feat(web): default panel layout for new project chats

apps/desktop/src/settings/DesktopClientSettings.test.ts

@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ const clientSettings: ClientSettings = {
   fontSizeTerminal: 12,
   fontSmoothing: true,
   glassOpacity: 80,
+  newThreadOpenFilesPanel: false,
+  newThreadOpenTerminal: false,
   planModeEnabled: false,
   providerModelPreferences: {},
   sidebarAutoSettleAfterDays: 3,

apps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsx

@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ import {
 } from "../hooks/useSettings";
 import { useNowMinute } from "../hooks/useNowMinute";
 import { useNewThreadHandler } from "../hooks/useHandleNewThread";
+import { applyNewThreadPanelDefaults } from "../newThreadPanelDefaults";
 import { resolveAppModelSelectionForInstance } from "../modelSelection";
 import { getTerminalFocusOwner } from "../lib/terminalFocus";
 import { preventRepeatedTerminalCloseShortcut } from "../lib/terminalCloseShortcut";
@@ -1885,6 +1886,12 @@ function ChatViewContent(props: ChatViewProps) {
         throw new Error("No active project is available for this pull request.");
       }
       const activeProjectRef = scopeProjectRef(activeProject.environmentId, activeProject.id);
+      // Each branch below hands the user a new chat in this project, so each one
+      // opens with the configured panel layout, exactly like the new-thread
+      // handler. A chat that already has a layout keeps it.
+      const applyPanelDefaults = (threadId: ThreadId) => {
+        void applyNewThreadPanelDefaults(scopeThreadRef(activeProjectRef.environmentId, threadId));
+      };
       const logicalProjectKey = deriveLogicalProjectKeyFromSettings(
         activeProject,
         projectGroupingSettings,
@@ -1901,6 +1908,7 @@ function ChatViewContent(props: ChatViewProps) {
             ...input,
           },
         );
+        applyPanelDefaults(storedDraftSession.threadId);
         if (routeKind !== "draft" || draftId !== storedDraftSession.draftId) {
           await navigate({
             to: "/draft/$draftId",
@@ -1924,6 +1932,7 @@ function ChatViewContent(props: ChatViewProps) {
           interactionMode: activeDraftSession.interactionMode,
           ...input,
         });
+        applyPanelDefaults(activeDraftSession.threadId);
         return activeDraftSession.threadId;
       }
 
@@ -1936,6 +1945,7 @@ function ChatViewContent(props: ChatViewProps) {
         interactionMode: DEFAULT_INTERACTION_MODE,
         ...input,
       });
+      applyPanelDefaults(nextThreadId);
       await navigate({
         to: "/draft/$draftId",
         params: buildDraftThreadRouteParams(nextDraftId),
@@ -5745,6 +5755,9 @@ function ChatViewContent(props: ChatViewProps) {
     }
 
     if (failure === null) {
+      // The implementation runs in a chat that did not exist a moment ago, so it
+      // opens with the configured panel layout like any other new chat.
+      void applyNewThreadPanelDefaults(scopeThreadRef(activeThread.environmentId, nextThreadId));
       const navigateResult = await settlePromise(() =>
         navigate({
           to: "/$environmentId/$threadId",

apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsPanels.tsx

@@ -514,6 +514,12 @@ export function useSettingsRestore(onRestored?: () => void) {
       DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.newWorktreesStartFromOrigin
         ? ["New worktrees start from origin"]
         : []),
+      ...(settings.newThreadOpenFilesPanel !== DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.newThreadOpenFilesPanel
+        ? ["Open files panel in new chats"]
+        : []),
+      ...(settings.newThreadOpenTerminal !== DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.newThreadOpenTerminal
+        ? ["Open terminal in new chats"]
+        : []),
       ...(settings.addProjectBaseDirectory !== DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.addProjectBaseDirectory
         ? ["Add project base directory"]
         : []),
@@ -532,6 +538,8 @@ export function useSettingsRestore(onRestored?: () => void) {
       settings.confirmThreadDelete,
       settings.addProjectBaseDirectory,
       settings.defaultThreadEnvMode,
+      settings.newThreadOpenFilesPanel,
+      settings.newThreadOpenTerminal,
       settings.newWorktreesStartFromOrigin,
       settings.diffIgnoreWhitespace,
       settings.environmentIdentificationMode,
@@ -636,6 +644,8 @@ export function useSettingsRestore(onRestored?: () => void) {
       providerHealthRefreshInterval: DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.providerHealthRefreshInterval,
       defaultThreadEnvMode: DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.defaultThreadEnvMode,
       newWorktreesStartFromOrigin: DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.newWorktreesStartFromOrigin,
+      newThreadOpenFilesPanel: DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.newThreadOpenFilesPanel,
+      newThreadOpenTerminal: DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.newThreadOpenTerminal,
       addProjectBaseDirectory: DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.addProjectBaseDirectory,
       confirmThreadArchive: DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.confirmThreadArchive,
       confirmThreadDelete: DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.confirmThreadDelete,
@@ -2122,6 +2132,59 @@ export function GeneralSettingsPanel() {
           />
         ) : null}
 
