fix: use client host env in workspace block for managed daemons

assistant/src/__tests__/conversation-workspace-cache-state.test.ts

@@ -269,6 +269,75 @@ describe("Conversation workspace cache state", () => {
     expect(conversation.isWorkspaceTopLevelDirty()).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  test("renders client-reported host env when set on the conversation", () => {
+    conversation.hostHomeDir = "/Users/alice";
+    conversation.hostUsername = "alice";
+    conversation.refreshWorkspaceTopLevelContextIfNeeded();
+
+    const block = conversation.getWorkspaceTopLevelContext();
+    expect(block).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(block!).toContain("Host home directory: /Users/alice");
+    expect(block!).toContain("Host username: alice");
+  });
+
+  test("falls back to daemon os info when client host env is absent", async () => {
+    const { homedir, userInfo } = await import("node:os");
+    conversation.refreshWorkspaceTopLevelContextIfNeeded();
+
+    const block = conversation.getWorkspaceTopLevelContext();
+    expect(block).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(block!).toContain(`Host home directory: ${homedir()}`);
+    expect(block!).toContain(`Host username: ${userInfo().username}`);
+  });
+
+  test("re-renders with updated host env after marking dirty", () => {
+    conversation.hostHomeDir = "/Users/alice";
+    conversation.hostUsername = "alice";
+    conversation.refreshWorkspaceTopLevelContextIfNeeded();
+    expect(conversation.getWorkspaceTopLevelContext()!).toContain(
+      "Host home directory: /Users/alice",
+    );
+
+    conversation.hostHomeDir = "/Users/bob";
+    conversation.hostUsername = "bob";
+    conversation.markWorkspaceTopLevelDirty();
+    conversation.refreshWorkspaceTopLevelContextIfNeeded();
+
+    const block = conversation.getWorkspaceTopLevelContext();
+    expect(block).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(block!).toContain("Host home directory: /Users/bob");
+    expect(block!).toContain("Host username: bob");
+    expect(block!).not.toContain("Host home directory: /Users/alice");
+    expect(block!).not.toContain("Host username: alice");
+  });
+
+  test("falls back to os info after clearing macOS host env (cross-interface reuse)", async () => {
+    const { homedir, userInfo } = await import("node:os");
+
+    // Simulate a macOS turn populating host env.
+    conversation.hostHomeDir = "/Users/alice";
+    conversation.hostUsername = "alice";
+    conversation.refreshWorkspaceTopLevelContextIfNeeded();
+    expect(conversation.getWorkspaceTopLevelContext()!).toContain(
+      "Host home directory: /Users/alice",
+    );
+
+    // Simulate a subsequent non-macOS turn (iOS, CLI, channel) on the same
+    // conversation clearing the host env — without the clear, the stale
+    // macOS paths would leak into the next render.
+    conversation.hostHomeDir = undefined;
+    conversation.hostUsername = undefined;
+    conversation.markWorkspaceTopLevelDirty();
+    conversation.refreshWorkspaceTopLevelContextIfNeeded();
+
+    const block = conversation.getWorkspaceTopLevelContext();
+    expect(block).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(block!).toContain(`Host home directory: ${homedir()}`);
+    expect(block!).toContain(`Host username: ${userInfo().username}`);
+    expect(block!).not.toContain("Host home directory: /Users/alice");
+    expect(block!).not.toContain("Host username: alice");
+  });
+
   test("workspace hints follow the resolved legacy directory when canonical is absent", () => {
     const workspaceRoot = mkdtempSync(
       join(tmpdir(), "conversation-workspace-cache-state-"),

