 +285,8 @@ export const TerminalComponent = React.forwardRef<TerminalRef, TerminalProps>(
 			const container = terminalRef.current;
 
 			// Define fitTerminal before connectWebSocket so it's available in onmessage
+			let lastSentCols = 0;
+			let lastSentRows = 0;
 			const fitTerminal = () => {
 				if (!fitAddonRef.current || !termRef.current) return;
 				try {
@@ -294,23 +296,35 @@ export const TerminalComponent = React.forwardRef<TerminalRef, TerminalProps>(
 					return;
 				}
 				const { cols, rows } = termRef.current;
-				// Force refresh if dimensions are valid
+				// Only send resize when dimensions actually changed
-				if (cols > 0 && rows > 0) {
+				if (
-					try {
+					cols > 0 &&
-						termRef.current.refresh(0, rows - 1);
+					rows > 0 &&
-					} catch {
+					(cols !== lastSentCols || rows !== lastSentRows)
-						// Ignore refresh errors
+				) {
+					lastSentCols = cols;
+					lastSentRows = rows;
+					const currentWs = wsRef.current;
+					if (currentWs?.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
+						currentWs.send(JSON.stringify({ type: "resize", cols, rows }));
 					}
 				}
-				const currentWs = wsRef.current;
-				if (currentWs?.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN && cols > 0 && rows > 0) {
-					currentWs.send(JSON.stringify({ type: "resize", cols, rows }));
-				}
 			};
 
 			// Open xterm first (must happen before fit)
 			term.open(container);
 			term.focus();
+
+			// Allow ESC to propagate to browser when not in alternate buffer (vim/tmux)
+			term.attachCustomKeyEventHandler((e) => {
+				if (e.key === "Escape") {
+					const isAlternate =
+						term.buffer.active.type === "alternate";
+					return isAlternate; // true = xterm handles it, false = browser handles it
+				}
+				return true;
+			});
+
 			const ws = connectWebSocket();
 
 			// Mobile touch scroll.

apps/web/src/pages/dashboard.tsx

@@ -8,10 +8,7 @@ import {
 	type Session as SessionApi,
 	type InstanceHealth,
 } from "../api/sessions";
-import {
+import { ErrorState, LoadingState } from "../components/data-states";
-	ErrorState,
-	LoadingState,
-} from "../components/data-states";
 import { SessionList } from "../components/session-list";
 import { useInstanceActions } from "../hooks/use-instance-actions";
 

apps/web/src/pages/sessions.tsx

@@ -163,8 +163,8 @@ export const SessionsPage = () => {
 								<h3>Uncommitted Changes</h3>
 								<p>
 									The repository{" "}
-									<strong>{dirtyDeleteSession.repository_name}</strong>{" "}
+									<strong>{dirtyDeleteSession.repository_name}</strong> has
-									has uncommitted changes. Deleting this session will permanently
+									uncommitted changes. Deleting this session will permanently
 									lose these changes.
 								</p>
 								<div className="changed-files-list">

apps/web/src/styles.css

@@ -5633,7 +5633,9 @@ a:active,
 	display: flex;
 	align-items: center;
 	justify-content: center;
-	transition: transform 0.15s ease, box-shadow 0.15s ease;
+	transition:
+		transform 0.15s ease,
+		box-shadow 0.15s ease;
 }
 
 .start-tool-fab:hover {

docker-compose.yml

@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - /data/repos:/data/repos
       - /data/instances:/data/instances
+      - /data/working-copies:/data/working-copies
     ports:
       - "8000:8000"
     depends_on: