noctalia-plugin: captures as streams (no 5 s timeout), valw's error message in notifications, full state on every --set

docs/superpowers/plans/2026-10-04-valw-noctalia-plugin.md

@@ -1247,7 +1247,7 @@ noctalia msg plugins enable elars/valw
 noctalia msg panel-toggle elars/valw:toolbar
 ```
 
-Expected: the panel appears near the bar with the four modes, the timer and three toggles, in Noctalia's style. Ask the user to confirm what they see, then close it (`noctalia msg panel-close`). Check `grep -i valw ~/.cache/noctalia/noctalia.log | tail -20` for Luau errors (unknown glyph names, bad props); fix any in the plugin, rerun Task 3's tests, and commit (`jj commit -m "noctalia-plugin: fixes from the live Noctalia" noctalia-plugin`).
+Expected: the panel appears near the bar with the four modes, the timer and three toggles, in Noctalia's style. Ask the user to confirm what they see, then close it (`noctalia msg panel-close`). With the user's go-ahead, also take two real shots from the panel: one with the timer at 5 s (the countdown runs, the shot lands, no error notification) and one Region shot held open for more than 6 s before selecting (it must not be killed). Check that nothing is clipped at 360×220 (the "Play sound" row, the four mode buttons in Turkish); adjust `width`/`height` in `plugin.toml` if needed. Check `grep -i valw ~/.cache/noctalia/noctalia.log | tail -20` for Luau errors (unknown glyph names, bad props); fix any in the plugin, rerun Task 3's tests, and commit (`jj commit -m "noctalia-plugin: fixes from the live Noctalia" noctalia-plugin`).
 
 - [ ] **Step 4: Undo the dev install**
 

docs/superpowers/specs/2026-10-04-valw-noctalia-plugin-design.md

@@ -89,18 +89,23 @@ about 360 × 220.
 - On open (`onOpen`): `valw toolbar --state` → `noctalia.json.decode` →
   render. If valw is missing (`noctalia.commandExists`) or the call fails:
   a single label "valw is not available" and `noctalia.notifyError` with
-  the stderr's last line.
+  valw's error message (its `error:` line).
 - A row of four buttons with glyphs and labels: Screen (`device-desktop`),
   Region (`crop`), Window (`app-window`), Zoom (`zoom-in`). The
   remembered mode is `variant = "primary"`, the others `"outline"`.
 - A click on a mode: `panel.close()`, then
   `sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run <mode>` (the wait lets the panel
-  disappear before the screen is frozen or captured). A non-zero exit
+  disappear before the screen is frozen or captured). Captures run with
-  other than 3 → `noctalia.notifyError("valw", <stderr's last line>)`.
+  `noctalia.runStream` (stderr folded in, the exit status echoed last):
+  `runAsync` with a callback kills its command after 5 s, and a region,
+  a zoom or the timer can take longer. A non-zero exit other than 3 →
+  `noctalia.notifyError("valw", <valw's error: line>)`.
 - Below: "Timer" `ui.select` with `Off`, `5 s`, `10 s` (from `timers`),
   and three `ui.toggle`s: "Show cursor", "Show preview", "Play sound".
-  A change re-renders at once and runs `valw toolbar --set <key>=<value>`;
+  A change re-renders at once and runs `valw toolbar --set` with every
-  a failure → `notifyError`.
+  choice (so two quick changes can't undo each other); a failure →
+  `notifyError`. `--state` and `--set` start no run log (they would push
+  the capture logs out).
 - Colours only by Noctalia role names (`primary`, `on_surface`,
   `outline`, …); no hex colours anywhere in the plugin.
 

noctalia-plugin/bar.luau

@@ -5,18 +5,33 @@
 
 local PANEL = "elars/valw:toolbar"
 
-local function lastLine(text)
+-- valw's stderr on an error starts with "error: <message>", then cause,
-  local last = ""
+-- hint and log lines.
-  for line in string.gmatch(text or "", "[^\n]+") do
+local function errorMessage(lines)
-    last = line
+  for _, line in ipairs(lines) do
+    local message = string.match(line, "^error: (.+)$")
+    if message then
+      return message
     end
-  return last
+  end
+  return noctalia.tr("error.failed")
 end
 
--- Exit 3 is a cancel (Esc): not an error.
+-- A capture lasts as long as the user takes (a region, a zoom, the timer),
-local function report(result)
+-- so it runs as a stream: runAsync with a callback kills its command after
-  if result.exitCode ~= 0 and result.exitCode ~= 3 then
+-- 5 s. stderr joins the stream and the exit status comes last.