assistant/src/__tests__/top-level-renderer.test.ts

@@ -147,4 +147,71 @@ describe("renderWorkspaceTopLevelContext", () => {
     );
     expect(result).not.toContain("Current conversation folder");
   });
+
+  test("prefers client-reported host env over daemon os.homedir()", () => {
+    const snapshot: TopLevelSnapshot = {
+      rootPath: "/sandbox",
+      directories: ["src"],
+      files: ["package.json"],
+      truncated: false,
+    };
+
+    const result = renderWorkspaceTopLevelContext(snapshot, {
+      hostHomeDir: "/Users/alice",
+      hostUsername: "alice",
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toContain("Host home directory: /Users/alice");
+    expect(result).toContain("Host username: alice");
+    // Fallback values must NOT appear when client values are provided.
+    expect(result).not.toContain(`Host home directory: ${homedir()}`);
+    expect(result).not.toContain(`Host username: ${userInfo().username}`);
+  });
+
+  test("falls back to daemon os info when host env options omitted", () => {
+    const snapshot: TopLevelSnapshot = {
+      rootPath: "/sandbox",
+      directories: ["src"],
+      files: ["package.json"],
+      truncated: false,
+    };
+
+    const result = renderWorkspaceTopLevelContext(snapshot, {});
+
+    expect(result).toContain(`Host home directory: ${homedir()}`);
+    expect(result).toContain(`Host username: ${userInfo().username}`);
+  });
+
+  test("falls back to daemon os info when host env options are undefined", () => {
+    const snapshot: TopLevelSnapshot = {
+      rootPath: "/sandbox",
+      directories: ["src"],
+      files: ["package.json"],
+      truncated: false,
+    };
+
+    const result = renderWorkspaceTopLevelContext(snapshot, {
+      hostHomeDir: undefined,
+      hostUsername: undefined,
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toContain(`Host home directory: ${homedir()}`);
+    expect(result).toContain(`Host username: ${userInfo().username}`);
+  });
+
+  test("uses client home dir but falls back to os username when only home is provided", () => {
+    const snapshot: TopLevelSnapshot = {
+      rootPath: "/sandbox",
+      directories: ["src"],
+      files: ["package.json"],
+      truncated: false,
+    };
+
+    const result = renderWorkspaceTopLevelContext(snapshot, {
+      hostHomeDir: "/Users/alice",
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toContain("Host home directory: /Users/alice");
+    expect(result).toContain(`Host username: ${userInfo().username}`);
+  });
 });

assistant/src/daemon/conversation-process.ts

@@ -166,6 +166,20 @@ export interface ProcessConversationContext {
   forceCompact(): Promise<ContextWindowResult>;
   /** Set transport-derived hints for the conversation. */
   setTransportHints(hints: string[] | undefined): void;
+  /**
+   * Client-reported host home directory from macOS transport metadata.
+   * Used by the workspace block renderer so platform-managed daemons show
+   * the user's actual Mac home instead of the container's `os.homedir()`.
+   */
+  hostHomeDir?: string;
+  /** Client-reported host username. See `hostHomeDir`. */
+  hostUsername?: string;
+  /**
+   * Workspace top-level cache dirty flag. The queue-drain path sets this
+   * when client-reported host env changes so the next render picks up the
+   * new values.
+   */
+  workspaceTopLevelDirty: boolean;
 }
 
 function resolveQueuedTurnContext(
@@ -306,6 +320,25 @@ export async function drainQueue(
   // environment context for internal turns.
   if (next.transport) {
     conversation.setTransportHints(buildTransportHints(next.transport));
+    // Mirror applyTransportMetadata: populate client-reported host env for
+    // macOS transports, and clear it for non-macOS transports so a
+    // conversation reused across interfaces doesn't keep rendering stale
+    // Mac paths in its `<workspace>` block.
+    const prevHomeDir = conversation.hostHomeDir;
+    const prevUsername = conversation.hostUsername;
+    if (next.transport.interfaceId === "macos") {
+      conversation.hostHomeDir = next.transport.hostHomeDir;
+      conversation.hostUsername = next.transport.hostUsername;
+    } else {
+      conversation.hostHomeDir = undefined;
+      conversation.hostUsername = undefined;
+    }
+    if (
+      prevHomeDir !== conversation.hostHomeDir ||
+      prevUsername !== conversation.hostUsername
+    ) {
+      conversation.workspaceTopLevelDirty = true;
+    }
   }
 
   // Non-interactive queued messages (channel requests) must not execute tools

assistant/src/daemon/conversation-workspace.ts

@@ -13,6 +13,15 @@ export interface WorkspaceConversationContext {
   workingDir: string;
   workspaceTopLevelContext: string | null;
   workspaceTopLevelDirty: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Client-reported host home directory, populated from macOS transport
+   * metadata. Used to render the `<workspace>` block correctly for
+   * platform-managed daemons where `os.homedir()` would return the
+   * container's home instead of the user's actual Mac.
+   */
+  hostHomeDir?: string;
+  /** Client-reported host username. See `hostHomeDir`. */
+  hostUsername?: string;
 }
 