+        <SettingsRow
+          {...searchableSetting("new-thread-open-files")}
+          description="Start every new chat in a project with the files panel already open."
+          resetAction={
+            settings.newThreadOpenFilesPanel !==
+            DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.newThreadOpenFilesPanel ? (
+              <SettingResetButton
+                label="open files panel in new chats"
+                onClick={() =>
+                  updateSettings({
+                    newThreadOpenFilesPanel: DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.newThreadOpenFilesPanel,
+                  })
+                }
+              />
+            ) : null
+          }
+          control={
+            <Switch
+              checked={settings.newThreadOpenFilesPanel}
+              onCheckedChange={(checked) =>
+                updateSettings({ newThreadOpenFilesPanel: Boolean(checked) })
+              }
+              aria-label="Open files panel in new chats"
+            />
+          }
+        />
+
+        <SettingsRow
+          {...searchableSetting("new-thread-open-terminal")}
+          description="Start every new chat in a project with a terminal already open."
+          resetAction={
+            settings.newThreadOpenTerminal !== DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.newThreadOpenTerminal ? (
+              <SettingResetButton
+                label="open terminal in new chats"
+                onClick={() =>
+                  updateSettings({
+                    newThreadOpenTerminal: DEFAULT_UNIFIED_SETTINGS.newThreadOpenTerminal,
+                  })
+                }
+              />
+            ) : null
+          }
+          control={
+            <Switch
+              checked={settings.newThreadOpenTerminal}
+              onCheckedChange={(checked) =>
+                updateSettings({ newThreadOpenTerminal: Boolean(checked) })
+              }
+              aria-label="Open terminal in new chats"
+            />
+          }
+        />
+
         <SettingsRow
           {...searchableSetting("add-project-starts-in")}
           description='Leave empty to use "~/" when the Add Project browser opens.'

apps/web/src/components/settings/settingsSearch.ts

@@ -129,6 +129,16 @@ export const SETTINGS_SEARCH_ITEMS = [
     to: "/settings/general",
     targetId: "new-threads",
   },
+  {
+    id: "new-thread-open-files",
+    title: "Open files panel in new chats",
+    to: "/settings/general",
+  },
+  {
+    id: "new-thread-open-terminal",
+    title: "Open terminal in new chats",
+    to: "/settings/general",
+  },
   {
     id: "add-project-starts-in",
     title: "Add project starts in",

apps/web/src/hooks/useHandleNewThread.ts

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   useComposerDraftStore,
 } from "../composerDraftStore";
 import { newDraftId, newThreadId } from "../lib/utils";
+import { applyNewThreadPanelDefaults } from "../newThreadPanelDefaults";
 import { orderItemsByPreferredIds } from "../components/Sidebar.logic";
 import {
   deriveLogicalProjectKeyFromSettings,
@@ -267,6 +268,13 @@ export function useNewThreadHandler() {
               ...(carryInteractionMode ? { interactionMode: carryInteractionMode } : {}),
             },
           );
+          // This draft is presented as a new chat, so it gets the configured
+          // default panel layout too — otherwise turning the preference on
+          // appears to do nothing until the project's next real thread. A
+          // draft that already has a layout keeps it.
+          void applyNewThreadPanelDefaults(
+            scopeThreadRef(projectRef.environmentId, emptyStoredDraftThread.threadId),
+          );
           const opened = {
             draftId: emptyStoredDraftThread.draftId,
             threadId: emptyStoredDraftThread.threadId,
@@ -314,6 +322,11 @@ export function useNewThreadHandler() {
           interactionMode: latestActiveDraftThread.interactionMode,
           ...pickExplicitWorkspaceOptions(options),
         });
+        // Presented as a new chat like the reuse path above, so it gets the
+        // configured default panel layout too.
+        void applyNewThreadPanelDefaults(
+          scopeThreadRef(projectRef.environmentId, latestActiveDraftThread.threadId),
+        );
         return Promise.resolve({
           draftId: currentRouteTarget.draftId,
           threadId: latestActiveDraftThread.threadId,
@@ -377,6 +390,7 @@ export function useNewThreadHandler() {
           ...(carryInteractionMode ? { interactionMode: carryInteractionMode } : {}),
         });
         applyStickyState(draftId);
+        void applyNewThreadPanelDefaults(scopeThreadRef(projectRef.environmentId, threadId));
         if (carryModelSelection) {
           // After sticky state so the viewed thread's exact selection
           // (model + options like effort and context window) wins over the

apps/web/src/hooks/useSettings.ts

@@ -185,6 +185,17 @@ export function getClientSettings(): ClientSettings {
   return getClientSettingsSnapshot();
 }
 
+/**
+ * The client settings, once the persisted ones have landed. The snapshot reads
+ * as the defaults until hydration completes, so a one-shot decision taken at
+ * startup — rather than a subscription that re-renders on change — has to wait
+ * for this instead of reading {@link getClientSettings} directly.
+ */
+export async function getHydratedClientSettings(): Promise<ClientSettings> {
+  await hydrateClientSettings();
+  return getClientSettingsSnapshot();
+}
+
 export function useClientSettingsHydrated(): boolean {
   return useSyncExternalStore(
     subscribeClientSettingsHydration,