-    noctalia.notifyError("valw", lastLine(result.stderr))
+local function capture(command)
+  local lines = {}
+  local started = noctalia.runStream("(" .. command .. ") 2>&1; echo valw-exit:$?", function(line)
+    local code = string.match(line, "^valw%-exit:(%d+)$")
+    if code == nil then
+      table.insert(lines, line)
+    elseif code ~= "0" and code ~= "3" then
+      noctalia.notifyError("valw", errorMessage(lines))
+    end
+  end)
+  if not started then
+    noctalia.notifyError("valw", noctalia.tr("error.failed"))
   end
 end
 
@@ -32,5 +47,5 @@ function onClick()
 end
 
 function onRightClick()
-  noctalia.runAsync("valw region", report)
+  capture("valw region")
 end

noctalia-plugin/panel.luau

@@ -11,38 +11,71 @@ local MODES = {
   { id = "zoom", glyph = "zoom-in" },
 }
 local OPTIONS = { "cursor", "preview", "sound" }
+local KEYS = { "mode", "timer", "cursor", "preview", "sound" }
 
 -- The decoded `--state` JSON; nil until it arrives.
 local state = nil
 local unavailable = false
 
-local function lastLine(text)
+-- valw's stderr on an error starts with "error: <message>", then cause,
-  local last = ""
+-- hint and log lines.
-  for line in string.gmatch(text or "", "[^\n]+") do
+local function errorMessage(lines)
-    last = line
+  for _, line in ipairs(lines) do
+    local message = string.match(line, "^error: (.+)$")
+    if message then
+      return message
     end
-  return last
+  end
+  return noctalia.tr("error.failed")
+end
+
+local function linesOf(text)
+  local lines = {}
+  for line in string.gmatch(text or "", "[^\n]+") do
+    table.insert(lines, line)
+  end
+  return lines
 end
 
 -- Exit 3 is a cancel (Esc): not an error.
 local function report(result)
   if result.exitCode ~= 0 and result.exitCode ~= 3 then
-    noctalia.notifyError("valw", lastLine(result.stderr))
+    noctalia.notifyError("valw", errorMessage(linesOf(result.stderr)))
+  end
+end
+
+-- A capture lasts as long as the user takes (a region, a zoom, the timer),
+-- so it runs as a stream: runAsync with a callback kills its command after
+-- 5 s. stderr joins the stream and the exit status comes last.
+local function capture(command)
+  local lines = {}
+  local started = noctalia.runStream("(" .. command .. ") 2>&1; echo valw-exit:$?", function(line)
+    local code = string.match(line, "^valw%-exit:(%d+)$")
+    if code == nil then
+      table.insert(lines, line)
+    elseif code ~= "0" and code ~= "3" then
+      noctalia.notifyError("valw", errorMessage(lines))
+    end
+  end)
+  if not started then
+    noctalia.notifyError("valw", noctalia.tr("error.failed"))
   end
 end
 
 local render
 
-local function capture(mode)
+-- Every choice goes with every --set, not just the changed one: each
-  panel.close()
+-- --set loads, changes and saves the file, so two quick changes sending
-  noctalia.runAsync("sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run " .. mode, report)
+-- one key each could undo each other. The values are valw's own tokens
-end
+-- (from --state or our lists), never user text.
-
--- `key` and `value` are always one of our own tokens, never user text.
 local function remember(key, value)
   state[key] = value
   render()
-  noctalia.runAsync("valw toolbar --set " .. key .. "=" .. tostring(value), report)
+  local sets = {}
+  for _, k in ipairs(KEYS) do
+    table.insert(sets, "--set " .. k .. "=" .. tostring(state[k]))
+  end
+  noctalia.runAsync("valw toolbar " .. table.concat(sets, " "), report)
 end
 
 local function modeButton(m)
@@ -51,7 +84,8 @@ local function modeButton(m)
     glyph = m.glyph,
     variant = if state.mode == m.id then "primary" else "outline",
     onClick = function()
-      capture(m.id)
+      panel.close()
+      capture("sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run " .. m.id)
     end,
   })
 end
@@ -123,7 +157,7 @@ function onOpen(_context)
   end
   noctalia.runAsync("valw toolbar --state", function(result)
     if result.exitCode ~= 0 then
-      fail(lastLine(result.stderr))
+      fail(errorMessage(linesOf(result.stderr)))
       return
     end
     local decoded = noctalia.json.decode(result.stdout)

noctalia-plugin/shortcut.luau

@@ -4,18 +4,33 @@
 
 local PANEL = "elars/valw:toolbar"
 
-local function lastLine(text)
+-- valw's stderr on an error starts with "error: <message>", then cause,
-  local last = ""
+-- hint and log lines.