 /** Refresh workspace top-level directory context if needed. */
@@ -36,6 +45,8 @@ export function refreshWorkspaceTopLevelContextIfNeeded(
     conversationAttachmentsPath: currentConversationPath
       ? `${currentConversationPath}attachments/`
       : null,
+    hostHomeDir: ctx.hostHomeDir,
+    hostUsername: ctx.hostUsername,
   });
   ctx.workspaceTopLevelDirty = false;
 }

assistant/src/daemon/conversation.ts

@@ -262,6 +262,20 @@ export class Conversation {
   }> = [];
   /** @internal */ workspaceTopLevelContext: string | null = null;
   /** @internal */ workspaceTopLevelDirty = true;
+  /**
+   * Host home directory reported by the client (macOS `NSHomeDirectory()`).
+   * Populated from `MacosTransportMetadata` when a message arrives. Consumed
+   * by the `<workspace>` block renderer so platform-managed (containerized)
+   * daemons show the user's actual Mac home dir instead of the container's.
+   * @internal
+   */
+  hostHomeDir?: string;
+  /**
+   * Host username reported by the client (macOS `NSUserName()`). See
+   * `hostHomeDir`.
+   * @internal
+   */
+  hostUsername?: string;
   public readonly traceEmitter: TraceEmitter;
   /** @internal */ hasSystemPromptOverride: boolean;
   public memoryPolicy: ConversationMemoryPolicy;

assistant/src/daemon/server.ts

@@ -66,7 +66,10 @@ import {
   getWorkspacePromptPath,
 } from "../util/platform.js";
 import { registerDaemonCallbacks } from "../work-items/work-item-runner.js";
-import { AppSourceWatcher, setEnsureAppSourceWatcher } from "./app-source-watcher.js";
+import {
+  AppSourceWatcher,
+  setEnsureAppSourceWatcher,
+} from "./app-source-watcher.js";
 import { ConfigWatcher } from "./config-watcher.js";
 import {
   Conversation,
@@ -384,6 +387,29 @@ export class DaemonServer {
       "Transport metadata received",
     );
     conversation.setTransportHints(buildTransportHints(transport));
+    // Client-reported host env flows into the `<workspace>` block so
+    // platform-managed (containerized) daemons show the user's actual
+    // Mac paths instead of the container's `os.homedir()`. Non-macOS
+    // transports (iOS, CLI, channels) carry no host env, so we clear
+    // any previously-stored macOS values — otherwise a conversation
+    // reused across interfaces would keep rendering stale macOS paths.
+    // Invalidate the cached workspace block when the values change so
+    // the next render picks them up.
+    const prevHomeDir = conversation.hostHomeDir;
+    const prevUsername = conversation.hostUsername;
+    if (transport.interfaceId === "macos") {
+      conversation.hostHomeDir = transport.hostHomeDir;
+      conversation.hostUsername = transport.hostUsername;
+    } else {
+      conversation.hostHomeDir = undefined;
+      conversation.hostUsername = undefined;
+    }
+    if (
+      prevHomeDir !== conversation.hostHomeDir ||
+      prevUsername !== conversation.hostUsername
+    ) {
+      conversation.workspaceTopLevelDirty = true;
+    }
   }
 
   constructor() {

assistant/src/workspace/top-level-renderer.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,18 @@ import type { TopLevelSnapshot } from "./top-level-scanner.js";
 
 export interface WorkspaceTopLevelRenderOptions {
   conversationAttachmentsPath?: string | null;
+  /**
+   * Host home directory on the client machine. When provided, takes
+   * precedence over the daemon's own `os.homedir()`. This matters for
+   * platform-managed (containerized) daemons where `os.homedir()` returns
+   * the container's home, not the user's actual Mac.
+   */
+  hostHomeDir?: string;
+  /**
+   * Host username on the client machine. When provided, takes precedence
+   * over the daemon's own `os.userInfo().username`. See `hostHomeDir`.
+   */
+  hostUsername?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -21,13 +33,15 @@ export function renderWorkspaceTopLevelContext(
   lines.push(`Directories: ${snapshot.directories.join(", ")}`);
   lines.push(`Files: ${snapshot.files.join(", ")}`);
   if (options.conversationAttachmentsPath) {
-    lines.push(`Current conversation attachments: ${options.conversationAttachmentsPath}`);
+    lines.push(
+      `Current conversation attachments: ${options.conversationAttachmentsPath}`,
+    );
   }
   if (snapshot.truncated) {
     lines.push("(list truncated — more entries exist)");
   }
-  lines.push(`Host home directory: ${homedir()}`);
-  lines.push(`Host username: ${userInfo().username}`);
+  lines.push(`Host home directory: ${options.hostHomeDir ?? homedir()}`);
+  lines.push(`Host username: ${options.hostUsername ?? userInfo().username}`);
   lines.push("</workspace>");
   return lines.join("\n");
 }