Labs: command-first layout

[sean-brydon]

A Labs layout with no permanent navigation. The worktree gets the whole window, and getting around happens on demand. Turn it on in Settings › Labs › Layout › Command, or with ?layout=command in mock mode. The sidebar is untouched and stays the default.

What you get

• One line across the top
  • Back and forward (⌘[ ⌘]).
  • A "where you are" chip that opens the switcher.
  • A summary chip: "● 2 needs you · 2 working · 2 to review". It stays amber until you've looked. A new request also glows along the window's top edge.
  • In a worktree, its tabs share this line. On Review, Settings and the other views, their header actions move into it, so there's one bar.
  • The shared tab strip's pane tools stay faint until you hover the strip.
• Peek: hover the summary to see:
  • who needs you, with Allow once and Deny right there;
  • who's working, with their latest screen line;
  • what's waiting for review;
  • every project's agents per box, in words, with away boxes listed too.
• Switcher (⌘K): two panes, with a By state | By project toggle (⇥).
  • Two-line agent rows.
  • A preview of whatever is highlighted: the request with ⌥A / ⌥D, and the agent's last lines on screen.
  • Pins with ⌘↵. Press ⌘K twice to go back to the last place.
• Keys
  • ⌘E: the next agent that needs you.
  • ⌘1–9: pinned worktrees (⌃1–9 picks a tab in this layout).
  • ⌘[ ⌘]: back and forward.
  • ⌘N: new task.
  • ⌘,: Settings.
• Learning it, in stages
  • The first-run card teaches only ⌘K, the chip, and holding ⌘.
  • Holding ⌘ shows every key and where it goes right now.
  • A "⌘E takes you there" tip shows on the first request.
  • On the third visit to a worktree, a toast offers to pin it.
  • Keycaps leave the line once you've used each key a few times.

The new code is in app/src/components/command/ and app/src/lib/command-nav.ts. Outside those, the changes are small:

• the TabStrip gets lead, trail, noBreadcrumb and quietTools props;
• the ViewHeader moves into the line;
• the status bar drops the agent counts in this layout;
• shortcuts gain a layout flag.

Scores

Fresh critic subagents scored the shots at 1440×900 and 1100×750, in dark and light, five rounds in all:

Round	Speed to what needs you	Switching	Overview	Focus & calm	Learnability	Visual vs current
1	7	7	5	8	5	7
2	8	8	6	8	7	7
3	8	8	6	8	7	7
4	9	8	6	7	8	7
5	8	8	6	7	7	7

After round 5 I made one more pass, which wasn't rescored: the peek says each project's agents in words, and it marks the agent you're on as "here".

Below 8, honestly:

• Overview (6): this is the price of the direction. With no permanent list, the fleet is two counts until you hover or press ⌘K. Every critic asked for something always on screen, and that's a sidebar again.
• Focus (7) and Visual (7): the line still carries the shared tab strip's tools (the run menu and the pane and split toggles). They're faint here, but they're there. Folding them is a change for every layout.
• Learnability (7–8): depends on the hover peek and the hold-⌘ gesture, which people don't guess.

Checks

• pnpm typecheck:plugins, check:titles, check:csp, check:themes, test, build and npx tsc -p e2e all pass.
• docs-site builds.
• New e2e/command-layout.spec.ts, 10 tests, passing repeatedly on port 1427: switch worktree via the switcher, ⌘E to the next agent that needs you, pin and ⌘1, start a task, reach Settings and Review, ⌘K twice, answer from the switcher, By project, the peek, and the first-run card.
• New a11y scene command-switcher passes.
• The keyboard, workspace, look and sidebar-fleet specs pass.
• The a11y settings-boxes scene fails on a <ul> in the box processes list. That's code this PR doesn't touch.
• No Go or Rust changes.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated
berth	Ready	Preview	Oct 9, 2026 8:53pm UTC
berth-docs	Ready	Preview	Oct 9, 2026 8:53pm UTC

[sean-brydon]

Stashed: not going ahead with this layout for now. The branch stays for later.