-  for line in string.gmatch(text or "", "[^\n]+") do
+local function errorMessage(lines)
-    last = line
+  for _, line in ipairs(lines) do
+    local message = string.match(line, "^error: (.+)$")
+    if message then
+      return message
     end
-  return last
+  end
+  return noctalia.tr("error.failed")
 end
 
--- Exit 3 is a cancel (Esc): not an error.
+-- A capture lasts as long as the user takes (a region, a zoom, the timer),
-local function report(result)
+-- so it runs as a stream: runAsync with a callback kills its command after
-  if result.exitCode ~= 0 and result.exitCode ~= 3 then
+-- 5 s. stderr joins the stream and the exit status comes last.
-    noctalia.notifyError("valw", lastLine(result.stderr))
+local function capture(command)
+  local lines = {}
+  local started = noctalia.runStream("(" .. command .. ") 2>&1; echo valw-exit:$?", function(line)
+    local code = string.match(line, "^valw%-exit:(%d+)$")
+    if code == nil then
+      table.insert(lines, line)
+    elseif code ~= "0" and code ~= "3" then
+      noctalia.notifyError("valw", errorMessage(lines))
+    end
+  end)
+  if not started then
+    noctalia.notifyError("valw", noctalia.tr("error.failed"))
   end
 end
 
@@ -23,7 +38,7 @@ shortcut.setLabel(noctalia.tr("tile.label"))
 shortcut.setIcon("camera", "camera")
 
 function onClick()
-  noctalia.runAsync("noctalia msg panel-close; sleep 0.3 && valw region", report)
+  capture("noctalia msg panel-close >/dev/null 2>&1; sleep 0.3 && valw region")
 end
 
 function onRightClick()

noctalia-plugin/tests/bar_test.luau

@@ -7,18 +7,19 @@ ok("renders")
 
 onClick()
 assert(calls.toggled[1] == "elars/valw:toolbar", "left click toggles the panel")
-assert(#calls.run == 0)
+assert(#calls.run == 0 and #calls.stream == 0)
 ok("left click")
 
 reset()
 onRightClick()
-assert(calls.run[1] == "valw region", calls.run[1])
+assert(calls.stream[1] == "(valw region) 2>&1; echo valw-exit:$?", calls.stream[1])
+assert(#calls.run == 0, "never through runAsync's timeout")
 reset()
-fake.answers["valw region"] = { exitCode = 1, stdout = "", stderr = "error: busy\n" }
+fake.streams["(valw region)"] = valwFailure("busy", 1)
 onRightClick()
-assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "error: busy", "failure notified")
+assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "busy", "failure notified")
 reset()
-fake.answers["valw region"] = { exitCode = 3, stdout = "", stderr = "" }
+fake.streams["(valw region)"] = { "valw-exit:3" }
 onRightClick()
 assert(#calls.notify == 0, "cancel is silent")
 ok("right click")

noctalia-plugin/tests/panel_test.luau

@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ assert(#calls.notify == 1, "notified once")
 assert(#calls.run == 0, "nothing run")
 ok("valw missing")
 
--- --state failing: the same.
+-- --state failing: the same, with valw's error message (not its log line).
 reset()
 fake.exists = true
-fake.answers["valw toolbar --state"] = { exitCode = 1, stdout = "", stderr = "warn\nerror: broken\n" }
+fake.answers["valw toolbar --state"] = { exitCode = 1, stdout = "", stderr = valwError("broken config") }
 onOpen(nil)
 assert(findAll(rendered, function(n) return n.kind == "label" and n.props.text == "panel.unavailable" end)[1], "label")
-assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "error: broken", "the stderr's last line: " .. tostring(calls.notify[1][2]))
+assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "broken config", "valw's message: " .. tostring(calls.notify[1][2]))
 ok("--state failing")
 
 -- A working valw: the remembered mode is primary, the timer selected.
@@ -46,42 +46,56 @@ end)
 assert(#hex == 0, "no hex colours")
 ok("renders the state")
 
--- A mode click closes the panel first, then captures after the wait.
+-- A mode click closes the panel first, then captures after the wait, as a
+-- stream (no timeout: a region or a timer can take longer than 5 s).
 reset()
 button("mode.region").props.onClick()
-assert(calls.order[1] == "close" and calls.order[2] == "run", "close, then run")
+assert(calls.order[1] == "close" and calls.order[2] == "stream", "close, then capture")
-assert(calls.run[1] == "sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run region", calls.run[1])
+assert(calls.stream[1] == "(sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run region) 2>&1; echo valw-exit:$?", calls.stream[1])
+assert(#calls.run == 0, "never through runAsync's timeout")
 assert(#calls.notify == 0, "success is silent")
 ok("mode click")
 
--- A failed capture notifies; a cancelled one doesn't.
