fix(app): keep reload splash continuous

Treat desktop settings evaluation as part of daemon startup so restored app chrome cannot render between bootstrap phases.

packages/app/e2e/helpers/desktop-updates.ts

@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ export interface DesktopBridgeConfig {
   daemonListen?: string;
   /** Keep start_desktop_daemon pending to hold the desktop startup blocker open. */
   hangDaemonStart?: boolean;
+  /** Delay the desktop settings IPC response to exercise startup ordering. */
+  desktopSettingsDelayMs?: number;
   /**
    * Controls what dialog.ask returns when the daemon management confirm dialog
    * fires. True = confirm (proceed with the action), false = cancel. Defaults to
@@ -101,6 +103,7 @@ declare global {
     __capturedDialogCall: ConfirmDialogCall | undefined;
     __capturedDialogOpenCalls: Array<Record<string, unknown> | undefined>;
     __recordDesktopEditorOpen?: (input: DesktopEditorOpenRecord) => Promise<void>;
+    __desktopDaemonStartRequested?: boolean;
   }
 }
 
@@ -129,6 +132,7 @@ export async function injectDesktopBridge(page: Page, config: DesktopBridgeConfi
     let daemonRunning = true;
     let currentPid: number | null = cfg.daemonPid ?? null;
     let startCount = 0;
+    window.__desktopDaemonStartRequested = false;
 
     function buildDaemonStatus() {
       return {
@@ -145,6 +149,7 @@ export async function injectDesktopBridge(page: Page, config: DesktopBridgeConfi
     }
 
     function startDesktopDaemon() {
+      window.__desktopDaemonStartRequested = true;
       if (cfg.hangDaemonStart) {
         return new Promise(() => undefined);
       }
@@ -156,6 +161,13 @@ export async function injectDesktopBridge(page: Page, config: DesktopBridgeConfi
       return buildDaemonStatus();
     }
 
+    async function waitForDesktopSettingsResponse() {
+      const delayMs = cfg.desktopSettingsDelayMs ?? 0;
+      if (delayMs > 0) {
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, delayMs));
+      }
+    }
+
     const desktopBridge: {
       platform: string;
       invoke: (command: string, args?: Record<string, unknown>) => Promise<unknown>;
@@ -212,6 +224,7 @@ export async function injectDesktopBridge(page: Page, config: DesktopBridgeConfi
         }
 
         if (command === "get_desktop_settings") {
+          await waitForDesktopSettingsResponse();
           return {
             releaseChannel: "stable",
             daemon: { manageBuiltInDaemon: manageDaemon, keepRunningAfterQuit: true },
@@ -277,6 +290,17 @@ export async function injectDesktopBridge(page: Page, config: DesktopBridgeConfi
   }, config);
 }
 
+export async function waitForDesktopDaemonStartRequest(page: Page): Promise<void> {
+  await page.waitForFunction(() => window.__desktopDaemonStartRequested === true);
+  // Give the startup state two paints to expose any app → splash regression.
+  await page.evaluate(
+    () =>
+      new Promise<void>((resolve) =>
+        requestAnimationFrame(() => requestAnimationFrame(() => resolve())),
+      ),
+  );
+}
+
 export async function waitForDirectoryDialog(
   page: Page,
 ): Promise<Record<string, unknown> | undefined> {

packages/app/e2e/workspace-navigation-regression.spec.ts

@@ -31,11 +31,52 @@ import {
 } from "./helpers/workspace-ui";
 import { clickSettingsBackToWorkspace } from "./helpers/settings";
 import { getServerId } from "./helpers/server-id";
-import { injectDesktopBridge } from "./helpers/desktop-updates";
+import { injectDesktopBridge, waitForDesktopDaemonStartRequest } from "./helpers/desktop-updates";
 import { expectAppRoute } from "./helpers/route-assertions";
 import { installDaemonWebSocketGate } from "./helpers/daemon-websocket-gate";
 
 const LOADING_WORKSPACE_TEXT_PATTERN = /Loading workspace/i;
+type StartupPresentation = "splash" | "app";
+
+declare global {
+  interface Window {
+    __paseoStartupPresentationTrace?: StartupPresentation[];
+  }
+}
+
+async function observeStartupPresentation(page: Page): Promise<void> {
+  await page.addInitScript(() => {
+    const trace: StartupPresentation[] = [];
+    window.__paseoStartupPresentationTrace = trace;
+
+    document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => {
+      const recordPresentation = () => {
+        let presentation: StartupPresentation | null = null;
+        if (document.querySelector('[data-testid="startup-splash"]')) {
+          presentation = "splash";
+        } else if (
+          document.querySelector(
+            '[data-testid="workspace-header-title"], [data-testid="sidebar-settings"]',
+          )
+        ) {
+          presentation = "app";
+        }
+        if (presentation && trace.at(-1) !== presentation) {
+          trace.push(presentation);
+        }
+      };
+      new MutationObserver(recordPresentation).observe(document.documentElement, {
+        childList: true,
+        subtree: true,
+      });
+      recordPresentation();
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+async function getStartupPresentation(page: Page): Promise<StartupPresentation[]> {
+  return page.evaluate(() => window.__paseoStartupPresentationTrace?.slice() ?? []);
+}
 
 async function expectNoLoadingWorkspacePane(
   page: Page,
@@ -239,7 +280,9 @@ test.describe("Workspace navigation regression", () => {
     }
   });
 
-  test("refresh keeps the user on the same workspace route", async ({ page }) => {
+  test("refresh keeps one continuous splash before restoring the workspace route", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
     const serverId = getServerId();
     const daemonGate = await installDaemonWebSocketGate(page);
     const workspace = await seedWorkspace({ repoPrefix: "workspace-refresh-route-" });
@@ -254,6 +297,7 @@ test.describe("Workspace navigation regression", () => {
         serverId,
         manageBuiltInDaemon: true,
         hangDaemonStart: true,
+        desktopSettingsDelayMs: 250,
         daemonListen: `127.0.0.1:${getE2EDaemonPort()}`,
       });
       await openWorkspaceThroughApp(page, { serverId, workspace });
@@ -261,14 +305,16 @@ test.describe("Workspace navigation regression", () => {
       await expectWorkspaceTabVisible(page, agent.id);
       await expectWorkspaceLocation(page, { serverId, workspace });
 
+      await observeStartupPresentation(page);
       await daemonGate.drop();
       await page.reload();
-      await expect(page.getByTestId("startup-splash")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
+      await waitForDesktopDaemonStartRequest(page);
       daemonGate.restore();
       await waitForSidebarHydration(page);
 
       await expectWorkspaceLocation(page, { serverId, workspace });
       await waitForWorkspaceTabsVisible(page);
+      expect(await getStartupPresentation(page)).toEqual(["splash", "app"]);
     } finally {
       daemonGate.restore();
       await workspace.cleanup();