+-- A failed capture notifies with valw's message; a cancel doesn't; a
+-- failure without a message gets a generic one.
 reset()
-fake.answers["sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run"] = { exitCode = 1, stdout = "", stderr = "error: no outputs\n" }
+fake.streams["(sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run"] = valwFailure("no outputs", 1)
 button("mode.screen").props.onClick()
-assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "error: no outputs", "failure notified")
+assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "no outputs", "failure notified: " .. tostring(calls.notify[1][2]))
 reset()
-fake.answers["sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run"] = { exitCode = 3, stdout = "", stderr = "" }
+fake.streams["(sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run"] = { "valw-exit:3" }
 button("mode.window").props.onClick()
 assert(#calls.notify == 0, "cancel is silent")
+reset()
+fake.streams["(sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run"] = { "valw-exit:143" }
+button("mode.window").props.onClick()
+assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "error.failed", "a generic message")
+fake.streams["(sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run"] = nil
 ok("capture results")
 
--- The timer and the toggles write through --set and re-render at once.
+-- The timer and the toggles re-render at once and send every choice, so
+-- two quick changes can't undo each other.
 reset()
-fake.answers["sleep 0.3 && valw toolbar --run"] = nil
 select = findAll(rendered, function(n) return n.kind == "select" end)[1]
 select.props.onChange("2")
-assert(calls.run[1] == "valw toolbar --set timer=10", calls.run[1])
+assert(
+  calls.run[1] == "valw toolbar --set mode=zoom --set timer=10 --set cursor=false --set preview=true --set sound=true",
+  calls.run[1]
+)
 select = findAll(rendered, function(n) return n.kind == "select" end)[1]
 assert(select.props.selectedIndex == 2, "re-rendered with 10 s")
 reset()
 toggles = findAll(rendered, function(n) return n.kind == "toggle" end)
 toggles[3].props.onChange("false")
-assert(calls.run[1] == "valw toolbar --set sound=false", calls.run[1])
+assert(
+  calls.run[1] == "valw toolbar --set mode=zoom --set timer=10 --set cursor=false --set preview=true --set sound=false",
+  calls.run[1]
+)
 toggles = findAll(rendered, function(n) return n.kind == "toggle" end)
 assert(toggles[3].props.checked == false, "re-rendered with sound off")
 reset()
-fake.answers["valw toolbar --set"] = { exitCode = 1, stdout = "", stderr = "error: read-only\n" }
+fake.answers["valw toolbar --set"] = { exitCode = 1, stdout = "", stderr = valwError("read-only file system") }
 toggles[1].props.onChange("true")
-assert(calls.run[1] == "valw toolbar --set cursor=true", calls.run[1])
+assert(string.find(calls.run[1], "--set cursor=true", 1, true), calls.run[1])
-assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "error: read-only", "a failed --set notifies")
+assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "read-only file system", "a failed --set notifies")
 ok("timer and toggles")

noctalia-plugin/tests/shortcut_test.luau

@@ -2,13 +2,17 @@
 -- The control-center tile. Runs after stubs.luau and shortcut.luau.
 
 onClick()
-assert(calls.run[1] == "noctalia msg panel-close; sleep 0.3 && valw region", calls.run[1])
+assert(
+  calls.stream[1] == "(noctalia msg panel-close >/dev/null 2>&1; sleep 0.3 && valw region) 2>&1; echo valw-exit:$?",
+  calls.stream[1]
+)
+assert(#calls.run == 0, "never through runAsync's timeout")
 reset()
-fake.answers["noctalia msg panel-close"] = { exitCode = 1, stdout = "", stderr = "error: busy\n" }
+fake.streams["(noctalia msg panel-close"] = valwFailure("busy", 1)
 onClick()
-assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "error: busy", "failure notified")
+assert(calls.notify[1][2] == "busy", "failure notified")
 reset()
-fake.answers["noctalia msg panel-close"] = { exitCode = 3, stdout = "", stderr = "" }
+fake.streams["(noctalia msg panel-close"] = { "valw-exit:3" }
 onClick()
 assert(#calls.notify == 0, "cancel is silent")
 ok("click")

noctalia-plugin/tests/stubs.luau

@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@
 -- Stand-ins for Noctalia's globals. Each test is run as one chunk:
 -- these stubs, then the entry script, then the test (see run.sh).
 
-calls = { run = {}, notify = {}, toggled = {}, closed = 0, order = {} }
+calls = { run = {}, stream = {}, notify = {}, toggled = {}, closed = 0, order = {} }
 fake = {
   exists = true,
   -- runAsync answers by command prefix: { exitCode, stdout, stderr }
   answers = {},
+  -- runStream lines by command prefix; default: a clean exit
+  streams = {},
   decoded = nil,
 }
 rendered = nil
@@ -38,6 +40,17 @@ noctalia = {
     end
     return true
   end,
+  -- No timeout here (runAsync with a callback kills after 5 s): captures.
+  runStream = function(command, onLine)
+    table.insert(calls.stream, command)
+    table.insert(calls.order, "stream")
+    local lines = { "valw-exit:0" }
+    for prefix, l in pairs(fake.streams) do
+      if string.sub(command, 1, #prefix) == prefix then lines = l end
+    end
+    for _, line in ipairs(lines) do onLine(line) end
+    return true
+  end,
   notifyError = function(title, body) table.insert(calls.notify, { title, body }) end,
   togglePanel = function(id) table.insert(calls.toggled, id) end,
   json = { decode = function(_text) return fake.decoded end },
@@ -77,7 +90,17 @@ function button(text)
 end
 
 function reset()
-  calls = { run = {}, notify = {}, toggled = {}, closed = 0, order = {} }
+  calls = { run = {}, stream = {}, notify = {}, toggled = {}, closed = 0, order = {} }
+end
+
+-- valw's stderr on an error: the message first, then cause, hint and log.
+function valwError(message)
+  return "error: " .. message .. "\n  cause: something\n  log:   /home/u/.local/state/valw/logs/x.log\n"
+end
+
+-- The same as stream lines, ending with the exit status.
+function valwFailure(message, code)
+  return { "error: " .. message, "  log:   /home/u/.local/state/valw/logs/x.log", "valw-exit:" .. code }
 end
 
 function ok(name)

noctalia-plugin/translations/en.json

@@ -1,8 +1,29 @@
 {
-  "bar": { "tooltip": "Screenshot" },
+  "bar": {
-  "tile": { "label": "Screenshot" },
+    "tooltip": "Screenshot"
-  "panel": { "unavailable": "valw is not available" },
+  },
-  "mode": { "screen": "Screen", "region": "Region", "window": "Window", "zoom": "Zoom" },
+  "tile": {
-  "timer": { "label": "Timer", "off": "Off" },
+    "label": "Screenshot"
-  "option": { "cursor": "Show cursor", "preview": "Show preview", "sound": "Play sound" }
+  },
+  "panel": {
+    "unavailable": "valw is not available"
+  },
+  "mode": {
+    "screen": "Screen",
+    "region": "Region",
+    "window": "Window",
+    "zoom": "Zoom"
+  },
+  "timer": {
+    "label": "Timer",
+    "off": "Off"
+  },
+  "option": {
+    "cursor": "Show cursor",
+    "preview": "Show preview",
+    "sound": "Play sound"
+  },
+  "error": {
+    "failed": "valw failed"
+  }
 }

noctalia-plugin/translations/tr.json

@@ -1,8 +1,29 @@
 {
-  "bar": { "tooltip": "Ekran görüntüsü" },
+  "bar": {
-  "tile": { "label": "Ekran görüntüsü" },
+    "tooltip": "Ekran görüntüsü"
-  "panel": { "unavailable": "valw bulunamadı" },
+  },
-  "mode": { "screen": "Ekran", "region": "Bölge", "window": "Pencere", "zoom": "Yakınlaştır" },
+  "tile": {
-  "timer": { "label": "Zamanlayıcı", "off": "Kapalı" },
+    "label": "Ekran görüntüsü"
-  "option": { "cursor": "İmleci göster", "preview": "Önizlemeyi göster", "sound": "Ses çal" }
+  },
+  "panel": {
+    "unavailable": "valw bulunamadı"
+  },
+  "mode": {
+    "screen": "Ekran",
+    "region": "Bölge",
+    "window": "Pencere",
+    "zoom": "Yakınlaştır"
+  },
+  "timer": {
+    "label": "Zamanlayıcı",
+    "off": "Kapalı"
+  },
+  "option": {
+    "cursor": "İmleci göster",
+    "preview": "Önizlemeyi göster",
+    "sound": "Ses çal"
+  },
+  "error": {
+    "failed": "valw başarısız oldu"
+  }
 }